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  • Published: Jun 30, 2011
  • Source: Beijing Review
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Xi'an hosting 2011 International Horticultural Exposition from April 28 to October 22


By ZHOU XIAOYAN 


FLORAL SHOE: The expo park is decorated with flowers everywhere tourists look (JIANG XIAOYING)


The 2011 International Horticultural Exposition (IHE) is being held in Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. It spreads across 418 hectares, 188 of which are covered by water. The expo is expected to receive 15 million visitors, domestic and foreign, during its 178 days.

Design

This is the third time a mainland city of China has held the IHE. In 1999, Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, became the first city on the Chinese mainland to host the IHE, attracting 69 countries to take part and more than 9.5 million visitors. In 2006, Shenyang, capital city of northeast China's Liaoning Province, was the host, attracting more than 12 million tourists.

The ongoing 2011 Expo in Xi'an showcases the latest achievements and products in the areas of landscape, horticulture, plants and flowers, environmentally friendly and energy-saving new technology, new materials, and hundreds of rare plants and ecological landscapes from different areas and climate zones around the globe.

The site of the 2011 Expo in Xi'an is situated in the Chanba Ecological District, a former garbage dump near the Chanhe and Bahe rivers that had been heavily polluted. The Xi'an Government has spent the past several years restoring the ecosystem and the water is now clear, making it a perfect spot for holding the IHE.

"The expo aims to present mankind's ability to find ways to achieve economic growth without doing harm to the environment in a simple and low-carbon way," said Zhao Zhengyong, Governor of Shaanxi Province and President of the expo's organizing committee, at the opening ceremony.

Green life concepts are introduced to the 2011 Expo in Xi'an, including simple decoration, low-carbon travel, valuing grain, saving and recycling water and growing flowers and trees.

The 2011 Expo in Xi'an has added many international factors, allowing the Chinese to enjoy world culture without stepping out of the country. For instance, in international gardens, such as the Japanese and Thailand gardens, tourists can see architecture from those countries and buy souvenirs from people of those countries.

Additionally, many masters of the art of horticulture were invited to design the expo park. The Chang'an Tower, one of the four main buildings in the expo site, was designed by Zhang Jingqiu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. There are nine master and 10 university horticultural parks and these parks are filled with works representing the world's highest level of the art of horticulture.

"The expo is the largest, high-level international event Shaanxi Province has held since the founding of People's Republic of China in 1949," said Chen Baogen, Mayor of Xi'an. "This is a great opportunity to show the world a green, modern, fashionable and international Xi'an." 


GRAND SCALE: The 2011 International Horticultural Exposition in Xi'an covers an area of 418 hectares (XINHUA)


Highlights

In the 418-hectare expo park, there are 109 outdoor gardens, three pavilions and five major horticultural scenic spots, giving tourists full enjoyment of the beauty of landscaping, gardening art, horticulture and architecture.

Outdoor gardens include those for cities of Shaanxi Province and those for each province of China, as well as international, masters' and enterprise gardens. These outdoor gardens are spread across the grand expo park and enable tourists to observe delicate designs of gardens of different styles, and traditional Chinese or exotic gardening art.

The Chang'an Tower, Theme Pavilion and Greenhouse are the most popular and frequently visited spots of the 2011 Expo in Xi'an. They are three of the four landmarks of the expo. The fourth landmark, the Guangyun Entrance, can receive 20,000 tourists each peak time hour.

The Chang'an Tower, built in the traditional Chinese architectural style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is 99 meters high and has seven floors. There is a huge bodhi tree inside the steel tower, the trunk of which is covered by paintings of 50 teachers and students from the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts. From the top floor, tourists can have an overall view of the expo park and in each floor antiques and national treasures are on show. The tower has become the most famous symbol of the 2011 Expo.

The Theme Pavilion, situated near the Chang'an Tower, was mainly designed to demonstrate different fauna and flora from different climate zones, such as rainforest, deserts, tropical and south subtropical zones.

The Greenhouse uses the latest technology to showcase the hi-tech agricultural products of the world, such as pumpkin planted with transgenic technology, to give audiences a better and more scientific understanding of plants in the world.

The expo features five major horticultural scenic spots—the Chang'an Flower Valley, Flowers Along the Silk Road, Colorful Plants From Qinling Mountains, Overseas Collections and Flower Rainbow Over the Bahe River. These spots offer hundreds of thousand of flowers from China and abroad. Tourists can see flowers no matter where they are and in which direction they look.

As well, there are three characteristic service zones: Romance by the Bahe River, Tropical-style Waterfront and European Avenue, which were designed for dining, rest and shopping.

Additionally, gorgeous works of art, sculptures from China and abroad, such as Fantastic Forest, Silk Road, Tree Branch Horse and Water Dragon, will be on show during the expo. These will enable visitors to experience the beauty of amalgamation of gardening, horticulture, architecture and culture.

It will also be the first time an IHE host city has introduced rare animals. The organizing committee of the expo has invited four national treasures of China to live in the expo park from March 28. They are the Four Qinling Legends—the giant panda, takin, crested ibis and the golden monkey.

 

AVANT-GARDE STYLE: A work of German horticulturist Martin Rein-Cano in the Master Park of the 2011 Expo (CFP)


Participants

As of the beginning of June, more than 3 million tourists, domestic and international, had visited the Expo.

"I feel the infrastructure here is very convenient for tourists," said Li Yunhua, a visitor from Ankang City in Shaanxi Province who came to Xi'an especially for the 2011 Expo. "For instance, we can drink water or go to a toilet quite conveniently and all the service is human-oriented."

Besides Shaanxi people, the expo is also attracting many tourists from afar.

"Just like the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, the 2011 IHE in Xi'an is quite large and magnificent," said Li Ruogang, a college student from Singapore. "The first thing I did for my four-day trip in Xi'an was coming to see the horticultural expo, even before the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, and I think it's totally worth it."

"I have just visited the Greenhouse, where various projectors are used for demonstrating hi-tech agricultural products. I feel like I have entered an academy of agricultural sciences. It's quite amazing," Li said.

"The 2011 Expo is very good. We are all impressed," said Promps Shakya, a Nepalese who has lived in Xi'an for eight years and speaks fluent Chinese, leading a team of seven Nepalese students from Xi'an Jiaotong University. "So far, we have visited eight parks, including the Indian, Pakistan, Italian and Nepali. They are all very beautiful."

"I heard of the 2011 Expo on the Internet and from some of my friends," said Grace John from Kenya who sells souvenirs at the Swan Lake Garden. "So I came here for the great business in this grand pageant. I mainly sell African handicrafts, wood and stone carvings and African jewellery: necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings."

"People in Xi'an are very nice and the flowers are excellent in the expo park," said Michael Muiu, who also sells African souvenirs at the Swan Lake Garden. "I've visited several gardens, including the Chinese provincial gardens. They are quite beautiful displays. We are enjoying ourselves here. We hope business will get better."

"I had a business at the World Expo in Shanghai last year and now I come to Xi'an," said Mukesh Rajak, who sells handicrafts and souvenirs at the Holland Garden. "The flowers are very beautiful here and I love them very much. The business is not as good in Xi'an as in Shanghai last year but I think it will get better."

Volunteers are also a highlight of the 2011 Expo in Xi'an. Each day, there are 500 volunteers in the expo park, wearing yellow clothes and waiting to answer travelers' questions and solve their problems.

Tian Li, a sophomore in Xi'an University of Arts and Science, is one. She is situated near the main entrance of the 2011 Expo in Xi'an—the Guangyun Entrance, and is quite busy every day.

"I will work here for 16 days," said Tian. "The most frequently asked questions include the locations of the exit, the electric power carts for transport and the recommended traveling routes. Xi'an is my hometown and I feel I have the obligation to participate in the expo and contribute to my hometown. My parents are quite supportive as well."

As the Chang'an Tower is one of the hottest spots in the expo park, Gao Yanyan, another volunteer who is a student in Northwest University of Politics and Law, has to answer the same questions each day.

"I signed up for the volunteer job on the Internet as I wanted this non-profit work to enrich my life experience," said Gao. "I tell people about the location of electric power carts, drinking and dining spots and the location of the Greenhouse each day. I don't feel bored because I talk to different people. Almost all universities in Xi'an have called on their students to take part."

  

COLORFUL ROSES:A special type of rose with multicolored petals features in the Theme Pavilion of the 2011 Expo (CFP)


Related Figures

Duration of the expo: 178 days

Area of the expo park: 418 hectares, 188 of which is water

Outdoor gardens: 109

Exhibitors: 109 cities and institutions, domestic and foreign

Expected visitors: 15 million

Volunteering workers: 13,000 in the expo park; 1,240 outside the park in Xi'an

Tips for Visiting the 2011 Expo in Xi'an:

Opening time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Ticket Price: 150 yuan ($22.7) on 22 designated peak days and 100 yuan ($15.2) on normal days

Transport: You can take a taxi to the expo park. There are more than 12,000 taxis in Xi'an. Call 029-96716 if you want to book one. Also, 14 special bus lines have been set up to take people from all main streets and districts in the city to the expo park.

Eating: You can have a full meal at the three service zones in the expo park, or you can have a snack at booths lining main streets.

Traveling: There are many electric power carts and small trains in the park, carrying people to all destinations. Bicycles are available for hire.

Drinking water: There are many spots spread across the expo park, for travelers to drink pure water for free. Bottled water is available in shops.

Maps: Free maps are available from volunteers at all entrance gates.