The Maritime Silk Road Cooperation Garden is one of the international gardens at the 15th China International Garden Expo. [Photo by Qi Xiao/for chindaily.com.cn]
Wenzhou in Zhejiang province is set to host the China International Garden Expo for the first time on April 15 with free entry, officials announced at a news conference on Wednesday.
According to Hu Zijian, head of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development's urban construction department, the expo answers the public's call for a better and happier life. "It allows residents to enjoy green views and parks at their doorstep — a concrete action to practice the 'people's city' concept," he said.
The three mascots of the 15th China International Garden Expo are seen at the Wenzhou Garden Expo Park on April 8. [Photo by Qi Xiao/for chindaily.com.cn]
That concept inspired the expo's design, according to Li Yueqi, head of the Zhejiang provincial housing and urban-rural development department, who described it as branching out across all of the 12 counties and districts in Wenzhou.
The Wenzhou Garden Expo Park, the main venue, is connected to the nearby Wenzhou South Railway Station by a landscaped skybridge, allowing visitors to enter the park within 10 minutes of getting off the train. At the heart of the park lies Ouyue Garden, an island landscape inspired by a panoramic scroll depicting Wenzhou life attributed to Wang Zhenpeng, a Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) court painter.
The three mascots of the 15th China International Garden Expo are seen at the Wenzhou Garden Expo Park on April 8. [Photo by Qi Xiao/for chindaily.com.cn]
The expo will also see a large international presence, featuring 11 city gardens from the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Japan, and other regions.
For the first time in China, the International Federation of Landscape Architects has established a themed garden at the expo, with plans for a permanent flagship cooperation and exchange center.
A screen bearing the inscription of Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet Su Shi is seen at the Wenzhou Garden Expo Park. [Photo by Qi Xiao/for chindaily.com.cn]
"The design and construction of the international city gardens were through the cooperation of China and international teams," said Hu. "When friends from around the world stroll through Wenzhou's landscapes, they will not only savor beautiful sceneries but also see a green, open, and shared China."
According to Wenzhou Mayor Zhang Wenjie, the newly built structures will be repurposed into garden culture centers, study camps, and a host of other attractions.
The expo will run for 100 days, according to the organizers.
An artificial waterfall at the Wenzhou Garden Expo Park in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo by Qi Xiao/for chindaily.com.cn]
A woman stands under an ancient banyan tree at the Wenzhou Garden Expo Park in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo by Qi Xiao/for chindaily.com.cn]