More than 1,000 species of orchid will be displayed at the first Shanghai International Orchid Show from March 29 to April 22.

The event is taking place at Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden in Songjiang district.

Hu Yonghong, the garden's executive director, said 50,000 flowers will be on display, including some of world’s rarest species, gathered from 15 countries and regions such as the United States, France, Spain and Thailand.

They will be presented in the garden's 12,000 square meter green house, the biggest in?Asia, according to Hu.

"We are applying to host the 2020 World Orchid Conference, the world’s top orchid show which is held every three years, and hope this event can be a rehearsal," he added.

Xu Dongxin, from Shanghai's forestry authority, said that the city is focusing on cultivating new species of flowers, developing gardening technologies, and holding various flower shows in future.