Hainan starts building China's largest orchid plantation

South China's island province of Hainan has started construction on an orchid plantation in the provincial capital of Haikou, which will be the country's largest of its kind upon completion, sources with the Haikou government said Friday.

The plantation, located in Xinpo Township, will cover an area of 10,817 mu (721 hectares) upon completion in 2016, including 2,817 mu for demonstrations and 8,000 mu for local farmers, the sources said.

The plantation will serve as a comprehensive base for orchid research, planting, processing and agricultural sightseeing.

With an investment of 930 million yuan (148 million U.S. dollars), the plantation is expected to create an annual output value of more than 1 billion yuan upon its completion, according to the sources.