Expo volunteers plant hope for green future

"As a volunteer for the horticulture expo, I feel proud to participate in a process of helping visitors better understand the concept of living green," said the confident young man who stood 1.8 meters tall, smiling as he worked at the media center.

Bian Peng, 20, is a sophomore majoring in Spanish at Beijing Foreign Studies University. He works in a team providing booking services for both domestic and foreign journalists at the media center for the 2019 Beijing Horticulture Expo, which opened April 28.

"From the wall of plants in the media center to the floral decorations here, I indeed learned how the green concept can be adapted into our real lives." This made him feel that his volunteer experience at the expo is something different and meaningful.

Bian was also grateful to forge friendships with other volunteers, particularly at the volunteers' home, which can accommodate 696 people.

During the expo's 162-day run, 20,000 volunteers from 47 higher institutions, 60 companies and 16 districts will participate in its operations and tourist services. Every day, nearly 600 volunteers will work at the same time. Each volunteer will provide service no less than seven consecutive days, according to Meng Xianqing, deputy head of the volunteer department at the expo's coordination bureau.

As the expo lasts for months, the organizer also recruited 2,000 general volunteers and 150 professional ones majoring in foreign languages, media and telecommunications in reserve for any emerging needs, he said.