Scenery inside the garden [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

Kunming, capital city of Yunnan Province, is where the high-profile international horticulture Expo was held in 1999. Though ten years have passed, the Expo Garden, which has become a scenic spot with a great deal of unusual flowers and plantss, still blossoms and brings big profit to the city's tourism industry.

With the theme of 'Man and Nature Marching into the 21st Century', the Expo was a specialized international exposition rated A1. The Expo was to promote economic, cultural, scientific and technological exchange and development in the field of horticulture. The mascot of the Expo, 'Ling Ling', is a Dian golden monkey, a rare animal native to China. It can be found all around the Expo Garden, welcoming guests with flowers. Tang Houyan, a tourist guide in the garden, explains the deeper meaning of the monkey.

"It is called 'Intelligence' in English because people believe it breeds intelligence. Moreover, it suggests Yunnan is a birth place of creative minds and gifted individuals."

The Expo Garden is a first-class garden with typical Chinese blossoms and architecture. In the garden there are five large exhibition halls: China Hall, the Man and Nature Hall, the Green House, the Science and Technology Hall and the International Hall. There are also six themed gardens: the Tree Garden, the Tea Garden, the Bonsai Garden, the Medicinal Herb Garden, the Bamboo Garden, and the Vegetable and Fruit Garden. The three outdoor exhibition areas include the International Outdoor Exhibition Area, the Domestic Outdoor Exhibition Area and the Exhibition Area for Enterprises. While there are two large squares in the Century Plaza and the Performance Plaza.