Shenyang, capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is well known for its heavy industry, but perhaps few know that Shenyang is also a national-level model city in environmental protection, as well as one of the top cities in garden greening.

The 2006 Shenyang International Horticultural Exposition will be hold here.

Yang Yazhou, Assistant Mayor of Shenyang and Director of Preparatory Office for the expo briefed reporters on the event.

This Exposition is a specialized international horticultural exposition (level A2+B1) officially approved by AIPH in September, 2004. Since Kunming International Horticultural Exposition 1999, it is the second time of world-class grand gathering for horticultural held in China.

The site of exposition is located in Chessboard Mountain Scenery and Tourism Development Zone of Shenyang City. It is 20 km from the city proper. Here is the offshoot of Changbai Mountain, on the undulating hills, you may hear the soughing of the wind in the pines, in the lush and green immense forest, the mountain, water, flowers and trees are merged into an organic whole.

As Yang said, the area of land use is 246 hectares. The basic functions of horticultural display, cultural entertainment, comprehensive service and exposition activities are taken as the principle for zoning, various exposition gardens, buildings and auxiliary facilities are perfectly included in the natural scenery. Now, all the gardens and buildings are preparing.

2006 Shenyang International Horticultural Exposition will begin on May 1, 2006, and will take 184 days. It is estimated that 10 million Chinese and foreign tourists will visit it.

(China Daily September 15, 2005)