This bright and breezy new flower market is to open in Qidong city in May. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

A new flower market is to officially open in the county-level city of Qidong – administered by the prefecture city of Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – in May.

The market abuts the Fayin Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple, to the east and Lingxiu Park to the south. It has a traditional feel due to its old-world architectural features including angled cornices, black tiles and white walls.

"Buildings 1 to 3 will mainly sell flowers, green plants, potted plants and seedlings," said Zhu Jian, who works in at the market. "Building 3 also has a supermarket, which will provide shopping convenience for merchants and customers."

Currently, the division of the functional areas in the main part of the market has been completed. The facility has six two-storey buildings containing 106 façade rooms, with each room covering an area ranging from 28 square meters to 149 sq m.

The market is divided into different category areas selling different commodities, including flowers, antiques and paintings, ornamental fish and Buddhist offerings. Half the market predominantly deals in flowers, with most shops concentrated in buildings 1-3. Building 6 mainly deals in Buddhist offerings due to its location close to the Fayin Temple.

Qidong started construction of the market in April 2019, to enrich people's material and cultural lives and help improve the city's appearance.

The market has a total area of 5,800 sq m and the main work was completed in March this year. It comes equipped with public toilets and has a parking lot in the west, which can accommodate nearly 60 vehicles.

The market is expected to provide a long-term stable business operations site for merchants dealing in flowers, ornamental fish and handicrafts. It is anticipated to be a popular place for locals to hang and be entertained.