Expo shows confidence in ecological ideals

On April 20th, the Beijing Shiyuanhui Park conducted a full-load stress test with more than 60,000 visitors. (Photo by Li Wenming from People’s Daily Online)

The upcoming Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition will feature a series of new technologies and is hailed by organizers and experts as a signal of China’s confidence and openness in communicating its green development strategy.  Eighty-six countries and regions, as well as 24 international organizations, will display horticulture arts alongside domestic exhibitors from 31 provincial-level administrations, Jiang Zehui, vice director of the organizing committee of the expo, said at a conference on April 24. The expo will open on April 29, and lasts until the first week of October, when the People’s Republic of China celebrates its 70th birthday.

The 162-day expo is anticipated to see 16 million visits and 2,500 activities including academic conferences, horticulture competitions and flower parades, Gao Yan, chairwoman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and an organizer of the expo, said at the press conference. The wide participation and variety of activities demonstrate that China has the confidence to tell the world about its ecological ideas and progress, Gao said.

Wang Qiyan, director of China’s Leisure Economy Research Center under the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that the expo is a great opportunity for different countries and regions to share their experience in ecological protection and promote further cooperation in building a green Belt and Road Initiative. Various activities will feature horticulture from different parts of the world to emphasize the expo’s theme “Live green, live better,” which reflects a traditional Chinese philosophy that people are an integral part of nature, Jiang, also president of the China Flower Association said at the press conference on April 24.  The expo should be a dialogue between nature and human beings, she said.

A horticultural expo is also a scientific event as major exhibition halls will be covered by 5G networks. A mobile app designed for the expo will offer information about transportation, accommodation, and interesting activities to visitors, cutting waiting time and reducing congestion. The app also teaches users about trees, flowers, and horticulture, the Science and Technology Daily reported. Visitors will be served by robotic docents, coffee makers, and cleaners.

One highlight is a magic forest that uses augmented reality technologies to reveal creatures from ancient legends, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Construction and decoration of exhibition halls have been finished, and the cultivation of plants is ongoing with the help of the organizer. Parking lots and public transportation have been arranged to support the expected crowds, said Vice Mayor of Beijing Wang Hong. Customs, plant quarantine authorities and the forestry bureau have cooperated closely to accelerate the approval of plants’ entry and exit, said the State Forestry and Grassland Administration.

By Zhang Han

(Global Times)