Shanghai Expo Culture Park unveils festive New Year flower market

The Shanghai Expo Culture Park is gearing up to launch its New Year Flower Market from Dec 24 to Feb 16 with a series of themed markets and lively experiences.

Hosted within the 154,000-square-meter world floral garden, the 6,000-square-meter underground space will transform into a festive botanical market.

It will feature sections dedicated to plants and flowers, an ice-skating rink, global cuisine, an amusement park, pop-up cultural creativity, green gardening, and an eco-friendly coffee shop.

"We want this park to be an integrated space combining cultural activities, green ecology, consumption, and events," said Chen Zhu, vice general manager of the Shanghai Expo Culture Park Construction and Management Co.

As many citizens have the habit of buying New Year flowers, the flower market's core theme is floriculture, presenting traditional Chinese New Year flowers and rare species from around the world to beautify homes for the Spring Festival, she said.

Curator Lu Miao revealed there will be dozens of unique floral combinations showcased, including exotic varieties from South America, Australia, Europe, Africa and beyond.

Visitors can also experience global cuisine, trendy cultural creations and an ice rink in one place, Lu added.

In partnership with BBC EARTH, an eco-themed coffee shop will promote sustainable living through initiatives like free coffee grounds giveaways and DIY potted plant workshops using repurposed grounds.

The packed event schedule promises abundant entertainment during the flower market. Activities include the real ice skating rink with artificial snowfall, amusement park games like large claw machines, floral art exhibits made from Lego bricks, global food stalls, and creative zones for accessories, fashion, novelties and home decor.

"We want to provide new experiences continuously," Chen said. "The underground market complements the aboveground gardens, bringing novelty through this celebration of floriculture and cultural activities."

Since its full opening in Sept, the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Park has welcomed over 8.2 million visitors, with highlights including two artificial hills, greenhouse gardens, and world floral gardens.