'Flowery March' festival begins in Yangzhou

On the opening day of the 2018 Flowery March International Economy, Trade and Tourism Festival, 80 major projects worth a total of 50 billion yuan ($7.97 billion) and spanning industries such as manufacturing, services, and infrastructure, start construction. [Photo/yznews.cn]

The 2018 Flowery March International Economy, Trade and Tourism Festival opened in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, on April 18. 

The city has been holding the month-long "Flowery March" event since 2002, aiming to strengthen its cooperation with high-tech startups, state-run enterprises, overseas companies, and individuals. 

This year's main venue is located in the Jiangsu College of Tourism, making it the first time Yangzhou has held such a festival at an institution of higher learning. 

"With the main venue located on a college campus, Yangzhou has the opportunity to show off its impressive development and demonstrate its focus on and respect for education," said Chen Yu, an expert in Sino-Australian communication, who felt deeply inspired to promote the two parties' cooperation in vocational education at grassroots levels. 

On the opening day, 80 major projects worth a total of 50 billion yuan ($7.97 billion) and spanning industries such as manufacturing, services, and infrastructure, also started construction. 

Furthermore, a total of 166 projects, including both foreign-invested and privately-owned ones, will be signed into effect during the "Flowery March", with 45 of them having been solidified on the opening day. 

A student from the Jiangsu College of Tourism shows off his balloon-top meat-slicing skills. [Photo/yznews.cn]

Wu Zhenling, vice-chairman of Tianshan, a group company specializing in cultural and tourism investment, considered the event an excellent platform for future development. 

"The ocean theme resort we're to open in Yangzhou integrates water parks, children's playgrounds, hot springs, and various other educational and residential areas," Wu said. 

He said that the resort, scheduled to open in 2019 or 2020, will provide around 10,000 job opportunities for locals. 

According to the Chinese lunar calendar, Flowery March is the best time of year to appreciate Yangzhou's captivating scenery. The year of 2018 also marks the event's 17th anniversary.