Expo 2019 Beijing, blooming at the foothills of the Great Wall in the Yanqing District, has been welcoming visitors, from China and around the world, to celebrate National and Provincial Days.
Approved by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), as an A1 category event, Expo 2019 Beijing is the largest international horticultural expo ever held. Since opening to the public on 29th April 2019, the 503-hectare expo site has received 2.3 million visitors. A series of National and Provincial Days are amongst the attractions drawing visitors from China and around the world.
‘Beijing Day’ was the first Provincial Day, held from 1st – 3rd May, and themed “Beautiful Beijing Shinning at the Expo”. A variety of activities took place to demonstrate the city’s achievements in ecological, cultural and urban development and international exchange and AIPH President, Bernard Oosterom gave a speech.
On 6th June, both Zhejiang Provincial Day and China National Pavilion Day were celebrated. 950 guests were invited to watch theatrical performances and a flower show. The 23,000 sqm semi-circular China Pavilion (the largest of the expo’s four pavilions) has been designed to embody China’s agricultural identity, the Chinese wisdom of learning and connection with nature. Speeches on the day were given by: Chinese Vice Premier, Hu Chunhua; BIE President, Steen Christensen and AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe. In his speech, Tim Briercliffe said “It is the greatest event of its kind and a unique opportunity to embed and showcase the message that plants matter. Anyone who has the chance to visit this magnificent expo should do so, they will not regret it!”
On 26th May, Azerbaijan Day included a ceremony held in the Azerbaijan garden to present traditional folk instruments and costumes. On 25th May, South Korea Day involved performances of traditional music and a handover ceremony of gate keepers, officially opening the South Korean expo garden.
Germany Day, celebrated on 13th May in the Germany Pavilion, themed ‘Seeding the Future’ presented green initiatives and projects for restoring polluted environments and highlighted changes to the city of Essen, the Emscher river and the buffer zone of the inner-German border.
The expo theme ‘Live Green Live Better’ focuses on ecological civilisation and green development. Expo 2019 Beijing runs until 7th October 2019. Find out more.
