Visitors take photos of an orchid on display at the exhibition. [Photo/IC]

The 4th Orchid Exhibition of China kicked off at the orchid cultural amusement park in Southwest Beijing's Fangshan district on Tuesday. The 20-hectare park displays about 50,000 orchids of 180 species from all over the globe including China, New Zealand, Malaysia and Thailand.

It is the first time that Beijing has held the state level orchid exhibition. The entry fee is 100 RMB. The exhibition runs through Oct 10.

More than 10 precious paintings and calligraphic works on orchids from the Palace Museum and Xu Beihong Painting and Calligraphy Institute are also showcased.

First organized by the Orchid Society of China in 2007, the Orchid Exhibition of China is held biennially and aims to promote the development of China's orchid industry and strengthen academic communication between China and international agencies.