Qingdao gets ready to blossom(1)
WHILE the 2011 International Horticultural Exposition has just waved goodbye to visitors in Xi'an City, preparations for the 2014 edition have been in full swing since 2009 in Qingdao City, Shandong Province.
As a successful host of the sailing competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Qingdao is ready to stage a more spectacular event. It will be the first time that a horticultural expo will be hosted in a coastal city.
The event will be held from April 18 to October 18, 2014 in Baiguoshan Forest Park, Licang District.
For the local government, getting the rights to such a big international event is a great marketing chance. The government hopes to improve infrastructure and attract more business to the city, which has the largest port in northern China.
To ensure people have a rewarding visit, the Qingdao government has been planning for years.
The design for the park was made by Wu Zhiqiang, chief planner of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai and vice president of Tongji University. Wu is also the chief planner for Qingdao's Expo Park.
Inspired design
His inspiration came from the ancient Chinese tale "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers." Strips of colorful flowers will extend from the Theme Pavilion to the mountain top on the north side and to the entrance on the lower land in the south, decorating two lakes at the central part of the park.
The main road, the floral avenue, will link the lakes and join a sea of flowers at the south square. The theme pavilion will be built in the center of the park, linking all seven theme zones.
The China Zone, also the red zone, will exhibit horticultural designs collected from the country's municipalities and cities from Shandong.
The orange zone, or the Park of Floral Art, will showcase how plants and flowers are used in big events such as weddings. Space will also be set aside to exhibit works from masters, young artists and experimental practitioners so visitors can get a taste of innovation in the world of plants.
The Herbal Garden, or the yellow zone, is where visitors can appreciate how plants help protect human health. Inspired by China's herbal bible, the "Compendium of Materia Medica," the garden will use advanced technology to show how plants fight against urban pollution and diseases.
The green zone is for kids. In this zone, kids can use their cognition and imagination to learn about plants. Scenes from fairy tales will be set up in the zone to make learning fun.
The light green zone features scientific installations that appeal to different senses. It aims to reveal nature's intelligence through the most advanced technology.
The blue zone looks at the future of the "green industries" and a low carbon way of life. Shaped as a leaf, the blue zone advocates technology and vitality.
Completing the circle is the purple zone, or the International Park.
The Theme Pavilion will become a future landmark in Qingdao, organizer said.
More than 5,000 suggestions have been received for the expo's logo and mascot. The logo will be announced at the end of this year and the mascot will be chosen next year, according to the organizer.
Design details for the main pavilions will be finished by the end of this year.
Great attractions
When people visit Qingdao, there are two things that most people probably don't want to miss - the beer and the sea. In 2014, these attractions will also be used to entertain visitors.
Qingdao has the country's second largest brewery, Tsingtao, which was founded in 1904 by the Germans and now has about a 15 percent share of China's beer market. The city has also hosted an annual international beer festival for more than two decades. At the expo, visitors will be able to see one of the ingredients - the hops flower - in beer.
