Lian Jiaqi

403950598@qq.com

A GEN Z APEC Reporters team, composed of 15 international students, visited the 2026 Greater Bay Area Flower Show at Bijiashan Sports Park in Futian District on Saturday. The event marked the first youth communication initiative of the APEC “China Year” in Shenzhen.

During the tour, the students explored creatively designed gardens, captured the essence of green development through their lenses, and shared vivid stories of Shenzhen and APEC from a youthful, global perspective.

The event was hosted by Shenzhen Daily under the International Communication Center of Shenzhen News Group. It aimed to engage young international students in exploring the city’s ecological highlights and showcasing Shenzhen’s identity as a city of parks and its urban vitality through their cameras and voices, while promoting the principles of green development.

Boni Josepha Karell, a French student at Shenzhen University, spoke fondly of the tulips.

Berezhnaya Agniya and Kotliarova Margarita, both Russian students from Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, expressed admiration for the iris, this year’s theme flower.

Margarita also praised the garden representing Dapeng New Area for its vibrant floral displays and striking color combinations.

To document their experience, Agniya wrote a short blog post highlighting the City Garden representing Shenzhen, as well as international floral exhibits, while Margarita created vertical short videos for online sharing.

Muhammetali Hojagulyyev, a student from Turkmenistan at Shenzhen University, was deeply impressed by the Nanshan garden, describing it as “shining and brightening.” He said he was moved by its emotional appeal and that the garden is a product of technology.

Munzali Ibrahim from Nigeria praised a floral-themed work by a South African designer. He highlighted the calming effect of the natural environment, noting that immersion in nature brings peace and relaxation.

The visitors said they would continue to document Shenzhen’s green development through videos and posts, presenting to the world an eco-friendly, and open city.

“Gardens are small, but they carry big ideas of green development. We are honored to be Gen Z APEC reporters to tell Shenzhen’s stories and promote communication between the Bay Area and the world,” one member said.

This event served as the first stop in the Gen Z APEC Reporters series. The team will continue to visit key venues of Shenzhen’s APEC-themed activities, documenting the city’s development and sharing its youthful energy with the world.

The show, which will run through April 6, brings together designers and their works from APEC member economies.

It is organized around four major sections — Master Garden, Bay Area Garden, City Garden, and Floral Market — alongside eight mini-gardens, presenting more than 30 distinctive horticultural creations.