GARDEN OF CLOUDS

Located along the Gui River of the Yanqing District in Beijing and encompassing a total of 960 hectares, Expo 2019 is a world horticultural exposition presented by the Bureau International des Expositions and is the largest ever gardening show worldwide and in China, with two Beijing villages relocated to host the expo. This year’s theme is "Building a Beautiful Home Featuring Harmonious Coexistence between Man and Nature”.

The Shanghai Garden Exhibition is located within China’s Horticultural Exhibition Area, adjacent to the China Pavilion and the Beijing Garden Exhibition.

As a representative of the Shanghai horticultural industry, Shanghai Garden reflects the highest standard of the city’s gardening and agriculture. Its key theme is “auspicious cloud”, with the garden presenting a harmonious image of “auspicious clouds bringing good luck with refreshing rain that nourishes all creatures”, expressed through techniques of gardening. The Garden aims to promote blessings for China and wishes for a better life.

Shanghai Garden is divided into six zones: Cloud Stairs, Cloud Shadow, Cloud Clothes, Cloud Hill, Cloud Nest and Cloud Nest.

The layout of the Garden optimises the full amount of space to create a variety of shapes and landscapes, from enclosed to open, indoor to outdoor, natural to artificial, flat to undulating. The main path that winds its way throughout the Garden – over the bridge, across hills and down narrow roads – allows for visitors to truly experience and appreciate the beauty of gardening different heights and perspectives. As visitors wind their way through the different zones, they experience a “life on the clouds…wandering in the clouds”.

The design for Shanghai Garden is inspired by the art of drawing, alluding to other techniques of ‘polishing’, ‘splashing ink’, ‘dotting colour’, ‘smearing’ and ‘dry brushing’ to create landscapes that features a diverse range of colours and plants, making full use of the range of plant varieties in the city.

The arbour acts as the foundation and core highlight of the garden, and forms the nine characteristic plant display spaces. The vertical greening technology is utilised to display Shanghai’s most enticing skylines on either side of the Pujian River in the form of green plants. This reflects the symbols of Shanghai and represents the past and present and the blending of the East and West.

A multi-succulent wall and hanging greenery act as the outdoor railings and indoor area, demonstrating Shanghai’s green planting technology. The entrance is an eye-catching Chinese pine that alludes to the bonsai effect of the classical garden and is harmoniously integrated with flowers, ground cover and ornamental grass to reflect the blending of East and West garden design. 

Expo 2019 will be available for public view until 7 October 2019.

Images © Xufeng Cui