The construction launch ceremony for the “Kunming World Expo Park Renovation and Upgrading Project”—a world-class cultural and tourism complex designed by JERDE, a leading global urban planning and architectural firm—was grandly held at the China Pavilion Square inside the World Expo Park. This marks a significant milestone, coming 20 years after the park’s opening. Following the celebrated “99 World Expo,” this project reestablishes Kunming World Expo Park as the vibrant heart of the Spring City and sets a new benchmark for quality of life in the area.
▲ Night view of the portal area
As the world’s only fully preserved World Expo site, Kunming World Expo Park holds unparalleled cultural, ethnic, horticultural, and ecological significance. It is a unique heritage site that combines history, culture, and landscape on a grand scale. The “New World Expo” plan focuses on developing the Expo Park along three key axes: the Urban Vitality Axis, Cultural Memory Axis, and Natural Ecological Axis. Guided by three major industry functions—urban commercial leisure, Expo cultural tourism and entertainment, and forest health—the plan outlines eight product space blocks, ten tourism elements, and twenty core product combinations aimed at delivering fresh, immersive experiences.
▲ Overall project planning structure
The renovation will transcend traditional theme park boundaries by creating a new World Expo city concept. Introducing the idea of an “urban living room,” the project aims to establish a leading cultural landmark, a tourism hotspot, and a new engine for regional development in Kunming and Yunnan Province. This revitalization will unlock the northern potential of Kunming, energize existing resources, and breathe new life and opportunities into the Expo Park.
▲ Portal Area Design – Spring Terrace Garden
JERDE is responsible for the overall planning and architectural design of the project, featuring multiple innovative elements that harmonize human activity with nature. The Expo Park is envisioned as Kunming’s true “city reception hall.”
▲ Portal Area Design overview
▲ City Garden Corridor
The portal area consists of five floors. The underground level offers a commercial zone directly connected to the subway station and provides access to the sunken garden square to the south. Floors one and two form the staggered Spring Garden staircase, integrating indoor and outdoor commercial spaces to enhance connectivity between the city and the Expo Park. Floors three to five host the Spring Terrace Garden, featuring rooftop dining terraces, meandering paths, and panoramic views of the reservoir. This area allows visitors to immerse themselves in the natural ambiance unique to Spring City.
The design includes three towers that respond to the local topography, nestled against the mountains with unobstructed views of the skyline, city, Expo Park, and lakes. This design seamlessly integrates commercial and residential spaces.
▲ Rooftop dining terrace
Another key area, the Baihua Festival zone, includes exhibition centers, bamboo bridges, lakeside theaters, and various buildings. JERDE’s design draws deep inspiration from nature, skillfully blending plants, rocks, water, and architecture into a unified experience.
▲ Rendering of the Baihua Festival zone
Opposite the Baihua Festival zone lies the Bamboo Forest Path area, inspired by the natural elegance of bamboo. Utilizing traditional materials such as bamboo trails and leaf-shaped pavilions, this zone features a dining area and offers visitors a peaceful, secluded retreat within the city.
▲ Bamboo Forest Path zoning effect (BIM design)
Looking ahead, Kunming World Expo Park will evolve beyond a simple scenic area into a vibrant ecological zone that integrates sightseeing, leisure, entertainment, and cultural life. It will be fully integrated into Kunming’s urban fabric and daily life, embodying a true harmony between people and nature.
The “Kunming World Expo Park Renovation and Upgrading Project” is a flagship initiative under OCT’s “Yunnan Campaign,” attracting wide attention from government officials and community leaders. Attendees at the launch included Cheng Lianyuan, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Yunnan Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Kunming Municipal Committee; Duan Xiannian, Chairman and Secretary of the Party Committee of OCT Group; Yao Jun, General Manager and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of OCT Group; Xie Shuguang, Deputy Director of the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Yunnan Province; Jin Youhe, member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Propaganda Department of Kunming Municipal Committee; Xia Junsong, member of the Standing Committee and Secretary General of Kunming Municipal Committee; along with over 300 guests and media representatives from various sectors.
Prior to this, OCT Group hosted expert seminars and workshops involving more than 20 renowned specialists in urban planning, history, tourism, commercial operations, and related fields, both domestic and international. This collaboration gathered industry leaders’ insights and forged a shared vision to open the doors of World Expo Park and embed it within Kunming’s modern urban life. Zhang Rui, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Yunnan Expo Tourism Group, emphasized in his speech on behalf of OCT Group, OCT West Group, and Expo Group, that the launch of the Kunming Expo Park renovation project under the theme “New Era, New Expo, New Dream” reflects OCT Group’s firm commitment to its strategic expansion into Yunnan.
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