Int'l horticultural expo to be held on old N. China mine site

SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A manmade lake on the site of a decommissioned mine in north China's iron town of Tangshan will be the venue of the 2016 International Horticultural Expo, slated for April.

The expo venue is close to completion, said a source from the executive committee of Tangshan International Horticultural Exposition.

Spread out over more than 20 sq km, exhibitors will come from 10 countries including the United States, France and Britain.

South Lake was originally a century-old mine in Tangshan City, Hebei Province. A 7.8-magnitude quake, which hit the undeveloped city and killed more than 240,000 people on July 28, 1976, aggravated the structural soundness of the area, causing it to sink.

Treatment of the sunk area began in 1999 and the lake began construction in 2008.

The theme of the expo is "City and Nature, Phoenix Nirvana." The theme draws parallels with the rebirth of Tangshan after the devastating quake, as 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of the catastrophe, said Xue Shaojiang, deputy head of the expo executive committee.

"Tangshan is ready for its second rebirth as it needs to upgrade its industrial structure, which relied heavily on coal, steel and petrochemical sectors," he said.

The expo is scheduled for April 29 through Oct. 16. It will start trial operation in March. The event is forecast to attract 10 million visitors.