The second Mount Taishan International Orchid Festival and seventh annual Taishan Flower & Plant Fair will be held Sept 7 through Sept 9 at Taishan Blossom Age Scenic Area.

More than 100 companies from nearly 20 countries and districts, including Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and more than 300 mainland companies will take participate at the two festivals.

An orchid contest will offer 225 prizes. The exhibits on display are divided into five kinds: cymbidium, the orchid ikebana, flower and plant, and bonsai plant. Each category will offer winning participants a special award, gold award, silver award and bronze award. An outstanding constituent award will be presented to candidate institutions within the city. A committee of judges will meet on Sept 6 to pick the winners.

The festivals will feature seven exhibition halls. The first floor of Dream Flower City is the exhibition area for cymbidium, orchid culture and orchid ikebana The flower & plant fair will include a bonsai plant exhibition area and retail area

Also scheduled at the two fairs are a tropical garden, moth orchid cultivation and demonstration area and gardening area. The second floor of the Dream Flower City exhibition hall will use advanced technology such as photoelectric sensors and sound to show orchids and also offer touch-screen computer painting. Most exhibitions are free.

Also on Sept 7 and Sept 8, the Cattleya Summit Forum will be held in the Mount Taishan Culture Building. Some free fair spots are being provided for flower and plant dealers within the city.

By Wang Qian and Liu Dongxian (China Daily Shandong Bureau)

Editor: Li Jing