Guangzhou flower markets for the 2006 Spring Festival, the Year of the Dog, open in Guangzhou today, new and improved.

More than 1,000 species of flowers and potted plants will be shown at the flower markets at venues in Guangzhou’s eight districts.

To ensure safety, florists were required to set up their flower sheds and stands with steel bars, instead of the previously used bamboo and timber. Wang Xiaoling, vice mayor of Guangzhou, said on an inspection trip Tuesday the steel-bar structure was more solid and convenient for disassembling.

To provide more comfort for visitors, the organizers required contractors to extend the roofs on flower sheds about two meters to ensure shelter from the sun or rain as buyers make their purchases.

The Guangzhou Daily reported the prices of flowers remain the same as those of last year.

(Shanghai Daily January 26, 2006)