The Province of South Holland (PZH) and the Municipality of Rotterdam are building a pavilion at the China Flower EXPO 2021 in Shanghai, at the invitation of the Shanghai sub-municipality of Chongming because of the sister relationship between Shanghai and Rotterdam.
The China Flower Expo is the largest flower event in China. The opening of the 10th edition of the China Flower EXPO, themed “Blossom with the Chinese Dream”, is on May 21. The Expo will run until July 2, 2021, with more than 3 million visitors are expected, mainly from China itself, but also from abroad.
The organization expects government officials from all provinces, groups of companies including state and private companies and individual visitors and day-trippers. Some large companies also have their own company pavilion or garden at the Expo.
The PZH / Rotterdam Garden
With the resources made available from Shanghai Chongming, PZH and Rotterdam have built a 500 m2 pavilion based on the design of Green Art International under the direction of designer Bert Dautzenberg with the title: Resilient City – Feeding & Greening Megacities.
As Rotterdam is within the delta region of the lower Rhine River, it is actively responding to the impact of climate change on all aspects of the city, such as flooding, high summer temperatures, and limited resources. When the city faces these challenges squarely, this does not hinder the city’s efforts to build a sustainable future with the spirit of “making it true”.
Rotterdam is part of the “One Hundred Resilient Cities” initiative, which is dedicated to their transition towards a future-oriented city. Famous projects such as sponge gardens, green and edible roofs, and floating projects such as exhibition halls, farms, and recycling parks all reflect Rotterdam’s commitment to building a sustainable city.
The pavilion focuses on themes such as climate adaptation, food security and safety, modern agriculture and horticulture, biodiversity and air quality, because these are also important themes and spearheads in the policy of the province of South Holland and of Rotterdam.
The core design of the Rotterdam-PZH Garden starts from a Maze, with the theme of “Uncovering the Mystery and Leading to the Future”: on one hand, it contains the challenges of climate change and urbanization, and on the other hand, it symbolizes people’s efforts to solve the challenges where measures must be taken.
Designer introduction
The designer of the exhibition garden, Mr. Bert Dautzenberg, combined the creation of a resilient city that adapts to climate change with the concept of urban supply and green development in his design, which perfectly fits the city of Rotterdam with “Make It Happen”. Slogan to build a vision for a sustainable future.
As Etwin Grootscholten expressed in his message to the Flower Fair in poems, Rotterdam and Shanghai have had friendly exchanges for many years. At this Flower Fair, the Rotterdam Exhibition Garden in South Holland Province also specially invited sister schools. The Wolfert Bilingual School of Rotterdam and the Peace and Bilingual School of Shanghai Pinghe School exhibited their visions of the future by students from the two schools.
International day of biodiversity
Among the student works, a work by a Wolfert student, “Insect Hotel Wall”, conveys the concept of protecting insects and protecting biodiversity. It just happened to be on the second day of the China flower expo on May 22, and it was also an international theme anniversary day proposed by the United Nations Environment Program for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Although while technology continues to advance, access to many resources such as water, food, medicine, clothing, fuel, shelter, and energy still depends entirely on a healthy and vibrant ecosystem.
The theme of “Nurture the life of all things by the way of nature” emphasizes the importance of hope and unity, and the importance of working together at all levels to build a future life in harmony with nature.
The theme for 2021 is “We are part of the solution”
The slogan was chosen to continue the development momentum of last year’s theme of “nourishing all things through the way of nature”, which reminds people that biodiversity is still the answer to several sustainable development challenges. From nature-based solutions to climate, health issues, food and water security, and sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity is the foundation on which we can rebuild a better home.
Program around the PZH / Rotterdam Garden
The Dutch Days in China is a festivity of culture and creativity dedicated to showcase and promote Dutch excellence in culture and creativity and cultural exchange in China. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, physical presence from Rotterdam and PZH unfortunately not possible.
Therefore, PZH and Rotterdam are organizing a hybrid online-offline program around the Flower Expo. In collaboration with the Shanghai Bright Food Group, one of the largest food companies in China, a seminar will be organized on June 24 entitled “Applied Horticulture Knowledge for a Flourishing City”.
Orihuela
Orihuela is present at the Flower Expo Asia trade fair that continues in Shanghai until July 2. The city was selected to represent Spain and the cost of the building and decorating the pavilion, which covers a 500-square meter area, has been met by the organizers.
A center of interest and attention since the day that the fair opened, the pavilion has been visited by Gong Zheng, Shanghai’s mayor, and Jiang Zehui, president of China’s Flower Association.
The world’s most important horticulture companies and associations are displaying more than 30 million flowers that belong to more than one thousand varieties in the 189 pavilions, 180 open-air gardens, and 64 interior exhibitions on the 589-hectare site.
Owing to the impossibility of sending an Orihuela delegation to the Shanghai fair, the city hall is represented by Moran Shi who is in charge of the pavilion. “She knows our municipality well and has an impeccable media and communications background,” municipal sources said.
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