Greening efforts of Xiongan showcased at horticultural expo

Tourists visit the Hebei Garden at the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, April 29, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province showcased its afforestation and greening efforts as well as its green development concept at the ongoing International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing.

In the Hebei park at the exhibition venue, a sculpture symbolizing Xiongan's development and a nearby lake mimicking the city's surrounding areas have attracted visitors eager to learn more about the city, often dubbed "China's city of the future."

Since 2017, more than 7,300 hectares of forest and 11 million trees have been planted in Xiongan New Area about 100 km southwest of Beijing. This year, the city plans to complete an afforestation project of more than 13,000 hectares.

Xiongan will become a modern city that is green and intelligent with "relatively strong competitiveness and human-environment harmony by 2035," according to the master plan that stresses the city's high-quality development.

Themed "Live Green, Live Better," the International Horticultural Exhibition, the world's largest expo of its kind, opened to the public on April 29 at the foot of the Great Wall in the capital's Yanqing District. It will run until Oct. 7, and is expected to see an estimated 16 million visitors from around the world.

It has attracted exhibitors from 110 countries and international organizations. There are both indoor displays and outdoor gardens, highlighting the integration of life and ecology.