CANGZHOU, China, June 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 6th (Cangzhou) Garden Exposition of Hebei Province kicked off on May 26 in Cangzhou, China's northern city that thrives on canal. A total 19 activities in five categories, including academic exchanges, gardening, skill competitions and cultural exhibitions will be presented until the end of August, according to Cangzhou municipal government.

Garden Expo in Cangzhou, N. China Hebei Province

With the theme of "Thousand Miles of Thoroughfare, Grand Beauty of the Grand Canal", the Exposition aims to showcase Cangzhou's Grand Canal culture, display garden art and promote ecological civilization in an all-round way from site selection, planning, construction and various cultural activities planning.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, a world cultural heritage, runs through the Exposition Park from north to south. Cangzhou has elaborately built a Grand Canal scenic belt --- a city exhibition park and a specialized plant exhibition on both banks.

Last year, the Cangzhou section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal navigated afresh, which connected this cultural beauty with the Exposition Park, providing an all-factor tourism for visitors. In recent years, while building the Exposition Park along the Grand Canal, Cangzhou recreated the historic buildings Nanchuan and Langyin on both sides.

The China Grand Canal Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall is the most prominent exhibition place along the Grand Canal. The Hall displays the unique and diverse folk arts of Cangzhou, allowing visitors to fully experience the charm of the Grand Canal while appreciating modern garden art.

The natural ecological scenery, the intangible cultural heritage is organically integrated with the Exposition Park's courtyard architecture and landscape, and has become a dazzling pearl on the 216-kilometre Grand Canal scenic belt in the central area of Cangzhou.

 This year's Garden Art Exhibition and Urban Planning and Design Competition will take place at Cangzhou Dahua Industrial Heritage Cultural Zone. Adjacent to the Garden Expo Park, the Zone is a virtual node for this year's Garden Exposition as well, which was originally one of the 13 chemical fertilizer plants built in the early 1970s.

 It is reported that since 2017, Hebei Province's provincial garden fairs and the five Garden Expositions have expanded the green park space by 13,050 mu (about 2150 acres)  for the host cities.

Cangzhou is a city that thrives on canal. Stretching more than 200 kilometers, the water course of the Grand Canal is well preserved, and there are numerous historical relics along the canal.

Source: the Municipal Government of Cangzhou