In the south of the capital, a newly established garden is helping to prepare for a "Green Olympics" for Beijing 2008.

The Garden of World's Flowers, occupying 41.8 hectares, is the first large-scale flower and botanical garden in southern Beijing, rivaling the Beijing Botanical Garden located near Fragrant Hill in the northwest of the city.

It features exotic flowers and plants, rare varieties of vegetables and fruit and landscaped parks. After investment of 150 million yuan (US$18.1 million), the garden started construction in 2003 and opened to visitors on January 16 this year.

It includes seven landscape conservatories and tens of outdoor garden complexes. Computer-controlled equipment in the conservatories maintain ventilation, humidity, temperature, and drip irrigation to create natural environments suitable for the growing of a wide variety of flowers and plants from all over the world.

                                  Bacteria-free seedling nursery

Pumpkins in the agricultural conservatory exhibiting over a hundred varieties of vegetables and fruit

 The main conservatory, a collection of rare trees mixed with rockeries and an artificial waterfall

                               The desert vegetation conservatory

                         Enjoy a cup of tea surrounded by flowers
 

Location: Between the south of the Third and Fourth ring roads, to the southeast of the Yuquanying Overpass.

Admission: 48 yuan (US$5.8)

To get there: Take bus number 740, 736, 603 to Caoqiao Station, or 719, 819, 381, 977, 962, 937 to Majialou; if driving, leave the Third or Fourth ring roads at the Caoqiao Exit.

Contact: tel 8750 0840, fax 6752 0526

(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, March 25, 2005)