Tian'anmen Square to see major floral tribute

Construction workers are building a Great Wall-themed flower terrace in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing to prepare for the military parade that marks the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY

The height of floral terraces for an upcoming grand parade in Tian'anmen Square and the following National Day will be lowered to make it easier for members of the public to take photographs, according to Beijing's landscape and forestry authority.

The Beijing Bureau of Landscape and Forestry released its flower bed plan on Monday for the parade in the square on Sept 3 marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, saying that the floral terrace will have the theme of the Great Wall.

The bureau said it will also put four sets of flower beds in Dongdan and Xidan, two busy regions on Chang'an Avenue and near the square.

The layout of the floral terraces will be completed around Aug 25 and the height of them will be reduced for residents to view and take pictures, the authority said.

The themed flower bed in the center of the square will be about 60 meters long and 25 meters wide, the bureau said, adding that it is aimed at showing China's mountains and rivers.

It is also the second time that the bureau will use various natural flowers and grasses to build floral terraces since the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the authority said.

In addition, the bureau will decorate the Tian'anmen Rostrum with two flower terraces on the two sides of the building's northern entrance.

There will be an additional 10 flower beds marking victory in World War II along the Chang'an Avenue, including the four sets located in Dongdan and Xidan. All of the terraces will stay in place during the seven-day National Day holiday, which starts on Oct 1, and will remain through the end of October.

The bureau said on Monday that its employees with good gardening skills are preparing to maintain the flower beds, aiming to ensure they can remain in full bloom.