HEFEI, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 companies from home and abroad are gathering at an international seedlings and flowers fair Saturday in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, to look for more business opportunities.

Although it is the first time to come to Hefei, Roland Hillebrink, a businessman from the Netherlands, hopes to promote tulips and hyacinths on the Chinese market.

"It was rare for Chinese people to buy premium import flowers in the past. They were mostly used for special occasions such as meetings. But more and more ordinary people are willing to buy flowers for esthetic appreciation," said Hillebrink.

Clint Bottonberg is an American seedling expert who has spent a long time in China breeding quality tree seedlings. He has also witnessed some changes in China's plant market.

His company has had many cooperation deals with local governments in greening projects. But there is also a huge potential in Chinese families in this regard as they attach more importance to their gardens, said Bottonberg.

Since the first fair in 2003, the event has been hosted annually in Hefei. This year's event is co-hosted by the provincial government of Anhui Province and China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration.