Shanghai plans citywide festivals, national botanical garden

​Visitors take photos in a garden in Shanghai. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

Shanghai is set to stage the International Flower Show in spring and the International Light Festival later in the year, according to the Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau.

The Shanghai International Flower Show aims to become a world-class horticultural event, and is expected to attract more than 10 million visitors.

The event will take place across the city, featuring two main venues and several satellite locations. It will present over 2,000 new and improved plant varieties and host more than 150 activities.

The Shanghai International Light Festival, which will be held for the third time, aims to attract more than 18 million visitors.

It will feature 16 large venues, over 100 nighttime photo spots, along with a global call for light and shadow art submissions. The festival will also integrate with iconic nighttime economy landmarks and 20 major tourist attractions.

In addition, the Shanghai International Light Festival will collaborate with sports competitions such as the Head of Shanghai River Regatta and the Shanghai Marathon to introduce themed activities.

Shanghai also plans to build another 1,000 parks in the next decade, bringing the total to 2,000. This year, the city will create 100 new parks.

The city is also expected to welcome its first national-level botanical garden this year.

The establishment plan for the Chenshan National Botanical Garden, with Chenshan Botanical Garden as the primary entity and Shanghai Botanical Garden as a joint participant, has been submitted and awaits approval from the State Council.

After being upgraded to a national-level botanical garden, the Chenshan Botanical Garden will see improvements to major facilities, including the exhibition greenhouses and the Chenshan hill conservation base.