Tropical island landscape observed at Beijing's horticultural expo

HAIKOU/BEIJING - Strolling through a corridor decorated with volcanic rocks and tropical flowers, a rainforest landscape with towering coconut trees and coral flowers and images of deep blue water appeared in Beijing's outskirts.

"Hainan Day", showcasing the rich ecotourist resources of China's southernmost island province of Hainan, was observed at the ongoing International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing on Sunday.

The resort island of Hainan boasts fresh air, clean rivers and a forest coverage rate as high as 92.1 percent.

The provincial authorities are hosting a tourism promotion activity at the expo showcasing Hainan's tropical islands and marine and forest resources and specialties.

Ding Shijiang, director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Planning, said at the event that Hainan hopes to establish itself as a national leader in protecting the environment, which is a key tenent of Hainan's move to build a pilot free trade zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.

Xia Fei, director of the Hainan Provincial Forestry Bureau, said a pilot project of building the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in the central mountainous area of the island is underway with a planned area of 4,400 square km, accounting for one seventh of the land area of Hainan.

He said authorities are compiling a draft of the national park's regulations to ensure the overall protection and comprehensive management of tropical rainforest resources in the upcoming national park.

The Beijing horticultural expo, themed "Live Green, Live Better", is the world's largest expo of its kind. It opened to the public on April 29 in Yanqing District and will last until Oct 7.