Shenyang, the capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, will host the world horticulture expo in 2006, its mayor said Thursday.

The approval was made at 2 a.m. Thursday morning (Beijing Time)at the 56th session of the International Association of Horticulture Producers which was held in Belgium.

The city staged a grand celebration Thursday at its botanical garden, the venue for the exposition where more than 2,000 plant species are flourishing within the one square kilometer area.

Shenyang planned to expand the garden to a five-sq-km large arboretum. A foundation-laying ceremony was held today to mark the construction of its tropical forest hall. The hall, the major building for the exposition, will cost 200 million yuan (about US$24 million) and will be completed in April 2006, according to Chen Zhenggao, the mayor.

The exposition will last 180 days starting May 1, 2006 through Dec. 31.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2004)