September 13, 2009 11:13 AM

Malaysia To Take Part In China's Annual Flower & Plant Expo

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will take part in China's annual flower and plant trade exposition in Xuchang next year to promote the country's parks and gardens as a tourism product, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

Dr Ng said Malaysia would be the first foreign country to participate in the exposition which has an average of seven million visitors.

"Mayor Li has promised the most prominent site for Malaysia in the exhibition," Dr Ng said in a statement issued by the ministry here Sunday.

Dr Ng said this after a bilateral meeting with the Mayor of Xuchang Municipal Government, Li Ya, on Saturday where they discussed tourism related matters, including investment in tourism related enterprises in Malaysia.

Xuchang, a prefecture-level city in central Henan province, is among the largest bases of flowers and plants growing in northern China and the host of the annual Central China Flower and Plant Trade Expo which is held in the month of September.

It is also the largest exporter of flowers and plants in China.

Dr Ng said the city's flowers and plants agricultural area covers a total of 324,000ha and that tourism was promoted within the city through its parks and gardens, besides its annual flower and plants exposition.

The statement said that during the meeting with the Xuchang mayor, Dr Ng spoke on the importance of rural tourism.

She also shared Malaysian women entrepreneurs' flower and plant projects, in particular the jasmine flower project in Raub, as well as other flower and plant projects with a total area of 1,600ha.

-- BERNAMA

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