More than 1,000 types of flower set to delight visitors with a visual feast

More than 20,000 plants spanning 1,000 types from across the world will be showcased at the Plant Pavilion at the upcoming Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition, or the Beijing Expo, offering a visual feast to visitors, local officials said.

Exotic flowers and herbs from home and abroad will be displayed during the exhibition, organizers said.

"We have selected more than 1,000 flowers from abroad, which adapt to Beijing's climate and have high ornamental value," said Yu Xuebin, deputy general manager of Beijing Landscape and Forestry Group.

The exhibition covers an area of 503 hectares and includes themed pavilions featuring Chinese gardening culture, international plants and gardening competitions, botany and life experiences. For example, traditional flowers including wintersweets, Chinese roses and chrysanthemums will be exhibited at the China Pavilion.

Chinese roses and chrysanthemums are Beijing's city flowers. They blossom in spring and autumn respectively, said Lin Qiaoling, a staff member of the pavilion.

"We have adapted the temperature control technology to ensure all of them blossom at the opening ceremony," she said.

In addition, wildflowers will be highlighted at the exhibition.

Wildflowers and plants are abundant in China, but they are rarely utilized in urban gardens, said Guo Jia, deputy director of the gardening department at the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau.

"We have collected a large number of wildflowers and plants, and singled out 132 of them to present at the exhibition, by improving their adaptability and ornamentation with modern science and technology," Guo said.

Organizers have also insisted on the philosophy of combining innovation and sustainability in the venue construction.

Ecological protection has been consistently prioritized in venues' construction, said Zhou Jianping, standing deputy director of the bureau.

The forest section of the exhibition evolved from a forest park project in Yanqing district, where there are nearly 50,000 plants. Some of them have grown for more than two decades.

"From design to construction, we have retained all of the original vegetation and made full use of it," Zhou said. He added that local authorities have rejuvenated the originally damaged wetlands to save its role and promote biodiversity.

"From the perspective of the horticulture industry development worldwide, Chinese people's spending on gardening is still low," he said, adding that most of them think of floriculture as being used in a celebration of special events, such as festivals and birthdays.

"The Beijing Expo is expected to promote a new lifestyle, inspire a better understanding of horticulture and integrate gardening into our lives," he said.

After the exhibition, the public space will be preserved to develop local tourism and horticulture, according to Ye Dahua, deputy head of the bureau. It will also be a leisure area for local residents and also a new attraction for tourists to enjoy floral sightseeing tours, he said.

Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said Yanqing district will play host to both the exhibition and the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will provide perfect opportunities to develop the local comprehensive tourism.