Taiyuan in Shanxi province has finally moved forward with plans to create the city's first municipal botanical garden, as officials signed a public-private partnership agreement on Oct 10.

Plans to build a botanical garden in Taiyuan were first proposed as far back as 2009, but the estimated 2.4 billion yuan ($350 million) cost has made funding the garden a challenge.

However, following the public-private funding model has enabled the city to raise the required investment, and the ambitious project will now at last get underway.

The huge new garden will cover 182 hectares, roughly the size of 200 soccer fields, and will include 28 different zones designed to collect and protect as many different varieties of local plants as possible, particularly species endemic to the Taihang and Lvliang Mountains.

The project will also function as a tourist site, with attractions including a tropical plant hall and a plant museum. Officials intend the project to serve as a sightseeing spot, a platform for popularizing science and a research base.

"The botanical garden with featured vegetation in Shanxi will help residents know more about plants, and raise awareness of the importance of preserving plant species and protecting the environment," said Li Dingsheng, vice director of Taiyuan gardens bureau.

The first phase of the project will focus on infrastructure, landscape engineering and construction of 14 themed pavilions.

Beijing Beilin Landscape Architecture Institute will take charge of the general design of the garden, while professional teams from Austria and Germany will be recruited to design the architecture of the garden.

An artist’s impression of Taiyuan Botanical Garden [Photo/tynews.com.cn]