Turkey aims to flourish at Beijing Horticultural Expo: commissioner

ANKARA - Turkey has high hopes for the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition and aims to have the "most attractive" pavilion, where rarest examples of its rich heritage will be showcased during the global event, said the Turkish Commissioner for the event Muge Varol Ilicak.

"We are ambitious to become the most attractive pavilion of the expo. Our 2,400-square-meter pavilion with three main sections is categorized as welcoming, hosting and experiencing units," said the Turkish expo official in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The commissioner, who is due to take on duties soon, explained that the Turkish pavilion and gardens are "designed to present innovative projects in the fields of agriculture and botany" with interactive features for visitors of all ages, as there are also activities planned for children.

Turkey's theme message for the Beijing expo is "Welcoming Future with Green," which presents the best that Anatolia, considered as a cradle of civilization and the motherland of the modern nation, has to offer, remarked Ilicak.

Designed in three main features upon inspiration from the famous Pamukkale travertines, the garden house of Ottoman sultan Abdulaziz, and the Imperial Garden, the Turkish pavilion will "invite visitors on a journey to the Turkish gardening culture," pointed out Ilicak, who is also the director general of foreign trade offices and international events at the Turkish Trade Ministry.

Turkey will also showcase an endemic plants tunnel, containing rare examples from Anatolian geography's rich plant diversity, as much as 16 endemic species ranging from tulip to hyacinth.

Moreover, the Turkish pavilion has a "7 Regions Street," which presents seven symbolic structures for each region of Turkey, standing for the reflections of the climatic diversity on Turkey's geography, vegetation, habitation and lifestyle.

Slated for April 29, the 162-day expo is poised to impress an expected number of 16 million visitors from China and abroad with a huge collection of plants, flowers and eye-catching pavilions as well as ideas for green development.

More than 110 countries and international organizations as well as over 120 non-official exhibitors have confirmed their participation, marking the highest attendance in the expo's history.

The exhibitors will vie to present their latest achievements in horticulture in the 503-hectare expo site at the foot of the Great Wall in Beijing's Yanqing District.

Throughout the expo, the Turkish pavilion plans to hold several events such as Turkish traditional handicrafts (pottery, calligraphy, marbling), Turkish folk dance, workshops on horticulture with Turkish experts and a range of tastes from the Turkish cuisine.

"These activities will contribute significantly to the representation of our country and lead to significant opportunities to further improve our mutual and multilateral relations in the fields of botany and horticulture," emphasized Muge Varol Ilicak.

The Turkish pavilion will ultimately be handed to the Chinese government as a donation after the closure of the Beijing expo "as a sign of cooperation between Turkey and China," as well as for many visitors, especially Chinese, to be able to have a taste of Turkish culture for years to come, Ilicak added.