Shanghai International Flower Festival: 5.2-meter-tall 'Rough Little Dog' Charms Crowds
The 2026 Shanghai International Flower Festival is currently underway, featuring a popular 5.2-meter-tall "Rough Little Dog" plant sculpture in the Jing'an Suhewan exhibition area. Made from fine-leaf fountain grass and petunias, its fluffy appearance has captivated visitors and media. The festival, now in its 20th year, is evolving into a comprehensive urban event.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 13:16
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 13:31 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 14:43 (1h 11m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Li Ya-wen, Shanghai, 21st) The 2026 Shanghai International Flower Festival is currently on display. A 5.2-meter-tall "Rough Little Dog" created with fine-leaf fountain grass and petunias, vividly presenting a fluffy effect and charming expression, has become the focal point of cameras at the Jing'an Suhewan exhibition area.
The 2026 Shanghai International Flower Festival opened on April 18th and will run until May 10th, a total of 23 days. This year's flower festival, themed "Flowers Bloom on the Sea, Spectacle Immediately," features two main venues and ten sub-venues across different administrative districts, immersing the entire city in blooming flowers.
In the Jing'an District's Suhewan exhibition area, a giant green plant landscape artwork affectionately nicknamed "Rough Little Dog" by the public has become a hot topic on social media. It boosted daily visitor traffic to the Suhewan shopping mall on the 18th to 125,000 people, an annual increase of 250%. Some joked, "Did everyone in Shanghai come to see the Rough Little Dog?"
Tourist Lu Lin told the Central News Agency, "The 'Rough Little Dog' is very vivid. The characteristics of the grass create the flowing feel of dog fur, combined with the surrounding flowers and plants, 'I think this place is very lively and beautiful.'" She also laughed, saying it was a pity the weather was overcast; if sunlight were to shine on the puppy, photos would be even more beautiful.
Feng Rui, the project manager for the "Rough Little Dog," explained to the media that this plant-constructed West Highland White Terrier stands 5.2 meters tall. To create the fluffy effect, approximately two weeks were spent selecting grasses. Different grasses were sampled at the time, and ultimately, fine-leaf fountain grass was chosen because it best conveyed the fluffy and soft texture of real dog fur.
Feng Rui mentioned that the flower vest on the dog was made using petunias of different colors, and around the base of the dog's body, 19 varieties of flowers and plants were interspersed, creating high, medium, and low layers. The overall color scheme is predominantly blue and white, with pink accents, to create a fresh feeling. The West Highland White Terrier was chosen as the prototype precisely because its long fur can be represented by plants.
The scene shifts to the Huangpu main venue, the Xintiandi Taiping Lake area, where a floral art installation, primarily a carousel, is set up on the lake surface. It is covered with abundant fresh flowers and green plant decorations and named "Ma Shang Zou Hua Lu" (Walk the Flower Path Immediately). The work's name has some cleverness; literally, "Ma Shang" means "on the carousel" and also implies "immediately."
Shanghai Qiantan Park Lane also saw a flow of flower viewers on weekdays, with a giant pink rabbit staring at carrots in an artistic installation becoming a popular spot for people to stop and take photos.
The Shanghai International Flower Festival, formerly known as the Shanghai International Flower Expo, began in 2007. This year marks its 20th edition and the first year of its renaming, symbolizing a shift from an exhibition to a comprehensive urban event. Zhu Xinjun, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Greenery and City Appearance Administrative Bureau, recently stated at a press conference that he looks forward to visitors fully enjoying this urban carnival and experiencing Shanghai's ecology, humanity, and vitality. (Editor: Zhu Jian-ling) 1150421
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(Central News Agency reporter Li Ya-wen, Shanghai, 21st) The 2026 Shanghai International Flower Festival is currently on display. A 5.2-meter-tall "Rough Little Dog" created with fine-leaf fountain grass and petunias, vividly presenting a fluffy effect and charming expression, has become the focal point of cameras at the Jing'an Suhewan exhibition area.
The 2026 Shanghai International Flower Festival opened on April 18th and will run until May 10th, a total of 23 days. This year's flower festival, themed "Flowers Bloom on the Sea, Spectacle Immediately," features two main venues and ten sub-venues across different administrative districts, immersing the entire city in blooming flowers.
In the Jing'an District's Suhewan exhibition area, a giant green plant landscape artwork affectionately nicknamed "Rough Little Dog" by the public has become a hot topic on social media. It boosted daily visitor traffic to the Suhewan shopping mall on the 18th to 125,000 people, an annual increase of 250%. Some joked, "Did everyone in Shanghai come to see the Rough Little Dog?"
Tourist Lu Lin told the Central News Agency, "The 'Rough Little Dog' is very vivid. The characteristics of the grass create the flowing feel of dog fur, combined with the surrounding flowers and plants, 'I think this place is very lively and beautiful.'" She also laughed, saying it was a pity the weather was overcast; if sunlight were to shine on the puppy, photos would be even more beautiful.
Feng Rui, the project manager for the "Rough Little Dog," explained to the media that this plant-constructed West Highland White Terrier stands 5.2 meters tall. To create the fluffy effect, approximately two weeks were spent selecting grasses. Different grasses were sampled at the time, and ultimately, fine-leaf fountain grass was chosen because it best conveyed the fluffy and soft texture of real dog fur.
Feng Rui mentioned that the flower vest on the dog was made using petunias of different colors, and around the base of the dog's body, 19 varieties of flowers and plants were interspersed, creating high, medium, and low layers. The overall color scheme is predominantly blue and white, with pink accents, to create a fresh feeling. The West Highland White Terrier was chosen as the prototype precisely because its long fur can be represented by plants.
The scene shifts to the Huangpu main venue, the Xintiandi Taiping Lake area, where a floral art installation, primarily a carousel, is set up on the lake surface. It is covered with abundant fresh flowers and green plant decorations and named "Ma Shang Zou Hua Lu" (Walk the Flower Path Immediately). The work's name has some cleverness; literally, "Ma Shang" means "on the carousel" and also implies "immediately."
Shanghai Qiantan Park Lane also saw a flow of flower viewers on weekdays, with a giant pink rabbit staring at carrots in an artistic installation becoming a popular spot for people to stop and take photos.
The Shanghai International Flower Festival, formerly known as the Shanghai International Flower Expo, began in 2007. This year marks its 20th edition and the first year of its renaming, symbolizing a shift from an exhibition to a comprehensive urban event. Zhu Xinjun, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Greenery and City Appearance Administrative Bureau, recently stated at a press conference that he looks forward to visitors fully enjoying this urban carnival and experiencing Shanghai's ecology, humanity, and vitality. (Editor: Zhu Jian-ling) 1150421
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Reproduction, public broadcasting, public transmission, or use of the text, images, and audio/video on this website is prohibited without authorization.