China Flower Expo enters last stage of preparations

The 10th China Flower Expo to be held in Shanghai's Chongming Island is about to enter the final stage of preparation, with several rounds of stress tests starting from Saturday, 41 days before its kickoff, authorities said on Wednesday.

According to Chen Qun, deputy director of the department in charge of the expo's management, staff have been prepared to handle possible emergencies at the expo. He added that the construction of outdoor gardens and exhibition venues is scheduled to be completed by the end of April.

The expo, which will span 10 square kilometers, will take place on the island from May 21 to July 2. It will comprise a core flower exhibition zone with 180 outdoor gardens and two service zones.

The expo's official flower is the peony, which symbolizes wealth and good fortune.

Tourists will get to see over a thousand types of flowers including magnolia, Chinese plums, and chrysanthemums.

To encourage tourists to use public transport, the city will offer shuttles services connecting the expo to downtown Shanghai, according to Cai Jingyan, the person in charge of transportation matters.