A consultation meeting held in Beijing for the construction and indoor exhibition arrangement for the provincial, autonomous region, and municipal exhibition gardens at Horticultural Expo 2019

12-24/2018

On December 6, Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau (BIHECB) organized a consultation meeting in Yanqing District, Beijing for the construction and indoor exhibition arrangement for the provincial, autonomous region, and municipal exhibition gardens at the Horticultural Expo 2019. Liu Dongsheng, deputy director of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, member of the Organizing Committee of Beijing Expo and deputy director of the Executive Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Liu Hong, Secretary General of China Flower Association, Hu Fan, Deputy Inspector of the Department of Trade and Investment Promotion of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), and Zhou Jianping, Executive Deputy Director-General of Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureaus (BIHECB), attended the meeting. Liu Shuren, inspector of the Department of Afforestation and Greening of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, presided over the meeting. Attendees at the meeting included leaders and staff members of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Flower Association, representatives from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau (BIHECB), and Yanqing District.

Zhou Jianping, Executive Deputy Director-General of BIHECB, spoke about the progress of preparations for the World Expo. Construction is well under way, with interior and exterior decoration, electromechanical installation, and outdoor projects being implemented at the core venues such as the China Pavilion and the International Pavilions. The main parts of the public green landscape projects are completed. The road system of the Expo site has been basically built. Municipal infrastructure services such as heating, electricity, fire control, and low voltage engineering have been fully completed. The focus of work gradually shifts from engineering construction to site operation. Work related to indoor exhibition arrangement, ticket sales, activities, and promotion is in full swing. The Beijing Expo is gaining greater attention and influence around the world. The Double Hundred goals have been fully completed, with 110 countries and international organizations having confirmed their participation in the Beijing Expo, making it the Horticultural Expo hosting the largest number of participating countries and international organizations in history. A total of 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have completed constructing the main parts of the exhibition gardens. Most exhibition gardens have completed over 50% of the total project workload. All the indoor exhibition plans have been reviewed, with 22 provinces and municipalities having obtained the confirmation letter.

Zhou Jianping, Executive Deputy Director-General of BIHECB, spoke about the progress of the preparations for the Beijing Horticultural Expo

Indoor exhibition arrangement has begun at the Beijing Expo on December 1, 2018 and the Expo site will start full trial operation on April 1, 2019. By then, greening construction, operation systems, security systems, logistics and transportation will have started simultaneously. By April 15, 2019, all the construction of the outdoor exhibition gardens will have been completed. Judgment panels and review teams and corresponding awards will be established for provincial indoor and outdoor exhibits, exhibition, gardens, and international competition for indoor flowers.

Liu Shuren, inspector of the Department of Afforestation and Greening of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, presided over the meeting

Participating provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have made staged achievements and in the next step will strengthen their political awareness and overall coordination so as to accelerate the preparations and demonstrate cultural and industrial development achievements, said Hu Fan.

Hu Fan, Deputy Inspector of Department of Trade and Investment Promotion of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), delivered a speech

Liu Hong said that China Flower Association, as a national industry organization and an important member of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), is a member of the Organizing Committee and Executive Committee of the Beijing Expo. Working closely with the city of Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Flower Association has participated in the bidding and preparations of the Beijing Expo, playing an important role in the preparations for the Expo. The preparations for the Beijing Expo have entered the final stage. The construction and exhibition arrangement of the Chinese exhibition areas focus on their theme and highlight the characteristics of flowers and gardens. International competitions are being carefully organized. Local flower associations across the country are taking advantage of their expertise in the preparations.

Liu Hong, Secretary General of China Flower Association, delivered a speech

Liu Dongsheng pointed out that the preparations for the Beijing Expo are well under way and have produced encouraging results thanks to the joint efforts of the organizers and the Executive Committee of the Beijing Expo, the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau, and the exhibitors from across the country. However, it must be clearly seen that with the arrival of the cold winter in Beijing, various unfavorable factors make construction more difficult and that this requires continued and concerted efforts to have a successful Expo. Liu Dongsheng put forward four insights for the next stage of the construction and indoor exhibition arrangement of the provincial, autonomous region, and municipal gardens at the Beijing Expo. First, the sense of responsibility and awareness must be enhanced. The importance of the construction of the exhibition areas of the Chinese exhibitions must be understood so as to enhance the sense of mission and urgency, focus on the purpose of “a new horizon of world horticulture, a new model of ecological conservation”, and promote the construction and exhibition arrangement of the Beijing Expo. Second, priorities must be approached in perspective to ensure the progress of the projects. Most exhibitions and gardens have completed over 50% of the total work load. However, as construction becomes difficult in Yanqing District in winter, within the remaining a little more than 100 days, construction of the exhibition gardens and the indoor exhibition arrangement should be conducted with greater urgency to ensure that the Beijing Expo will open on time. Third, the responsibility should be clearly defined to ensure quality and safety. Safety is the top priority. Constructors and supervisors are urged to intensify inspection and supervision, immediately rectify unknown safety hazards, and guard against accidents. Fourth, the principle of frugality must be observed as required by the Central Government. New concepts, new technologies and new materials that comply with green, ecological, low-carbon and recycling requirements are fully utilized in the construction of exhibition areas. Plants are set up and arranged in a rational manner to create garden landscapes that comply with scientific principles.

Liu Dongsheng, deputy director of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, put forward requirements for the next stage of the construction at the Beijing Expo

During the meeting, relevant leaders of the competent departments of the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities conducted investigations on the construction of the Beijing Expo site. Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau (BIHECB) also held discussions with provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities on the construction of the exhibition gardens. The people who participated in the discussions included Liu Shuren, inspector of the Department of Afforestation and Greening of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Liu Hong, Secretary General of China Flower Association, Zhang Yinchao, Deputy Secretary General of China Flower Association, and Wang Chuncheng, Deputy Director General of Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau, and representatives from the responsible organizations from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. The main responsible people of the exhibitors of the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities fully exchanged opinions on the issues related to the construction of exhibition gardens, pavilion arrangement, and operations and clarified the solutions and timeline requirements.