BIZCHINA / World Horticultural Expo
Expo turns pollution blackspot green
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-05-01 07:42
SHENYANG: It was once named as one of the world's most polluted cities.
But the marked improvement in the environment of Shenyang, capital of
Northeast China's Liaoning Province, could be seen with the opening of
the Shenyang International Horticultural Exposition yesterday.
The six-month expo is the second time the event has been held in China.
The first one was held in Kunming, capital of South China's Yunnan
Province, in 1999.
The expo has the "harmonious relationship between people and nature" as
its theme.
Shenyang's expo garden is located on the northeastern outskirts of the
city, with 300,000 trees and more than 20 million flowers. Organizers of
the expo said they had created almost 100 parks of different styles for
the event.
Doeke Faber, president of the International Association of Horticulture
Producers (AIPH), said people needed to bear the environment in mind when
drafting development strategies.
"We cannot afford the consequences of violating the rule. Shenyang got to
know this and is implementing the 'green city concept'," said Faber.
AIPH is a co-coordinating body representing horticultural production
organizations all over the world. It was set up in Switzerland in 1948 to
promote the international marketing of flowers, plants and landscaping
services.
The decision to host the event in Shenyang vindicates the efforts of city
leaders to improve the environment and crack down on pollution.
"To hold such an international fair will not only speed up our
environmentally friendly urban construction, but also transfer the signal
that Shenyang is turning greener and cleaner," said Chen Zhenggao,
secretary of the Communist Party of China Committee of Shenyang.
As a major base of heavy industry, Shenyang has long had the reputation
of being seriously polluted. It reached a peak when Shenyang was listed
as one of the world's 10 most polluted cities in the 1990s in a survey.
Since 2000, however, government efforts have produced startling results.
Statistics from Shenyang Environmental Protection Bureau show that the
local government has invested almost 20 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion) in
the last six years in improving the environment, including increasing the
amount of public green areas and shutting down polluted factories and
plants.
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
Most Popular Stories in 48 Hours
� Minister: global imbalances a concern
� Shenzhen home to largest number of migrants
� Golden week tour
� Shanghai maglev popular with tourists
� Housing fund ups its mortgage rates
Today's Top News
� US: China not manipulating currency
� Mayor blames Dalai Lama for conflict
� Beijing pledges to uphold human rights
� 'Promise' destroys pristine area
� Pay rises by 16% for State sector workers
Top Biz News
� World Bank raises growth forecast to 9.5%
� New boss at Sina.com; first-quarter profit down
� Gome profit up 22 percent in the first quarter
� Olympic organizers stress importance of ideals
� CISCO to set up new service entity
Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.
Chinese School
