Nanyang releases plans for world rose convention

Eager to get hosting duties off on the right for the prestigious 2019 World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS) Regional Convention, to be held from April 27 to May 2 in 2019, the Nanyang government has setup a working team to carry out the preparatory work.

At a meeting held on Feb 28, the arrangement plans for the convention were released to the public.

Thirty rose-oriented parks will be constructed in central urban areas, with roses added to major urban roads, scenic spots and expressway entrances to the city.

In each county and district, a rose park of over 100 mu (6.67 hectares) and two-to-three rose-decorated roads of over 1,000 meters will be built. All the planting work should be finished by the end of this year, according to the working team.

The city also plans to build a rose-themed park, Lanhu Rose Park and Binhe Rose Park where rose planting areas will be filled with rose saplings by the end of this year.

By August 2018, the construction of Nanyang Rose Park and the redecoration of Rose Exhibition Park and Wenxian Rose Park will be complete.

Nanyang also plans to build three demonstration areas for the rose industry in Wolong and Wancheng districts, as well as a demonstration zone of urban and rural integration.

A rose town and an eco-tour belt will be set up to boost the development of the rose industry in nearby regions, and will include a total coverage of rose industrial bases to exceed 150,000 mu (100 square kilometers) by 2019.

Rose varieties of high quality will be introduced and fostered in the city with industrial operations applied to build Nanyang into a "World Rose City."

More promotional work will be carried out to enrich the cultural connotation of Nanyang's roses. The city is currently building the official website for the WFRS Regional Convention where it will seek applications for the event's slogan, mascot, emblem and logo.

Cultural products containing elements of roses, such as books, movies, songs and jade carvings, as well as rose-themed architecture and public facilities will also be developed.