Beijing Garden Expo to open on Saturday

The grand opening of the Beijing Garden Expo is Saturday. The event features 47 gardens from different cities or regions around China, and 32 gardens from around the world. The expo will last for six months and is expected to host thousands of visitors every day.

Hangzhou: Resuscitating the past

The Hangzhou West Lake is the quintessential display of exquisite Chinese gardens. This is a replica of one of the Ten Sites along the West Lake, called "Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor". The original was built during the Qing dynasty.

Today, only a pavilion and a pond are left standing in Hangzhou, but here we can see the original brought back to life. Other scenes which are now confined to paintings from the Qing Dynasty have also been resurrected, including a building which was used exclusively for the emperor to read in.

Chen Mian, project manager of Hanzghou Gardon, said, "The trees here have been planted according to descriptions by poet Su Dongpo. There are three kinds of bridges we have built, zigzag bridges are very typical in Hangzhou."

The garden brings a real taste of the town to the capital. From the lapping water to the fragrance of the flowers, it's not to be missed.

Chongming: Garden of hills

In an area the size of half a football field, creating a garden that befits one of the biggest cities in the world is no easy task.

The city of Chongqing, in southwest China, is famed for its hills. The site here is divided into three section- the front, middle and back courtyard. Windows are used to make the scene in each yard connect with the other.

Wang Jin, project manager of Chongming Garden, said, "From the windows, people can see the scenery in another part of the garden. In this way, we lure visitors to come into different sites of our garden."

This pavilion is an imitation of a typical residential house in Chongqing. To make the scene more authentic, even these rugged rocks have been transported from the city. This pine tree, called "Building-up Arhat" has grown over 60 years into this unique, and somewhat bizarre, shape. Another indigenous plant the "camellia" will also welcome visitors when the expo finally opens.

Urumqi: Western glamour

Grottos, bazaars and local houses are the inspiration for the Urumqi Garden.

Twenty-thousand bricks have been transported here for the construction of the building. Visitors can also see murals inside a cave. Vibrant colored carpet covers the ground of the main building. Here visitors can sit down and enjoy some local delicacies, and also a well-earned rest after a day at the Expo.