In early spring, the weather turns warmer. Standing in the Maritime Silk Road Botanical Garden in the northern section of Wenzhou Garden Expo Park, one can see rows of palm trees rooted along the lakeshore, evoking a tropical atmosphere that will fully emerge in summer. Nearby, machines roar as workers level the ground, adding vitality to the construction site. Since breaking ground last year, the park, themed “Poetic Landscapes and Shared Green Living,” has been visibly taking shape.

The botanical landscape of Wenzhou Garden Expo Park is structured into two exhibition zones, four scenic routes, and twenty-four themed gardens. The two exhibition zones refer to the northern themed area featuring landscape poetry and painting, and the southern one centered around future life. The four routes are respectively named “Around the Lake”, “Around the Mountains”, “Flying Trail (Fairy Trail)” and “Around the Valley”. In addition, the park features themed gardens, including the Maritime Silk Road Botanical Garden.

“This garden mainly features plants from countries along the Maritime Silk Road,” said Zhu Chengwei, the on-site design representative of Hangzhou Landscape Architecture Design Institute Co., Ltd.. “In the future, visitors will see Indonesian palms growing beside French plane trees, vividly showcasing a unique blend of exotic flora.”

“The essence of Wenzhou’s poetic landscape is captured in the shadows of trees and clusters of blossoms,” Zhu added, pointing to the park’s master plan. Twenty-four themed gardens are scattered across the northern and southern zones, each with distinct features and meticulous design. The Zhejiang Medicinal Garden collects and displays regional medicinal plant resources, including species traditionally used in local practice as well as those officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(Ch.p.), such as the renowned “Zhejiang Eight Flavors” and “Wenzhou Six Flavors”. The Banyan Culture Garden features centuries-old banyan trees with sprawling branches, while Wenzhou’s banyan heritage is reflected in artistic landscape elements that embody the city’s cultural identity. The Greenhouse Garden comprises several themed sections including Exotic Garden, Banyan Wonderland, Monet Garden, Desert Wonders, and Palm Forest, offering visitors an immersive experience akin to exploring a tropical rainforest.

With spring marking the prime planting season, the park’s afforestation efforts are now in full swing. At the Flower-friendly Garden in the southern zone, workers carefully loosen the soil around newly planted Chinese beech trees. Each tree is anchored with a soil ball 1.5 to 2 meters wide, designed to nourish its roots. “We’ve increased the thickness of the soil balls to give each tree ample nutrients,” Zhu explained. Given Wenzhou’s humid, rainy climate, macrophanerophytes are further reinforced with fir supports, while gravel and air vents are added at the base to ensure proper drainage and airflow.

Technology is also playing a key role in the construction of the park. As some of the forested areas scheduled for transformation are located on mountain slopes and hilltops with limited access, the design team has adopted drone lifting technology to efficiently transport medium-sized trees to designated planting sites. “We completed a test flight last week, and the technology will soon be widely applied to greatly improve planting efficiency,” said Zhu.

It is worth noting that the park will soon implement a full-process digital management system for nursery stock. Through the cloud-based Garden Expo Plant Management platform, information such as nursery stock specifications, quantities, and photos will be recorded and dynamically linked to a unique QR code. Each tree will be assigned an individual code, while herbs and shrubs will be grouped under batch codes. The system will also register planting areas and spatial locations to enable real-time tracking and management.

Currently, more than 400 workers are deployed daily across three construction sections of the Garden Expo Park project, with 270 million yuan invested and over 1,000 trees planted. On-site guidance is provided by provincial experts, while local veteran horticulturists share their expertise. “We are working at full speed to plant 30,000 trees during the optimal growth period,” said Zhu Chengwei. “Moreover, in terms of introducing rare species, the Garden Expo Office has already consulted with research institutes and botanical gardens across the country. New and superior species adapted to Wenzhou’s climate will be introduced in the next phase.”

After the 15th China Wenzhou International Garden Expo, the park will transform into a regional botanical hub. Centered on the collection, ex-situ conservation, and introduction of plant species from East China and the central subtropical zone, it will also host species from other regions. Distinguished by promoting the botanical heritage of classical landscape poetry and the Maritime Silk Road, as well as showcasing Wenzhou’s identity as a hometown of overseas Chinese, the park will serve as an integrated space for biodiversity conservation, nature education, and urban leisure.