Baoshan District of Shanghai will set up a new agriculture park as a sightseeing spot and a place where youngsters can learn about farming, Shanghai officials announced yesterday.

Bilingual guides will teach visitors how vegetables are grown and how to raise a pet.

"Hopefully, the new park will become a major sightseeing and leisure venue for locals," Cheng Liuyi, governor of Luodian Town in Baoshan District, said yesterday.

Cheng said the park will cover 27 hectares and cost about 100 million yuan (US$12.35 million) to construct. It is expected to open to the public by the end of next year.

The park will be funded by the district and township governments as well as several development companies.

Cheng said once the park is complete, visitors will be able to watch the entire process of how agricultural products, such as vegetables and fruits, are grown and harvested.

People can also watch and buy different kind of pets, some of which are imported from foreign countries. Park managers will also give visitors advice on how to raise a pet.

"This park is a combinative exhibition of modern agriculture technology and popular science," said Xu Meihua, secretary general of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission.

Luodian is one of the city's major satellite towns. It is being designed with architecture that is typical of northern Europe.

The town is about a 45-minute drive from downtown.

(Shanghai Daily January 25, 2006)