Final preparations for Beijing Expo 2019 completed

On April 25th, the Beijing Shiyuanhui Park is ready for the visitors. (Photo by Liu Xianguo from People’s Daily Online)

All the preparation work for the upcoming 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition (Beijing Expo 2019) has been completed, according to a press conference held by China’s State Council Information Office on April 24. At the conference, an official from the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Expo 2019 briefed journalists and answered questions on the preparation of the Expo. The event is scheduled to be held on April 29 by the Chinese government and the Beijing Municipality.

As operation teams are already in place, multiple tests and trial runs have been conducted to get the Expo ready for tourists from home and abroad. To date, 110 countries and international organizations as well as over 120 non-official exhibitors have confirmed their participation in the Expo. Wang Hong, member of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Expo 2019, introduced that the overall garden layout of “one center, two axes, three belts, multiple zones” has now been established. Decoration for major pavilions including the China Pavilion, International Pavilion, Life Experience Pavilion and Plant Pavilion has been finished. Wang, also vice mayor of Beijing, added that main buildings including Guirui Theater and Yongning Pavilion have been fixed up. Trees and flowers have been planted in zones.

The construction and decoration of venues for all domestic exhibitors including 31 provincial-level regions, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as 17 enterprises have also come to an end. Besides, the venues for international exhibitors have also been prepared. All gardens of the Expo are now ornamenting themselves with seasonal flowers to charm tourists with beautiful international horticulture. Nearly 2,500 cultural activities will be held during the Expo, attracting participation from more than 60 countries and international organizations. At the same time, 180 float parades combining botanic and technological elements will be rolled out to present the beauty of horticulture in artistic forms. Jiang Zehui, deputy director of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Expo 2019, said that ecology was a priority in the planning, design, construction, operation, and follow-up activities of the Expo.

Jiang, also president of China Flower Association, noted that they have kept 50,000 trees in original spots, and planted 50,000 arbors as well as 120,000 shrubs for the Expo. New breeds, technologies, achievements and ideas are expected to be showcased in over 100 gardens during the Expo, offering diversified gardening culture for the visitors. The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization named their pavilion at the Expo as “Bamboo Eye” under the theme of “Bamboo and Rattan for Green Growth”.

The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) plans to demonstrate the role of plants in development of green city in their area named “The Rewilding Garden” where the pavilion shaped in chrysanthemum and various plants will be exhibited. As an important platform for international horticultural exchanges and cooperation, the Expo will host seven contests including the 2019 World Flower Art Contest and peony, Chinese rose, orchid, chrysanthemum, bonsai, and plant combination competitions.

Besides, the organizers will put on the World Floral Conference 2019, the 71st annual meeting of the AIPH, and an International Green City Forum. Given an estimation of 16 million visitors, two stress tests have been conducted before the Expo officially opens to the public. Zhou Jianping, executive deputy director-general of the Expo Coordination Bureau, said that they would adopt people-oriented ideas during the operation. The Expo, taking real-name booking, can receive around 100,000 visitors per day, and will work to keep the visitors’ waiting time at the entrance no more than 15 minutes. 110 baffle gates have been installed at the Expo, allowing 5,000 tourists to pass through every ten minutes. Visitors can enter the park by scanning their ID cards or through facial scan. Besides, 170 electric sightseeing vehicles, 15,000 seats, and 30 lavatories are also provided to offer convenience for visitors.

By He Yong

(People’s Daily)