By the end of last year, Chongming welcomed eight large flower companies that brought in combined investments of about 2.5 billion yuan. Planting area of commercial flowers on Chongming also reached 28,000 mu (1,865 hectares).

Li Cheng, president of the China Horticultural Society, says that though Shanghai cannot compete with Yunnan in terms of overall flower production, its location makes it an ideal source of plants and flowers as one of the richest regions in the country.

"Sitting in the Yangtze River Delta, Chongming's plants can be quickly transported and sold not only in Shanghai, but also Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces where the annual per capita income is ranked among the top five in the Chinese mainland," Li says. "Holding the flower expo will certainly boost Chongming's brand as a floral island."

Launched in Beijing in 1987, the expo has been promoting the development of the flower retail industry in China. The expo venue is rotated among Chinese cities every four years.

"The expo has been a platform for flower exchanges and cooperation, driving the development of the entire industrial chain, including flower research and development, processing and logistics," says Liu Dongsheng, deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The spillover effect of the flower expo has also spurred an upgrade of Chongming's tourism sector. Hundreds of guesthouses and farm stays have opened over the past three years in anticipation of the massive influx of expo visitors.

"The expo lets more people know Chongming, and it boosts the already hot minsu business on the island," says Liu Qing, owner of guesthouse Zhigu 1984 and president of the Chongming Minsu Association. Minsu refers to Chinese styled bed-and-breakfast accommodations.

"For many popular minsu, guests currently need to book a month in advance," he says.

Li Zheng, the Party secretary of Chongming, says the district will seize the opportunity to promote its ecotourism and green agriculture during the 11th China Ecological Civilization Summit held on the second day of the expo.

"We will continue the momentum of building Chongming into a beautiful countryside where people can gaze at the night stars, hear the birds sing and smell the flowers," Li says.