Marco Polo Flower World

Marco Polo Flower World

Marco Polo Flower World is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Marco Polo Flower World project is a key tourism initiative introduced to Yangzhou City in 2015 by the Ecological Science and Technology New Town. Located on the Xiaonanwei plot in the Zizai Island Tourist Resort of the Ecological Science and Technology New Town, the project covers an area of approximately 50 hectares with a total investment of nearly 1.2 billion RMB. Developed by Ailv Investment through the integration of international creative teams from the Netherlands, the United States, China, and more, it is the world’s first floral culture-themed amusement park that blends world-class floral art with the fantastical journey of Marco Polo.

Adhering to design principles of adapting to local conditions and prioritizing ecological protection, Ailv Investment transformed the peninsula-shaped earth embankment surrounded by water and its surrounding areas into an ecological flood prevention belt. This flood belt also serves as the boundary for creating two-tiered visiting zones — an inner core scenic area and an outer leisure and entertainment area. In less than a year, the overall project planning, construction, landscaping, and floral displays were completed. Marco Polo Flower World began trial operations on September 26, 2015, and officially opened to the public on April 16, 2016.

Inspired by the legendary journeys of the Italian traveler Marco Polo and themed around “Flowers + Culture,” Marco Polo Flower World has created seven themed gardens representing European, Middle Eastern, and Oriental styles across an 800-acre site. Through innovative floral art exhibitions, the park showcases five breathtaking floral wonders: the world’s largest artistic sea of flowers, a three-dimensional floral carpet, the world’s first Dream Flower Hill, Hollywood-inspired floral sculptures, and the world’s longest Water Flower Stream. It is a comprehensive cultural theme park integrating sightseeing, dining, shopping, science education, entertainment, and leisure — allowing visitors to experience the unique charm of world gardens all in one place.

Since its opening, Yangzhou’s Marco Polo Flower World has not only been beloved by domestic tourists — featuring on Xinhua Net and Sina’s front pages — but also attracted special coverage from the UK’s second-largest newspaper, the Daily Mail. Bernard Oosterom, President of AIPH (International Association of Horticultural Producers), praised Marco Polo Flower World as the world’s first “culture + flowers” themed amusement park.

The Marco Polo Flower World project has also received significant attention and care from the main leaders of the Yangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. On April 18, 2016, the opening ceremony of the Yangzhou International Economic, Trade and Tourism Festival — along with the signing, groundbreaking, and commissioning ceremony for major projects — was grandly held in the multi-functional hall of Marco Polo Flower World, attended by over 500 Chinese and foreign government and business delegates.

The Marco Polo Flower World project has pioneered the cross-sector integration of cultural industries, floral industries, and tourism industries. It has explored a new model that not only meets the needs of urban ecological green spaces but also enables the coordinated development of tourism and ecological areas. By promoting flower tourism, it fosters sustainable integration among primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in the surrounding region, becoming an important complement to Yangzhou’s tourism industry and adding a new city landmark. It is expected that through this innovative medium of flower tourism, the Flower World will be developed into “the most beautiful calling card of the Belt and Road.”