The 2011 exhibition was held in the Northwest Chinese city of Xi'an between April 28 and October 22, 2011. Xi'an is the capital city of Shaanxi province and the oldest of the four great Ancient Chinese capital cities. It is also the starting point of the Silk Road and home of the famous Terracotta Army. Nowadays it is a major centre of culture, industry and education and home to nearly 9 million people, with nearly 14 million in the Xi'an-Xianyang metropolitan area. The 2011 event was the third time that China hosted the exposition following on from Kunming (1999) and Shenyang (2006). The exposition itself is run by the International Association of Horticultural Producers and is all about showcasing new achievements in horticulture and floriculture with a special focus on the environment. It included 109 outdoor exhibition houses and was expected to attract over 12 million visitors during its 178 day run. The Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, the largest airport in Northwest China, was formerly the primary hub of China Northwest Airlines before it was merged into China Eastern in 2002. China Eastern remains the largest airline at the airport (the 9th busiest by movements in China) though it faces competition from China Southern, Hainan Airlines and Joy Air in particular. It made sense then for China Eastern to support the event. ![]() The emblem of the Expo, the 'Changan Flower', was based on the the city flower of Xi'an - the pomegranate blossom. It consists of four layers, each of which is a polygon. The triangle at the flower centre is in the shape of a Chinese character that means people, implying civilization, responsibility and reason. The second layer is a rectangle, which looks like the ancient City Wall, presenting a harmonious living environment. The pentagon of the third layer is a five-petaled flower symbolizing all the things in nature in terms of the Chinese Fengshui culture. The outmost hexagon is a snowflake and the appearance of running water, indicating a tolerant universe. The entire Chang'an Flower embodies the harmonious co-existence of human beings, cities, nature and the universe, corresponding to the exposition's theme.
By 2016 China Eastern had accumulated a fleet of over 150 A320s, however the majority of the earliest examples delivered directly to China Eastern were leased. These aircraft have largely been returned to their lessors: CIT Aerospace, GECAS or ILFC. B-6028 is one of the fourteen returned aircraft which have been replaced by new A320 deliveries. For the Xi’an International Horticultural Exposition B-6028 gained an attractive light and dark green scheme. Since the middle of June 2014 this aircraft has been in service with the Saudi Arabian low cost airline Flynas where she is registered as VP-CXC. References
Mascot for Xi'an International Expo 2011: Changfan Flower. Visitourchina.com International Horticultural Exposition 2011, Xian, China. Travel China Guide.com
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