Rose products expo opens in Jinan

The 2023 China Rose Products Expo kicked off on May 6 in Jinan, the capital of East China's Shandong province, local media reported.

The expo has become an important platform for strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, as well as for promoting the development of the world's rose industry. Foreign diplomatic envoys to China were invited, as were commercial representatives from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to bolster cooperation in the rose industry.

This year's expo includes three major events, an opening ceremony, forums, and an exhibition, during which rose industry experts, scholars, as well as company representatives from both home and abroad will carry out exchanges and explore cooperation opportunities to boost the development of the rose industry.

Pingyin county in Shandong province is considered the home of Chinese roses owing to its unique geographical and geological conditions. Rose cultivation in the county can be traced back over 1,300 years. The Pingyin rose industry, a dominant agricultural characteristic industry in the province, has realized the whole industrial chain covering planting, processing, research and development, as well as cultural tourism.

As the Pingyin rose was elected as the other city flower of Jinan on April 20, 2021, it has helped both Jinan and Pingyin county, which is known as China's "capital of roses", better carry out international cooperation globally. The brand value of Pingyin rose has reached 3.03 billion yuan ($43.96 million).

At the opening ceremony, the "the Belt and Road" rose industry consortium was officially established.