The International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 is scheduled to be held in the Yanqing District of Beijing from April 29 to October 7. This is the second time China has hosted the high-level horticulture event after Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province held the expo in 1999.
The 162-day expo will exhibit the latest achievements in floriculture, and fruit and vegetable farming.
More than 110 countries and international organizations, as well as over 120 non-official exhibitors, have confirmed participation, making it the highest attendance in the global event's history.
Visitors in China will be able to see a variety of plants from around the world without leaving China. The expo also aims to spread sustainable development concepts. In the international pavilion, 94 iron and steel flowers not only make for a magnificent sight but also function as a sun shield and a generator of solar power, as well as collecting rainwater. It's an example of art and science integrating for both practical and aesthetic purposes.
The 2019 expo in Beijing will not only be a horticulture demonstration and communication platform but also an opportunity for economic and trade cooperation. By hosting the event, China is going to show that its doors are open and that it embraces globalization.
(This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published in People's Daily on January 24)
