The third China Rose Products Expo and 2021 Pingyin Rose Culture Festival will kick off at Quancheng Square in Jinan, capital of Shandong province on May 7.

This marks the first time the event is held in Jinan instead of Pingyin county. The event is aimed at tapping the potential of the rose business and increasing the international profile of the newly-selected city flower.

Tourists admire roses in Pingyin county, Jinan, in early summer. [Photo/IC]

According to the event organizing committee, more than 120 enterprises involved in the rose industry from seven countries and regions will attend the expo and display a dazzling array of related products such as rose seedlings, cultural creative products, rose refined oil, food, cosmetics and rose processing equipment.

The expo, an international rose industry commodity trading platform, will attract more than 2,000 domestic buyers, said the organizing committee.

Diplomatic envoys from Bulgaria, Colombia, Turkey and other major rose producing countries in the world, as well as nearly 200 acclaimed academicians, experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from around the world will attend the event and share their insights on how to accelerate the international exchange and cooperation of rose industry in face of China's new dual circulation development pattern.

A string of online promotional activities will also be held to engage more people. Viya, one of China's top e-commerce livestreamers and the global promotional ambassador for Pingyin roses, will also host live sales to promote rose products produced in Pingyin.

Rose-themed cultural and tourism destinations and routes will also be highlighted during the event to attract more tourists.

Jinan has a booming rose processing industry. [Photo/qlwb.com]

The rose was elected as the city flower of Jinan at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 17th Jinan Municipal People's Congress on April 20. The city currently has two city flowers – lotus flowers and roses.

According to local officials, the move will further promote the city's rose industry, advance the popularity and reputation of rose flowers in Pingyin county, which is known as "the home of roses in China", as well as build up the image of the provincial capital.

Jinan has been planting roses for more than 1,300 years. The city is home to a rose planting area of about 4,000 hectares and more than 40 rose processing enterprises. Rose processing products in Jinan have more than 130 varieties ranging from food to medicine, and have been sold to more than 10 countries and regions.

In 2020, Pingyin roses were ranked first among regional public brands in terms of online influence, and had a brand value of 2.79 billion yuan ($430.2 million).