Pink tulips are in full bloom at Seyuan Garden in Nantong. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

The 12th Tulip Exhibition will open on March 20 at Seyuan Garden in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, according to a notice by the garden's administrative office.

The exhibition will last for two months and will feature more than 100 species in eight colors – red, yellow, pink, white, black and several shades in between. In addition, thousands of cherry, pear and crabapple trees will also be in full bloom in April and May.

In recent years, the garden has received a number of tulip seed balls as gifts from the embassy of the Netherlands in China. The flowers embody the friendship between Johannis de Rijke, a hydraulic engineer from the Netherlands, and Zhang Jian, an educator and businessman in modern China.

Rijke came to aid in flood control and prevention in Nantong at the invitation of Zhang in 1916. He introduced many advanced hydraulic technologies to the city, and made significant contributions to the city's industrial development.

He died at his post in Nantong and was buried at the southern foot of Jianshan Mountain. A bronze status of Rijke, which was made of old machinery parts he had designed, is standing on the bank of the Haohe River, which encircles the city.