The 15th China International Garden Expo officially opened on Wednesday in Wenzhou city in East China's Zhejiang province.

It is the first time the expo has been held in the province since its inception back in 1997.

Liu Jie, governor of Zhejiang province, said at the opening ceremony that the event being hosted there makes sense, because the province has been vigorously advancing the building of a "Beautiful Zhejiang" and promoting the sharing of green spaces.

The efforts have significantly enhanced the people's sense of fulfillment and happiness, he added.

"Taking this Garden Expo as an opportunity, we will continue to promote outstanding garden culture," Liu said. "We will endeavor to make more contributions to a modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature."

The event's main venue, Wenzhou Garden Expo Park, is located within 800 meters of Wenzhou South Railway Station, making it the closest main venue for the garden expo in history. A landscaped skybridge allows visitors to enter the park within 10 minutes of getting off the train, allowing both residents and visitors to enjoy green views and parks with immediate effect.

Ouyue Garden, a 12,500-square-meter landscape inspired by a panoramic scroll by Wang Zhenpeng, a Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) court painter, lies at the heart of the park. With artistic abstraction, the garden is a reinterpretation of the painting's poetic depiction of the scenes and bustling life of Wenzhou.

China's urbanization is transitioning from a period of rapid growth to one of steady development, with a focus on improving the quality and efficiency of existing urban areas, said Qin Haixiang, vice-minister of housing and urban-rural development.

"We will vigorously advance the development of modern, people-oriented cities that are innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and smart, so that residents can live more conveniently, comfortably, and happily in urban areas," said Qin.

With a citywide system of one main venue, 13 sub-venues, and 49 expo sites, the Garden Expo covers all 12 counties and districts in Wenzhou, making it truly a "people's expo", according to the organizers.

The expo will also see a strong international presence, featuring 11 international city gardens from cities and regions including Liverpool in the United Kingdom, the Syrdarya region of Uzbekistan, and Ishinomaki city in Japan.

Notably, the International Federation of Landscape Architects, or IFLA, has established its first-ever themed garden in China at the expo and will permanently set up an "IFLA International Cooperation and Exchange Center".

The expo offers free entry to the public and will run for 100 days, ending July.