At the foot of China’s iconic Great Wall in Yanqing District, the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition opens from April 29 to October 7, which is expected to attract 16 million local and foreign visitors over the 162 days of operation. An eclectic collection of plants, flowers and eye-catching pavilions has something for everyone, including a myriad of ideas for green development.

The “Live Green, Live Better” themed expo attracted more than 110 countries and international organizations, marking the highest attendance in the expo’s history. Many countries have opened national pavilions, demonstrating their unique cultures as well as buildings incorporating green development.

African Joint Exhibition Park at the Beijing Expo covers an area of 1,006 square meters and is jointly used by 30 African countries including Algeria, Sudan, Angola and Lesotho. According to the organizers, the overall design of the exhibition park comprises five sections: East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa and North Africa, which reflects the unity of the continent.

The park also utilizes unique gardening techniques in its design, striving to reproduce the natural environment of different parts of Africa while highlighting its diverse characteristics. In Nigeria Pavilion, the exhibition garden features a small sand dune planted with palm trees and cactus. The plants are like a small oasis under the scorching sun.

ChinAfrica 360 visited several African pavilions to learn more about some of the events on the expo calendar.