Qingdao expo blossoms into success

As Qingdao's hosting of the International Horticulture Expo draws to a close the city is celebrating an event that planted the seeds of future success after it opened in April.

The 2014 International Horticulture Expo, set to close on Oct 25, attracted 100 delegates from 14 countries.

The six-month event saw a blossoming of ideas especially during the Annual Congress of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) which took place on Sept 16-17.

Vic Krahn, AIPH president said the expo was an amazing "world-class" event.

"It's absolutely world-class, and the expo site was perfect." No matter how many times someone visited there was always something new to see, he told China Daily.

The expo also allowed the city to showcase the value of the environment and horticulture, he said.

"The exhibition has shown in many ways that no matter whether we are wealthy or poor we all go back to the earth," he said as he praised the efforts made by the Qingdao government.

The planning and execution were excellent and "the officials were enthusiastic and rightly proud of their work".

The enthusiasm of Li Fengli, secretary general of the Qingdao expo executive committee, rubbed off on everyone, he said as he highlighted the expo's legacy which includes residential buildings, parks and shopping malls.

The city itself also made an impression.

"Qingdao is a lovely city with many trees and plants which are environmentally significant in cleaning the air, cooling the city and saving energy so that the city can achieve sustained growth with both ecological and economic benefits."

Mia Buma, secretary of the AIPH standing committee for novelty protection, said the expo brought different cultures together and inspired people with new ideas.