Ahead of the ongoing Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, overseas journalists visited the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition on May 14, to learn about the capital city’s drive to promote more eco-friendly lifestyles.

Co-organized by the conference’s news center and the Beijing Information Office, the tour took in the featured horticulture and iconic architecture of China and its capital, as well as the diverse horticulture featured in countries around the world. More than 60 reporters from 50 media outlets of 30 countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Costa Rica and Argentina joined the tour.

With the theme of “live green, live better”, the 503-hectare horticultural expo opened on April 29 and will run until Oct 7. More than 80 countries and international organizations have built 41 outdoor exhibition areas, comprised of 34 independent exhibition parks and seven jointly-built exhibition parks.

The Chinese Pavilion, which covers 15,000 square meters, is a major landmark at the expo, where 31 provincial regions from the Chinese mainland have displayed their distinct cultures ranging from Beijing’s traditions, Tianjin’s villa buildings and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region’s Silk Road culture to Sichuan province’s bamboo culture.

Sone Thaw Tar Win Pyae, a journalist from Myanmar International Radio, said the expo is an ideal venue to see a city and a country’s landscape.

“This is my second time in China, but the first time for me to take part in such an activity. It is amazing,” she said.

“I’m really impressed by the Chinese Pavilion. The Shaanxi section also reminds me of my first visit to Xi’an.”

Covering an area of 12,770 sq m, the International Pavilion has four exhibition areas, displaying various horticultural cultures including eco-themed wall displays, mobile gardens, flora competitions and exhibitions of countries around the world.

Muhammad Imran, a journalist from Dawn News TV, said he could feel China’s fast economic development and environmental protection from the expo visit.

“It is an enjoyable experience to see so many flowers from around the world in the International Pavilion,” Muhammad said.

“I’m quite excited to find my country Pakistan also exhibiting our culture and products in the pavilion.”

Ye Dahua, deputy head of the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition Coordination Bureau, said the expo is one of the biggest events in the world.

To date, the expo has received 800,000 visits, according to Ye.

In addition to the horticulture exhibitions, the expo is hosting activities, such as a lighting show and robot performance. Advanced technologies including 5G, unmanned aerial vehicles and self-driving cars are also being showcased.

“The expo has attracted 110 countries to display their gardening culture, and it has gathered cultures around the world to provide visitors with a visual feast,” Ye said.