By Zhang Heling
As spring arrives along China's eastern coast, the 15th China International Garden Expo is set to open April 15 in the port city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. The expo, which will be held in Zhejiang for the first time, features gardens representing countries across five continents alongside traditional Chinese designs.
The North Garden, themed "landscape in a grand manner," houses 11 international urban exhibition gardens alongside a classical Chinese garden, 12 gardens from other Chinese provinces and municipalities and 11 from Zhejiang's owncities.
An overview of the 15th China International Garden Expo site in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. [Photo courtesy of the 15th China International Garden Expo]
The 11 international gardens represent Italy, the U.K., France, Uzbekistan, Canada, Thailand, the U.S., the Netherlands, Japan, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and the Maritime Silk Road. Each reflects distinct landscape traditions and cultural character.
The Italian Garden's red facade and skylit interior evokethe sun-drenched piazzas of Florence. A few steps away, the French Garden's "Matisse Red" walls enclose a wine-tasting area and coffee corner. The IFLA Garden, a first for China, takes the shape of a glass-hulled ship topped with a rooftop garden laid out in the shape of the world's continents, symbolizing landscape architecture's global mission.
A section of the international garden zone at the 15th China International Garden Expo. [Photo courtesy of the 15th China International Garden Expo]
"The IFLA Garden is a masterpiece of sustainable design," said Zachary Lundquist, a U.S. expert at the Center for Europe and Africa (China Today) under China International Communications Group. "It shows how landscape architecture can bridge cultures while respecting nature. I've never seen anything quite like it."
The China Pavilion, the expo's largest structure, towers over the North Garden. Its undulating roof, spanning 25,000 square meters, is designed to echo the mountains and waterways of Wenzhou, a city known as a "millennium-old commercial port." The broader expo site covers 230 hectares with 108 scenic spots and a 9.5-kilometer visitor route.
Just beyond the international zone, visitors can explore a classical Chinese garden whose winding paths, moon gates and tranquil ponds embody the essence of "Jiangnan" (the coastal area south of the Yangtze River) landscape artistry. Together with 23 domestic urban gardens, the expo offers a comprehensive look at China's diverse gardening heritage, from northern imperial grandeur to southern scholarly refinement.
The expo is also designed for easy public access.The main venue is just 800 meters from Wenzhou South Railway Station, connected by a landscaped skybridge, and admission is free. Organizers have billed it a "People's Expo." Every structure will remain after the event closes, with the China Pavilion becoming a permanent cultural center and other gardens serving educational and recreational purposes.
As visitors wander from an Italian loggia to a French wine corner, from an Uzbek mosaic to a Chinese moon gate, they trace not only the Maritime Silk Road but also the deep roots of China's own garden culture.
"Walking through these gardens feels like traveling the ancient maritime routes without leaving China," said Dennis Herold, a German overseas communication officer. "Each garden tells its own story, yet together they form a harmonious conversation between civilizations. This is more than a garden show. It's a living museum of global friendship. And Wenzhou, a city that has always looked outward, is now inviting the world in."