The Garden of the World's Flowers and Plants opened recently in downtown Beijing, offering a lush green getaway from the cold concrete of Beijing's winter.

Now you can escape to the warmth of a humid rain forest or the arid breeze of a desert, right here in China's frozen capital.

Different from the Beijing Botanical Garden, which has only one conservatory, the Garden of the World's Flowers and Plants houses seven conservatories in the 42-hectare garden.

With an investment of 150 million yuan (US$18 million), the garden ensures visitors a botanical journey around the globe through a variety of plants and flowers and a chance to learn about the earth's indispensable plant life.

According to Cui Zepei, deputy general manager of the garden, the new botanical garden is expected to be one of the world's great collections of plants and Beijing's leading educational centre for gardening and horticulture.

The gardens include a dozen exhibition districts and halls, such as the flower science and research conservatory, a vegetable and gourd conservatory, a rare flower conservatory, the desert plants conservatory and the main exhibition hall, home to a tropical rainforest.

The gardens cultivate nearly 10,000 species of plants, including 2,000 kinds of trees and bushes, 1,620 varieties of tropical and subtropical plants, 500 species of flowers and hundreds of different kinds of fruit trees and melons.

One green house is home to many vegetables and gourds hanging from bamboo trellises. An elevated pumpkin patch shows off some of the biggest pumpkins you've ever seen.

Filled with evergreens, members of the palm family, tropical aquatic plants, specimens of the triple-leaved rubber plant, cocoa and coffee trees and the sugar producing sweet-leaved chrysanthemum, the main hall is a true marvel.

Surrounding the conservatories, geographical gardens, fountains, shrubbery and flowers decorate the garden's grounds. The gardens are currently covered until spring returns.

An on-site restaurant gives you the opportunity to dine in a huge greenhouse. Full of flowers, fountains and vines: you can devour many traditional Chinese dishes in a nearly tropical environment.

Activities and craft projects are available daily for young visitors.

Two gardens designed especially for children, the Kids Water Park and Plant Labyrinth, give children a chance to learn and have fun.

Hundreds of plants grown in the greenhouses are also available to purchase, offering you the chance to bring a green piece of the experience home.

Location: Between the South Third and Fourth Ring Roads. If driving to the Garden, please exit the South Third Ring Road or Fourth Ring Road at the Caoqiao Exit.

Hours: 8:30 am to 6 pm. Daily.

Admission: 48 yuan (US$5.7) for adults and 28 yuan (US$3) for children.

To get there: Bus routes 736, 740, Special Bus Route 8 get to Lianri Jiayuan Station. The Garden is 200 meters south of the station.

Bus routes 366, 423, 957, 977, 819 and Special Bus Route 3 get to Majialou Station. The garden is 500 meters east of the station.

Tel: 86-10-87500840

Fax: 86-10-67520526

(China Daily February 8, 2005)