Tangshan, the second largest city in North China’s Hebei province, won the approval to host the International Horticultural Exposition in 2016, the International Association of Horticultural Producers reported at its annual meeting Wednesday in South Korea.

Tangshan is the fifth Chinese city to host the expo, and the first city to host the expo on a mining ground zone without taking up any farming land. The expo will be held at South Lake Park in Tangshan from May to October in 2016. The expo will cover an area 506 hectares in size and showcase gardening trends that embrace environmental protection and a low-carbon lifestyle.

Tangshan officials said they expect the event will attract 15 million visitors from many countries and build revenues and development opportunities, as has been the case for past host cities.

The expo was traditionally held in developed countries. But Kunming in Southwest China’s Yunnan province Shenyang in Northeast China’s Liaoning province have hosted past expos, too.

Shaanxi’s capital, Xi’an, will host the expo in 2011, and the coastal city Qingdao in Shandong province will host the event in 2014.