Ladies and gentlemen, friends,
Welcome to attend this news briefing. I am very pleased, on behalf of the Expo '99 Organizing Committee Kunming, China and the People's Government of Yunnan Province to tell you that through more than two years' hard work, the preparation of the Expo '99, which is drawing focused attention of the world, are completed. The great event will open in Kunming, China on schedule and will last for 6 months from May 1 to October 31. Please allow me to briefly introduce to you the preparatory work of the Expo '99.
I. Preparatory Work of the Expo '99 Is Completed
The Expo '99, approved as a A1-rating special exposition by le Bureau Internationale des Exposition (BIE) and I`Association Internationale Des Producdeurs de I `Horticulture (AIPH), will be sponsored by the Chinese government and excuted by the People's Government of Yunnan Province for the first time. It is also a grand international event at the end of this century. Firmly adheres to the theme of our times "Man and Nature-Marching into the 21th Century" the Expo shows people, through its exposition activities, a splendid picture of the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, the love for the nature, and the purpose to protect the nature so as to make an active contribution to the coming of the new century and to the sustainable development of human beings. Under the leadership of the Organizing Committee of the Expo `99, and with the great help and support of all the participatory countries and organizations through more than two years meticulous work, all the preparatory work has been completed and everything is now ready for the grand opening of the event. Briefly, what we have done are as follows:
Firstly, over-fulfilling the quota of the invitation and organization of the foreign exhibitors. 68 countries from the five continents and 26 international organizations will be participating in the Expo `99. So the number of the participants, reaching 95 totally including China herself, greatly goes beyond the target set by the Organization Committee. The International Horticultural Exhibitions held before have rarely found so many participants. The Expo `99, sharing with great many exhibitors, embodies a wide-range representatives and higher specialized features. Exotic flowers and herbs, rare plants, exquisite garden arts, ingenious garden constructions and relevant science and technology from different countries and all parts of the world will be shown fully at the exhibition. It expresses that all peoples of the world love the nature, long for peaceful and free life so as to realize their strong desire for sustainable development.
Secondly, high quality exposition gardens have been constructed. The venue of the Expo, covering 218 hectares, is only 4 kilometers from downtown Kunming and is located at the famous Golden Temple scenic spot, which has gathered together hills and waters, woods and flowers, famous historic and cultural relics. So far, at the site there are five indoor exhibition areas built according to international standards: the International Hall, China Hall, Science and Technology Hall, Grand Greenhouse and Man and Nature Hall; six specialized gardens: the tree garden, tea garden, bamboo garden, bonsai garden, vegetable and fruit garden, medicinal herb garden, where rare plants, exotic flowers and herbs, exquisite garden arts, and science and technology of the horticultural arts are displayed; three outdoor exhibition areas: the International Exhibition Area, Chinese Exhibition Areas and Enterprise Exhibition Areas; a flower boulevard and a tower for sightseers. Each participant has built a garden or supplied pieces to showcase its horticultural art. The Chinese Exhibition Area, representing all Chinese provinces, municipalities and regions, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan NGOs for their natural landscape and cultural spots, long history, and achievements in different styles and characters of horticultural arts, will serve as a Chinese horticultural arts. For example, the Wanchun Garden in Beijing exhibition area, displays elegant, solemn and meticulous characters of ancient Chinese imperial gardens; the Qilu Garden in Shandong exhibition area, is original creation in its styles, revealing the profound Qilu-cultural connotation with one mountain (the Taishan mountain), one water area (the Baotu Spring), and one sage (Confucius); the Ci Garden in Jiangxi exhibition area has gathered together rural and village houses and ceramic workshops merging into one organic whole, and shows a simple and unsophisticated sentiment of man and nature in harmonious coexistence; the Guandong Garden embodies the traditional garden arts of south China, in its fine and slim, ingenious and delicate styles; the Chu Garden is distinctly designed in old and original manner; the Su Garden is designed as a framed landscape with water, like a poem and a picture, all the pillars on water, pleasure-boats, winding bridges, and water fall, setting off each other, making people understand the rich traditional culture and the beauty of Suzhou gardening art; the Home of the Grasslands in the Inner Mongolia exhibition area, reflects the straightforward, vigorous and wonderful sight of the prairie and the bold and unconstrained character of the minority nationality. The Window of China in the Hong Kong exhibition area, covering 1620 square meters, includes five scenic spots: the windows of China, the curtain of sky and clouds, the net and pearls, the mountain and bridge and the vitality, exhibits fully the features of Hong Kong.
Thirdly, a rich collection of distinguished gardening and rare plants. The Expo `99 Garden, assembling a great many of distinguished gardening and rare plants, merges ornamental features, artistic quality and knowledge into one whole. Totally 2,000 types of plants are growing in the Garden, including 60 thousand arbor species, 300 thousand shrub species, 66 thousand vine species, 850 thousand herbs, 400 thousand square meters greensward, one million potted flowers. There are more than 1.12 million plants which are rare, endangered and have higher ornamental value. The Grand Greenhouse alone has been planted with more than 1.4 thousand plants, including jellyfish, Saussurea involucrata, Gentian, Corydalis. It displays an entire series of plants in vertically ecological distribution, ranging from the tropical zone, temperate zone and frigid zone. There are 266 bamboo species in the bamboo garden. In the tree garden, one can find 319 types of plants species such as Cycas revoluta, ginkgo tree, Chinese dove tree, etc. Medicinal herb garden is home to some 464 species of plants for medical use. Many typical plant species from China and foreign countries are growing sturdily in the Garden.
To decorate the landscape of the Expo Site, many works of landscape art such as the flower clock, flower boat, flower creek, flower stream, flower greeting the new century, were completed, forming a 40-meters-wide and 850 -meters-long boulevard for sightseeing; and water networks of landscape art such as steep cliffs sculpture, nine water-spouting dragons, music fountains, flume, reservoir, and dam were built; and some simple sculptures and flower artistic creations were also set up in line with the theme of the Expo '99.
Great support, deep love and many exquisite gardening works to the Expo '99 from each provinces, districts and cities and all circles of society were received, such as ornamental pillar presented by Beijing, carved group elephants by Tianjin, flower clock by Shanghai, yellow river stone by Qinghai, stone lion by Hebei, iron engraving by Anhui, copper carriage and horse by Shaanxi, jade carving by Liaoning, huge purple clay carving by Jiangsu, grand vase by Jiangxi, and Zhenghe boat by Yunnan.
Fourthly, service facilities are completed. An integration and network system is set up including tour guide system, restaurant, shopping, customhouse, clinic, entertainment, performance, communication, management, and security. Each spot is crisscrossed with nine sightseeing paths. Battery-driven sightseeing cars, baby carriages and passageway for the disabled are available. Everywhere there are program-controlled telephone booths (2 thousand), information stations (700). There are also snack bars, restaurants, walk-in shopping streets and special service units in the Garden. The reception center of the Expo Village has a service center and 400 standard hotel rooms. In addition, the children`s amusement park is equipped with various hi-fi game facilities.
Fifthly, great improvement of the city image of Kunming and other touring cities in Yunnan. To further embody the theme of the Expo `99 - Man and Nature, and to greet the opening of the Expo `99 with elegant environment, Yunnan people's government has made great effort to protect the ecological environment, e.g. to treat environmental pollution, to protect the natural forests and rare animals and plants, and all these measures bear rich fruit. The environment of a number of cities has improved greatly such as Kunming, Dali, Lijing and Ruili. Kunming has built up its second ring road, forming a communication network with three west-eastern roads, four north-southern roads, five outlets and 19 overpasses. 655 thousand tons of water supply per day and comprehensively reaching 1.235 million tons per day are available. The green land increases by 180 hectares and the green cover reaches 25.8%, 7 square meters per person. Proper rubbish disposal reaches 100%. The city traffic condition has been further improved. The control on Dianchi Lake pollution reaps preliminary fruit. Kunming, Dali, Jinghong and Ruili are members of the first group of the outstanding tourist cities of China.
Sixthly, the capacity of tourist reception for the Expo `99 is further improving. To meet with the requirement of the tourists during the Expo `99, Yunnan people's government has invested a large sum of money into a series of complementary infrastructure. At present, with nine airports built, 87 international, or regional and domestic air routes have been opened. After extension of Kunming airport, it can attain an annual capacity of handling some10 million passengers, becoming the 5th largest airport of China after Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. There are 8 highways totally 1700 km that radiate from Kunming to the main scenic areas of Yunnan; 13 pairs of passenger trains are daily running from Kunming to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Chengdu, Chongqing and other major tourist cities of Yunnan. In Yunnan there are 220 tourist areas and scenery sights. Meanwhile 399 travel agencies and 670 hotels (Kunming and other 12 main tourist cities have 263 starred hotels), some 2500 high-grade tourist vehicles, more than 100 tourist boats, and more than 20 thousand people engaging in tourism.
In addition, all departments including security maintenance, medical aid, news report are ready for the grand opening of Expo `99.
II. Activities held during Expo '99 have been arranged.
During the 184 days of Expo '99, kaleidoscopic activities will be held.
1. The grand opening ceremony. In the afternoon on April 30th, a welcome banquet will be given while the opening ceremony of Expo '99 plus a grand gala will debut in the evening. On the morning of May 1st, the opening ceremony of the Expo Site will be held. The grand gala, which is expected to take place following the opening ceremony of Expo '99, is entitled the Romantic Melody of Heaven and Earth. Via live broadcast, people all over the world are able to watch the performance, and to witness the outstanding achievements scored by the Chinese people since the opening up to the outside world and the elegant cultural and artistic bearings raised by time-honored history of the Chinese nation. People will also gain better understanding of the unremitting efforts made by Chinese people on harmonizing man and nature. After the grand opening of the Expo Site on the morning of May 1st, the Expo Garden will be open to the general public.
2. Activities in special days dedicated to each participating nation.
The activities held in these days target to demonstrating the national cultural features of participating nations as well as the good wishes of peace-loving people all over the world who promise to build a brighter future.
3. Activities in special days dedicated to China. In the latter part of September when the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China is approaching, various activities highlighting the outstanding achievements scored in the economic development and the national unity in Yunnan even of the nation will be held.
4. Weekly activities of each province. By showcasing the essence of gardening and horticulture of each province and its peculiar historic, ethnic and folk art, these activities will be held in a bid to promote the production and marketing of environment-protecting products and green foods. In addition, the culture and art earmarked by local features will also be showed and performed. The performances on the list of weekly activities of each province in May include The Water-Sprinkling Festival, a dance presented by Yunnan Provincial Song and Dance Ensemble, a song drama Boundless Prairie and a Concert of Famous Chinese and Foreign Songs presented by Liaoning Provincial Opera and Ballet Theatre, Mother on the Bailu Prairie, a dance drama offered by Liaoning Song and Dance Ensemble, an Evening Party given by Beijing, the Huangmei Opera of Anhui Province, the performance of the Little Egret Song and Dance Ensemble of Fujian Province, and several excellent dramas of Yunnan created in recent years. Over ten performances will be presented over 40 times.
5. Theme Demonstrations highlighting Man and Nature.
6. High level international workshops and economic, technological, cultural and academic exchanges.
7. Competitions and prize awarding activities on gardening and horticultural showcases.
Apart from those directly related to Expo '99, activities concerning trade, tourism and technology will also be provided. They are mainly The China Domestic Travel Mart from May 20th to 23rd, China '99 Kunming Export Commodities Fair from June 6th to 10th, and the Economic Consultation Conference of Six Provinces, Regions and Cities and Seven Sides of Southwest China at the beginning of June. Six Kunming Export Fairs, approved by the State MOFTEC, have been successfully held under the joint efforts of six provinces, regions and cities as well as seven parties of Southwest China. According to incomplete statistics, a total of 1,000 enterprises from home and abroad participated in the six fairs and the business volume has accumulated to approximately one million US dollars. However, the previous fairs were held from August 8th to 15th, during which some European and American countries were on furlough and few were willing to participate in the fair. Approved by the State MOFTEC, the annual fair will be held from June 6th to 10th from this year on, so as to solicit more enterprises and business persons.
III. Yunnan will fully display its rich and unique natural scenery and ethnic folklore during the International Horticultural Exposition
Yunnan is one of the tourist resorts in China with unique characteristics. Particularly, the natural scenery and the rich ethnic folklore are of extremely high ornamental and tourist value. Yunnan enjoys the reputation of "the kingdom of plants", "natural land of flowers" and "the treasure house of medicinal herbs". Yunnan's diversified climates and geographical features are hospitable to plants growing in frigid, temperate, sub-tropical as well as tropical zones. More than 18,000 species of higher plants are found in the province, accounting for 63% of the plant species in the country. There are over 2500 gardening plants and over 1500 floricultural plants which rank the first in China, making Yunnan the important Gene Tank of plants both domestically and throughout the world. Yunnan is renowned for its abundant highland lakes, tropical rainforests, high mountains and deep valleys, rapids and deep caverns. Beside all these, there are in Yunnan geographical wonder of the "three great rivers running abreast", peculiar karst topography, diversified and colorful ethnic folklore and cultural relic, making up the abundant tourist resources with unique glamour. Among Yunnan's famous tourist attractions are Dianchi Lake the pearl on the highland, the Stone Forest the number one wonder under heaven and Xishuangbanna tropical rainforest. Dali is well known for its snowcapped Cangshan Mountain, the crystal-clear Erhai Lake, the wind at Xiaguan, flower at Shangguan, snow at the Cangshan Mountain and the moon mirrored in the Erhai Lake. The Yulong Snow Mountains in Lijiang is a skiing resort at the lowest latitude in the northern hemisphere. The Shangri-La scenery in northwest Yunnan is picturesque. The people of 26 ethnic groups live peacefully together, creating long-standing traditional custom and brilliant history and culture. The peculiar national costumes, folklore and rituals, dietary habits, Dongba civilization, Dongjing music and characteristic architectural style display to the peoples of the world a panorama of folk customs. Yunnan is also one of the important origins the of mankind. The dinosaur fossils unearthed in Lufeng, the ancient life in Chengjiang and the Yuanmou Man are very important historical and cultural relics. Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, enjoys the fame as the "City of Eternal Spring". As the saying goes, "The weather is always like that of early spring, and the flowers bloom all the year round". Visitors can see flowers blooming in four seasons, and plants flourishing. There are over 180 famous flowers and rare trees including the Tang Dynasty plum, Song Dynasty cypress, Yuan Dynasty epiphyllum and Ming Dynasty camellia, all of which are still flourishing. At present, more than 10,000 mu of various flowers have been planted in Kunming with an annual production of over 600 million fresh cut flowers. Hence Kunming is becoming an important base for floriculture production and export.
In order to greet the opening of the International Horticulture Exposition, and to further display the rich and colorful tourist attractions in Yunnan, 25 carefully chosen tourist attractions have been presented. In order to provide convenience to the tourists, 5 tour routes are carefully selected as follows:
The first one is the tourist hot line for the '99 International Horticultural Exposition, Kunming, China. Besides visiting the World Horti-Expo Garden, visitors can mount the Western Hills, climb up to the Dragon Gate, tour the Dianchi Lake, visit the Green Lake Park, watch the wildlife, bathe in the hot spring in Anning, enjoy natural scenery, appreciate ethnic folklore, and experience the unique spring-like climate all the year round.
The second one is the Shangri-La route in the northwest Yunnan. Following this line, tourists will get chances to view magnificent natural beauties such as high mountains and deep valleys, snow on the mountains which never melt even in summer, highland lakes, explore a land of peace the Shangri-La. They will be exposed to specialized folklore of the ethnic Bai, Naxi, Tibetan and the Mosuo minorities in Yunnan. Visitors will also get chances to admire the Dongba culture of the Naxi people, Lijiang Old Town one of the World Cultural Heritages.
The third one is China - Myanmar frontier route. Along the ancient Southern Silk Road, visitors will get chances to visit many places of natural beauty and historical relics, see the magnificent volcanic geothermal scenes, experience the folklore of the Dai, Jingpo and Lisu ethnic minorities and enjoy the landscape along the Ruili and Daying Rivers. They will also get chances to see the sub-tropical scenery at the Chinese and Myanmar frontier and the exotic atmosphere.
The forth route is for the karst landscape. Following this route, visitors will admire the spectacular landscape of mountains, rivers and lakes, forests and caverns formed by karst geomorphology mainly in the Stone Forest which is renowned as the first wonder under the Heaven. They will be exposed to various cultures of the Yi, Zhuang, Yao and Buyi ethnic minorities.
The fifth route is for Xishuangbanna tropical rain forest and Dai ethnic folklore. Arriving in Xishuangbanna, visitors will enter tropical rain forests to admire the magnificent and mysterious virgin forests. They will also be treated with hospitality and specialized folk customs of diversified ethnic minorities of the Dai, Jinuo, Hani, Lahu, Bulang and Wa in the ethnic minority villages.
Friends, with the vigorous support from various social circles both from home and abroad, all the minority nationalities of 41 million people in Yunnan renowned for their industry, courage, simplicity and kindness who have successfully completed the preparatory works for the Expo '99, are looking forward to the opening of the Expo as scheduled. We are confident and determined to work hard continuously to make the Expo a success while showing Chinese characteristics and reaching the first rate international standards. The people of all the minority nationalities of Yunnan province are famous for their hospitality. We will get everything ready for the grand opening of the Expo, and provide visitors best service. We warmly invite all the distinguished guests to visit Yunnan to have a chance to experience the beautiful scenes of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Here, I would especially like to extend my sincere invitation to friends of the news media. Welcome all of you to visit the International Horticultural Exposition. The Expo '99 Organizing Committee has invited both Chinese and foreign news organizations, and a news centers has been set up to take responsibility for hosting the visiting journalists, offering convenience to their work, as well as arranging visits and interviews. The head office of the News Center is set at the Xiqiao Hotel in Qingnian Road, Kunming. In addition, the Foreign Journalists' Reception Center is set at the Spring City Garden Hotel at Dianchi Road, Kunming. Journalists from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan will be hosted in the Longteng Hotel at Beijing Road, Kunming.
Finally, I would like to thank you again for your presence.
Thank you!