By Xiao Liu
The success of China Flower Expo 2021 seeded a new era of green development for Shanghai's Chongming Island and the country's blooming flower industry
Li Zheng, Party Secretary of Chongming District, hands over the flag of the flower expo to Li Xi’an, Vice Mayor of Zhengzhou, Henan, host city for the next expo in 2025, at the closing ceremony of the event, July 3, Shanghai
Located off the coast of Shanghai, Chongming is China's third-largest island. Long known as Shanghai's "backyard garden" and a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, Chongming Island hosted a flower and gardening expo from May 21 to July 2.
Dubbed "China's Olympics for flowers," the China Flower Expo was first held in 1987. Now in its 10th session, the event aims to showcase the achievement of China's floral industry, promote global cooperation, guide production and boost consumption. It has become the country's largest and most influential floral event.
Themed "Blossom with a Chinese Dream" , this year's event covered an area of nearly 1,000 hectares, with 180 outdoor gardens and 64 indoor exhibitions, as well as almost 3,000 types of flowers on display by 189 exhibitors, the larget event in its 34-year history.
China Flower Expo 2021, the largest of its kind, showcases the best of the country’s floral industry
Focus on Ecology
Chongming Island is celebrated for its natural beauty. Its environment has improved in recent years thanks to the efforts of Shanghai authorities to develop it into a world-class ecological island. This emphasis on ecology is reflected in this year's flower expo.
The event was held in two areas. North Park was developed based on its natural landscape and its layout of forests and wetlands. South Park, located in a national forest, was planned and designed in a way to preserve its ecology and not a single tree was cut down during the construction. The attention to ecological protection is evident in details like the Tourist Centre's eaves, which were designed around the growing branches of the surrounding trees.
According to organizers, North Park's forestation reached nearly 35 percent during the event. After the expo, that will continue to expand to exceed 50 percent. In addition, more than 50,000 tons of native aquatic fauna such as spiral shells, shellfish, and clams were released in its ecosystem.
The CPC 100th anniversary also features at the expo.
Flowering Industry
China is the world's largest flower producer and is also a growing consumption market. That is creating rich soil for the local floral industry. Against this backdrop, the China Flower Expo has helped upgrade Chongming Island's traditional agriculture industry by nurturing a modern floral industry characterized by high tech, high quality, and high added value. To further develop its floral economy, the island has attracted eight industry leading businesses, with investments totalling nearly 2.5 billion yuan (US$386m).
With the China Flower Expo, Chongming Island has brought in floral industry-related projects, investment and technologies, while presenting its rich floral species and cultivation practices to the world. The event has also helped the island charter a clearer path for its development by further expanding its industry chain that integrates R&D, production, processing and services.
Beyond economic benefits, this year's China Flower Expo has further significance for Chongming: the island is no longer just a "backyard garden" for Shanghai, but a garden that also signifies the metropolitan city's commitment to opening-up to the world.
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