2011 International Horticultural Expo in Xi’an China
I just got back from Xi’an (in Shaanxi province of China) less than 48 hours ago. I went to see the International Horticultural Exhibition 2011 last week. I spent 3 full days at the expo and probably finished only 90% of all views. The whole exhibition covered 418ha of area, with 188ha as water surface.
This was my first trip to see such a massive horticultural expo, and it really opened my eyes. It was also my first trip to China. Well, it was an interesting experience, nonetheless. I don’t think I’ll be able to forget the sight (and smell) of their public restrooms for a while.
Xi’an is now a new modern and eco-friendly city in central China. Formerly known as Chang’an, it is also known as one of the ancient capitals of China during some dynasties.
The concept of this horticultural exhibition is ‘Green Leads the Trend’. Well, they displayed some cool things in their creativity pavilion, like rainbow roses and regular roses with gold petals. Hopefully, the technology for ornamental flowers is advancing faster too!
My favorite part of this horticulture exhibition was the gardens of the world, especially the Ancient Greek Garden, the French Classical Garden, the Italian Terrace Garden and the Spanish Islamic Garden. One day, I would also like to see the original gardens in various countries!
Of course they have a New Zealand garden! It took me a while before I stumbled across it. They planted some native New Zealand plants, especially my favorite bluegrass (Festuca coxii)! However, I failed to see any silver ferns (Cyathea dealbata or Ponga).
An interesting highlight is probably the greenhouse. The plants here are ‘exotic’ rainforest plants, African plants, butterfly specimens and other fauna. Well, I queued for 2.5 hours to see what plants I can find on the streets of Singapore. The first plant I saw inside was Bougainvillea Mrs Eva and the last plant was Periwinkle.
In general, it was a good experience. I met some very nice local Chinese, tried most of their local specialities, visited the famous Mount Hua, the Terracotta Museum and some other historical sites as well. Now, I am looking forward to the World Horticultural Expo 2012.