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Blooming Marvellous Win by Shenzhen

Shenzhen came first in the "Nations in Bloom 2000 Finals" in Washington DC. It is the first time a Chinese city has won the award, according to the Shenzhen Daily.

Alan Smith, general secretary of the International Federation of Park and Recreation Administrations which organized the finals, announced the win. Shenzhen brushed aside strong challenges from the other finalists to grab the top prize in Category E this for cities with a population in excess of one million. The other finalists were Chicago and Phoenix in the United States; Pretoria, South Africa; and the Russian city of Novgorod.
First held in Britain in 1996, this annual competition is nick-named the "Green Oscars" because it encourages greater public awareness of, and support for, exemplary environmental management as a means of improving the quality of life. It also urges people to encourage others in aiming for high environmental standards. The competition is held in a different international city each year.

The judging criteria embraces five areas: enhancement of a city's landscape, heritage management, environmentally sensitive practices, community involvement and planning for the future. This year's "Nations in Bloom" attracted 33 cities from 19 countries. Before the Washington DC finals, Chicago and Pretoria were considered the front runners because comparatively few people knew much about Shenzhen. The Chinese city's achievement was the more remarkable because it is only 20 year old.