2014 Qingdao International Horticultural Expo in China Expected to Draw 12 Million Tourists

Qingdao which is famously known as the home of Tsingtao Beer and fine beaches, has found another way to entice tourists plants. The Expo area was once a mining region, but now it has been transformed into a 241-hectare Disneyland-style complex featuring exhibits, water parks, rides and live performances.

China’s eastern Shandong Province is hosting the 2014 International Horticultural Expo, opened on April 25, is likely to draw 12 million visitors before it closes on October 25. With the theme “From the Earth, For the Earth,” it features gardens and pavilions particularly constructed on one end of the Laoshan Mountain, one of the most sacred Taoist destinations in China.

Expo organizer Zhu Yuetao, said, “This event is an opportunity to promote the image of our city, exchange experiences on horticultural techniques and products across the globe and raise public awareness on ecological and environmental protection.”

“People from all over the world will come to Qingdao, and when they see what I have seen, they will be delighted. Millions of people will be inspired and the benefits will be enjoyed today and by future generations,” said Tim Briercliffe, secretary general of the International Association of Horticultural Producers.

Qingdao has encouraged plant lovers and garden experts from 37 countries and regions, and Chinese provinces and cities, which have set up various pavilions. Another pavilion exhibits nearly 2,000 rare or new strains of plants, including specimens from tropical and temperate zones.

According to organizers, the Expo is meant to promote innovation in city planning and popularize a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle. A section of the Expo is committed to eco-friendly technologies, such as an energy-saving water recycling system and waste-processing technologies. The Expo is credited with transforming the site, which used to be dotted with mining pits notorious for degrading land and vegetation.

Organizers say that events such as the Expo benefit tourists and local residents alike.