Chongming District last week marked the 800-day countdown to the 10th China Flower Expo, to be held from May 21 till July 2 in 2021, under the theme of “Blossom with a Chinese Dream.” “The goals of the expo include four key words: ecology, innovation, humanity and sharing,” said district chief Li Zheng at the countdown meeting. “Our aim is to build an international flower creative platform and a leading low-carbon and environmental-friendly eco-island.” The expo is divided into five parts, three of which are expo gardens, Dongping National Forest Park, southern service area and northern service area. The core area is a paradise of butterflies and Chinese peony. One highlight is the main flower avenue. Six pavilions are housed in the structure of five subsidiary ones surrounding a main one. Chongming, renowned for its 500-year history of flower cultivation, is aiming to galvanize the area’s flower fields, routes, villages and lanes to stage a spectacular sea of bloom. The draft plan reveals that the construction land during the exhibition covers 3.5 square kilometers, including 1.1 square kilometers of expo garden, 21,200 square meters of Dongping National Forest Park, 1.5 square kilometers of southern service area and 0.9 square kilometers of Dongping Town. After the expo, the scale of construction land will be 3.8 square kilometers. The core area is a peony-shaped flower field with plum blossoms, orchids, lotus and chrysanthemums. The 666-meter-long and 60-meter-wide axis, connecting the south and north parts of the pavilion area, features flower bridges to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China in 2021. Construction and planting will be finished early next year. Three of the six pavilions, Fuxing Pavilion, Century Pavilion and Bamboo Pavilion, will remain permanent fixtures for public use. They will show the history of flowers in every province and autonomous region and bamboo art crafts. The other three pavilions will feature flowers from different countries and regions around the world. A flower industry forum, floriculture performances and speeches will be also held here. Fuxing Pavilion is designed in a Chinese classical building style with sloping roofs and colonnades. It will hold the indoor exhibition of provinces and municipalities, Shenzhen Flower Association and China’s Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan regions. Century Pavilion is a flower-covered building, outlined in the form of flowers, green plants and gardens, shaped like a butterfly on a peony flower. The Bamboo Pavilion opens a window into the plant’s construction materials, rare species and the latest technology in bamboo products. “The area plan design is strict to the protection of the natural landscape and ecological life,” said Chen Qun, head of Miaozhen Town and an officer at the 2021 China Flower Expo Working Group Office. During the expo, tourists are encouraged to take a shuttle bus, ships and cars. All buses are new energy vehicles. It takes around two and half hours from People’s Square to the Flower Expo Park. Around a quarter of Chongming remains forested. Organic farming produces much sought-after fruit and vegetables throughout Shanghai. Natural wetlands, fresh air and clean waterways have made the island a favorite getaway for those seeking a respite from the chaos of urban life. During the expo, the forest coverage will be 35 percent and will rise to 50 percent after the expo. Garbage disposal and sewage collection will be at 100 percent while the usage rate of renewable energy will be higher than 20 percent. The island offers a scenic, peaceful environment for jogging and cycling. In Xincun Village there is the sweet scent of osmanthus, while Miaozhen Town features maple trees that turn a brilliant scarlet in the autumn. In spring, Zhongxing Town is awash with cherry blossoms. The paths through Luhua Town follow the banks of a scenic lake and pass by tangerine orchards. Changxing Town features a four-season scenic area, complete with four cycling rental stations. The international and domestic enterprises’ exhibition cooperation is now open to relevant countries, international organizations and domestic companies. Those interested can contact the organizers at flowerexpo2021@163.com.