Sand plants are displayed at Shanghai Chen Shan Botanical Garden when it opened at the start of this year. Photo: IC

By Zheng Sisi

The Shanghai Chen Shan Botanical Garden said yesterday that 500 square meters of its gardens – a fraction of its 2 million- square-meter area was destroyed by the surge in crowds over the Spring Festival holiday – have been replaced after efforts to get guests to be more careful failed.

Dozens of rare flowers from sand plants were among the most prized displays of plants and flowers that were damaged by too many people recklessly trampling through the area, according to a press officer surnamed Lu, who admitted that the replacements cost the garden a pretty penny, but declined to disclose the amount.

"Some of the flowers that we lost are worth more than just their market value," she told the Global Times yesterday. "Some of them have scientific value, while others are considered valuable for other reasons apart from just money."

Lu said that the garden received some 100,000 visitors over the holiday, more than three times the number of people expected.

She added that the garden, which officially opened at the start of this year, is considering recruiting more qualified tour guides to direct guests to be more careful when visiting.