A pavilion amid rocks, trees, flowers and pools of water at Zhejiang Outdoor Garden during the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition [Photo/IC]

The Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition came to an end on Oct 7. The 162-day event received approximately 7.8 million visitors since opening on April 29, the organizer said.

With the tagline "Live Green, Live Better," the expo featured a vast collection of flowers, fruit trees, Chinese herbal medicines, plant landscaping techniques, and ideas for green development in 34 gardens representing provinces and regions throughout the nation. Nearly 3,000 cultural activities were held during the expo. 

The Zhejiang Outdoor Garden was among the most popular gardens at the expo, attracting more than 1.4 million tourists with its over 600 varieties of plants.

"The garden impressed me as it was possessed of the beauty typically seen in areas south of the Yangtze River. I felt like I was actually there when I visited the garden," said a local resident in Beijing, adding that she hopes to visit Zhejiang with her family one day.

"It is our sincere hope to present Zhejiang's natural scenery, culture and technology to people everywhere," said Hong Zhaolong, manager of the garden who went to Beijing from Hangzhou almost every two weeks to ensure the smooth operation of the garden during the expo.