Expo Memories - Kunming Expo Garden

Kunming Expo Garden, also known as the Kunming World Horticultural Exposition Garden, was the venue for the 1999 Kunming World Horticultural Exposition, located in the Golden Temple scenic area in the northeastern suburbs of Kunming. The Kunming Expo Garden covers an area of about 218 hectares, with a vegetation coverage rate of 76.7%. The overall planning of the park is based on the local terrain, integrating the local characteristics of various provinces, regions, and cities across the country, as well as the garden and horticultural products, courtyard architecture, and scientific achievements of 95 countries into one garden. It reflects the theme of the era of 'harmony between man and nature, harmonious development', and is a grand garden of garden and horticultural products with 'Yunnan characteristics, Chinese style, and world-class'. I had the fortune to visit the Kunming Expo in person in 1999, which was also the first time I visited a World Expo in my life, leaving a deep impression. At that time, the Expo Garden had five major pavilions: the China Pavilion, the International Pavilion, the Man and Nature Pavilion, the Greenhouse, and the Science and Technology Pavilion, as well as several main theme gardens such as the Bonsai Garden, Bamboo Garden, and Tea Garden. I remember it took us 3 days to finish visiting every pavilion and garden. In 2023, I revisited the place, and now the Kunming Expo Garden has been opened to the public for free, with the southern part of the park being entrusted to the Overseas Chinese Town Group for renovation. Entering the Expo Garden again, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys at the entrance immediately evoked memories from over 20 years ago. These monkeys were the mascots of the Expo, and their distinctive thick lips are unforgettable. Walking into the Expo Garden, you enter a sea of flowers, with flower seas and flower beds everywhere, a must-visit for flower lovers. Of the original five major pavilions, only the China Pavilion, the International Pavilion, and the Greenhouse remain. Among them, apart from the Greenhouse which is still a tropical botanical garden, the China Pavilion and the International Pavilion have changed beyond recognition, which is quite lamentable. Surprisingly, part of the outdoor exhibition area of the China Pavilion still retains the original appearance of the Expo, evoking people's memories of the Expo. The International Pavilion area is mostly still under renovation, and in a few years, it may be presented to everyone in a completely new way.