Shanghai International Orchid Show opens

The city's second International Orchid Show opens to the public on Saturday at the Chenshan Botanical Garden in Songjiang District.

The city's second International Orchid Show opens to the public on Saturday at the Chenshan Botanical Garden in Songjiang District. The show includes more than 1,000 orchid species, including some rare ones.

The Asia exhibition greenhouse complex in the garden is now a sea of color. Spread out over seven halls and 20-thousand square meters are species of orchids from 15 countries all over the world.

Hu Yonghong, director of Chenshan Botanical Garden, said, "To ensure that the orchids are in their best condition, we strictly monitor both temperature and humidity. In the greenhouse, the temperature is controlled at about 20 degrees, and extra shade is added when there's too much sunshine."

The city's forestry authorities say Shanghai is focusing on cultivating new species of flowers, developing gardening technology and increasing the number of flower shows.

Johan Hermans, Orchid Committee of Royal Horticultural Society, said, "Next step would be to try and import plants from overseas countries a little bit more, and actually get international presence at the show. There're lots of designers and other people here from overseas. But the plants are still very difficult to get into China, and also for China to export some of its plants, which I think is something that will come in the future."

The show will run until April 20. Tickets cost 60 yuan each. The botanical garden's website has up-to-date information in Chinese on the festival and the garden itself.