After breakfast I set off to go to the Garden Expo. I didn't want to put it off and get rained out again. Plus I thought it wouldn't be busy after the holiday. I took subway line 6 across city so it wouldn't be so crowded (like line 1) at this time of day.
I was hoping line 9 would meet directly with line 14 as the map shows both stop at Qilizhuang. But that stop is not open yet on line 14, so I had to go back a stop and make 2 additional transfers to get to line 14.
Line 14 is a small line, with few cars, but more speed. Only about a dozen got off for the expo. Following the signs on the floor to the proper exit. and 300m to the entrance. It took me 2 hours to get here. The entrance fee is 100rmb. I saw others walking away with maps, but I wasn't given one. I asked (in English) and got one.
I asked a volunteer to confirm our location on the map. After I was deciding where to enter the expo a Chinese girl came up to me and asked where I got the map and how much. I told her. She asked if I was alone. Yes. She was too, lets go together. Okay. We walked to the 2nd entrance.
The back side of entrance one was a marsh like field that we by passed, we came in by the international section. Buildings built in many different styles of countries. But filled with either restaurants or stores to buy that countries products, sold by people of that country. Them and I were the only foreigners here. Some had a sign outside that said garden. Example "Bangledesh Garden" this garden was fake flowers sticking out of the ground around a fake tiger and storks. I am not impressed.
My new friend wanted to go in a lot of these stores. I came for the flowers. (Shock: not the shopping). The flowers, not so good. I don't know if due to after 6 days of rain and now it's hot. But the opening flower arrangements were all dead and left there. Mostly landscaping and pictures of different areas of China. Huge expanses to walk, like the garden valley( basic colors green and brown, no color), the marshish area, and a lake.
It was nice having someone to take my pictures. We did take a lot of pictures. If I had been by myself I would've covered a lot more ground. But it was nice to finally meet someone, even if 18 days before lift off. I was shocked at her hospitality in buying my lunch. I tried to give her money, but she insisted. Thank you.
By 3 o'clock we were at the back of the main expo before it started in the mountain section. We exchanged info and I gave her the map as she wanted to continue on. I took a little open air bus for 10 rmb to the 1st entrance and back to the subway. It took me 1.5 hours to get back to the house, just after the kids arrived home from school.
I wasn't that impressed, as there were not many flower displays. I base this solely on my experience from going to the 2000 Flora Expo in Japan. Where each country had a sectioned off area they could decorate with displayes or small gardens with real flowers native to their country. There was unique food specific for the show, like flower flavored icecream.
en.expo2013.net to check out more info about the park.
We saw a panda eating bamboo
A section of the marsh/wetland area
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