The 13th Taishan Plants and Flowers Trade Fair opens on Oct 16 in Taishan district of Tai'an, Shandong province. [Photo by Huang Lijuan/ dzwww.com]

The curtain rose on the 13th Taishan Plants and Flowers Trade Fair in Taishan district in Tai'an, Shandong province on Oct 16, attracting many famous enterprises and merchants to participate.

The two-day event was jointly organized by the Shandong Forestry Department, the Tai'an government, Shandong Agricultural University, and the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Featuring outdoor and indoor exhibition areas, the fair covered a total area of 15,000 square meters. The outdoor exhibition section displayed local seedlings and flowers, garden machinery, fertilizers and pesticide products, while the indoor section was divided into several themed exhibitions including bonsais, ornamental stones, succulent plants, chrysanthemums and osmanthus fragrans.

A visitor takes photos of exhibits at the 13th Taishan Plants and Flowers Trade Fair in Taishan district of Tai'an, Shandong province, Oct 16, 2017. [Photo by Huang Lijuan/ dzwww.com]

A total of 376 exhibitors from 17 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities took part in the event, 32 of which were leading enterprises in their respective industries.

Relying on its regional advantages, Taishan district has achieved remarkable economic results by developing its floriculture and nursery industry in recent years. According to official data, the area is now home to 125,000 mu (8,331 hectares) of flower and plant nurseries.

An exhibitor introduces plants to potential customers at the 13th Taishan Plants and Flowers Trade Fair in Taishan district of Tai'an, Shandong province, Oct 16, 2017. [Photo by Huang Lijuan/ dzwww.com]

More than 260 companies in the district are involved in flower and plant cultivation, processing and trading, and according to official data they currently produce more than 300 seedling varieties and over 150 flower varieties, bringing in 1.59 billion yuan ($240 million) in revenue annually.