"Mandarin Ducks and butterflies live in pairs, and the color of spring makes people drunk". The day when Niulang and Zhinv come to the bridge of magpies and reunite comes again as their routine every year (Note: Niulang and Zhinv are two characters in Chinese myth. It is said that the young man and woman love each other very much and have a family and children, but they are finally forced to separate from each other due to the rule that humans cannot marry gods or goddesses. But Zhinv is a goddess whose parents are the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother. They love each other so much that their love moves Heaven. In the end they are allowed to meet each other each year on a bridge made of magpies over the Milky Way). During such an auspicious and wonderful time, many young men and women will become couples. On this year’s Qixi, what kind of surprise or beautiful memory will you plan to leave for your loved one? If you wish, let’s experience the grand romantic meeting of the Beijing Garden Expo. It is guaranteed that you will never feel regretful while touring the garden and you will have a sweeter love.
During Qixi, the world's garden exhibition of the 9th Beijing Garden Expo will become “a love-themed park”, which has carefully designed a romantic trip.
The romantic garden expo will become more illuminating on that day. At that time tens of thousands of roses will be clustered into a sea to welcome lovers. All kinds of themed activities about “love” have been well-prepared, and you can partner with your lovers to visit the garden, participating in a variety of love related games. On this Qixi, the Beijing Garden Expo will turn into the most ideal place to witness your beautiful love and devoted oath, creating more love related fairy tales which all have a happy ending of “being together”. What are waiting for? We hope you and your loved one can come and enjoy the beauty of the garden.
One. Activities Inside the Garden:
1. "First Meeting – A Rose"
Time: 2013.8.12-8.14
Address: Entrance Gate No. 1 to 6 of the Garden Expo
At each gate of the garden, lovers and couples will be given a Qixi "rose" and a special delicate pamphlet named Qixi Activity Suggestions for the Garden Expo. This is one of our gifts for you as you enter. Please accept it.
2. “Love Declaration to the World”
Time: 2013.8.12-8.14
Address: The main venue at Gate No. 3
When you meet the staff of the Garden Expo at each activity site, please ask them to take a photo of you both and post it onto your personal Weibo @Beijing Garden Expo, and you will get a card which is a specially designed “Heart-Shaped Love Declaration Card”. If you publish your “Qixi Love Declaration” at Gate No. 3 – the main venue, you will be allowed to take part in the lottery activity held at 11: 00 and 14:30 of that day. Who will be the lucky dog?
We have carefully prepared “Bunches of Qixi Roses” (999, 99 and 9 roses respectively), and will be given away at the scene. Please pray you will be the lucky dog.
3. A Sea of Romantic Roses, where marriage proposals will happen.
Time: 2013.8.12-8.14
Address: The main venue at Gate No. 3
At the main venue of Gate No. 3, the "Qixi Special Marriage Proposal" activity will be held from 16:00-18:00 each day. There will be the best music, video, light, and proposal props at the scene which will help make your dream come true. The Garden will become the witness for your love. On that day of activities, we will accept lovers’ Weixin (Micro-channel) registration selection. The lucky lovers will propose and express their love at the scene, and the big screen will make this live. At that time tens of thousands of people will watch you both and give you their best wishes!
4. Intriguing Background Gives You Surprise after Surprise
Time: 2013.8.12-8.14
Address: The main venue at Gate No. 3
At Gate No. 3 - the main venue, an “Intriguing Lovers Background Board” will be equipped, and visitors can take photos there; the lovely dolls will be equipped, to interact with lovers, and the staff here will offer Polaroid cameras to take sweet photos for these lovers. At the same time there will be a number of game gifts. There are a lot of surprises here. Come and try!
5. “If You Love Me, Please Call It Loudly”
Time: 2013.8.12-8.14
Address: View Platform of Jinxiugu
There is a specially-equipped “Love Broadcasting Station” at the beautiful “Viewing Platform of Jinxiugu”. Standing on the platform, you will not only view the entire Jinxiu Valley, but also bravely call your love confession, which will reverberate in the valley. The oath of love is waiting for you to call out, our lovers! If your voice is loud enough, you will be given a very delicate gift at the scene.
6. Bind Your Love Together Under the Foot of Yongding Tower – The Love Will Go on Forever
Time: 2013.8.12-8.14
Address: Yongding Tower Attraction (No. 10 Service Section, #1 Square)
Under the Yongding Tower, lovers can buy a "tongxin (two hearts connected) lock", locking them on the Bridge of Magpies and keeping their oath of love – live together as one untill the end of their lives. The staff at the scene will offer Polaroid cameras, which will help record the beautiful and meaningful moment. The money gathered from tongxin lock purchases will be donated entirely to charities at the scene. The entire process will be transparent and just. One behavior out of love will save more poor children who have been forced to drop out of school.
Two. Featured Scenic Spots in the Garden Expo
Yongding Tower: Yongding Tower is a symbolized complex at Beijing Garden Expo and is located on Ying Mountain. It covers about 8,000 square meters and its height is 69.7 meters, which is regarded as the highest Liao and Jin Dynasty-style imitated tower. As an octagonal and nine-floor replica tower, it means permanent peace exists everywhere in the world. In Chinese, the character “nice” has the same tone of "long-term" and implies the great country will be in long-term peace and order. It is also a great place for lovers to pray for their love.
Jinxiu Valley: the full name of Jinxiu Valley is “Wanhua Jinxiu Valley”. It makes up “Big Beijing Garden” together with Beijing Garden. There are eight new scenic spots of Yanjing in the valley and they are Qingxue, Diecui, Baotu, Xiaoyue, Qiubo, Chunyin, Xizhao, Yanshu and Yantai Daguan (waterfalls).
The Garden Expo Lake: it is located at the core of Yongding River. The north end of the lake reaches Lianshi Lake, the south end reaches Xiaoyue Lake, the east is near Yongding River Leisure Forest Park and the west is Garden Expo. It covers 246 hectares with its length of 4.2 kilometers and is an important waterscape viewing area of the Garden Expo. The Garden Expo Lake looks wide and well-proportioned, which helps create a harmonious environment between human and nature of fish diving in deep water, birds resting on the shallow beach and people walking in the flower sea.
Ginkgo Avenue: it is a south-north landscape axis from Chinese Garden Museum to the Functional Wet Land. It is made according to the flows of the river and made up of 800 ginkgo trees at the axle wire which is about 3 kilometers long. All scenic spots are nearly laid at the two sides of the axle wire, including the International Garden, the main Exhibition Hall, the Traditional Exhibition Garden, the Modern Garden, Jinxiu Valley, the Sakura Garden, the Rose Garden and Chinese Garden Museum. There are also some catering organizations, shops and etc.
Three. Advised Routes to Visit Beijing Garden Expo
Recommended Routes: get in at Gate 2 and take a look at both domestic and foreign gardens
European Garden, Islamic Garden, Mengtang Garden and some other international gardens will be seen when getting in at Gate 2.
After finishing the international tour, go to another side of the road and some domestic gardens will be in front, such as Hong Kong Garden, Macau Garden, Taiwan Garden and Tianjin Garden. You can also enjoy some Taiwan snacks and Hong Kong cruise ship, Portuguese Residence Museum and Tianjin Eye.
Walk towards Taiwan Garden and along Ginkgo Avenue, you will see Prdos Garden, Tangshan Garden, Qinghai Garden, Shanghai Garden, Nanchang Garden, Hefei Garden, Urumqi Garden, Qingdao Garden, Taiyuan Garden, Shenyang Garden, Changchun Garden, Harbin Garden, Guiyang Garden, Shijiazhuang Garden, Zhengzhou Garden and etc.
After the visit of the above gardens, you will see Chinese Garden Museum is just in front. The essence of Chinese gardens is displayed via the proportion of 1:1
Finishing the Chinese Garden Museum tour, go towards southwest and Gate 6 is in front. You can leave by Bus No. 327 and 951
Four. Introduction to Transportation:
Public Transportation: take Subway Line 14 (near Gate 1)
Special Vehicle (near Gate 1 and 4)
Getting in hours: 8:30 – 14:30; getting out: 11:00 – 18:00
Beijing West Railway Station Special Vehicle, Beijing South Railway Station, Cishousi Bus Special Vehicle, Xiju Special Vehicle
Bus (near Gate 6): take Bus No. 385, 951, 327
Self-driving:
No. 3 Parking Lot: Entrance 9 and 10
No. 5 Parking Lot (near Gate 3 and 4): Entrance 1-8
No. 5 Parking Lot (near Gate 3): Entrance 1-3
Self-driving routes:
Drive along Jinggangao Highway to garden Expo
Drive to Beigong Road interchange and go towards south to Garden Expo
Drive to Meishikou Road West and then to Garden Expo
Drive to West Sixth Ring Beigong Exit and then to Garden Expo
