Hundreds of begonias and dahlias will perfume the Grand Place in Brussels this weekend.<br /><br /> It is the 20th “Flower Carpet” display, a biennial event which this year has a Japanese theme.<br /><br /> This year is marking the 150-year diplomatic friendship between Belgium and Japan.<br /> <br /> What are the designs?<br /> <br /><br /> Among the designs laid out in the 15th century square are:<br /><br /> <br /> A Japanese crane<br /> A bird symbolising good fortune and longevity<br /> <br /> <br /> Koi carp<br /> <br /> <br /> The flowers in numbers<br /> <br /><br /> <br /> 600,000 blooms<br /> 75 metres long<br /> 24 metres wide<br /> <br /> <br /> 100 workers and volunteers<br /> <br /> <br /> In tweets<br /> <br /><br /> Don't miss the biennial event! A flower carpet is laid on Grand Place from 12 to 15 August. Photo cr. visitbrussels pic.twitter.com/LqRYgfQDh7— CreativeMorningsBRU (Brussels_CM) August 12, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> Flower carpet in Brussels is August 12 -15, 2016. pic.twitter.com/My18P8gMcl— Travel for Kids (@travel_for_kids) July 30, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> 600,000 begonias, 100 assemblers: the Brussels Flower Carpet is back https://t.co/l7LTAiIyIN pic.twitter.com/PcRNtvNt6x— Expats in Belgium (@ExpatBelgium) July 31, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> 600,000 flowers in Brussels' 20th Flower Carpet display in the Grand Place! This year's theme is Japanese pic.twitter.com/1U6erbF0XS— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 12, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> Flower Carpet, the time when the Grand Place turns into a beautiful flower oasis. Info on: https://t.co/D5ijqU9AOL pic.twitter.com/cQDycVyCQn— The Hotel Brussels (@TheHotelBXL) August 2, 2016<br /> <br /> <br /> What they are saying<br /> <br /><br /> “The patterns and symbols of the flower carpet express happiness and peace,” – Fujie Suzuki, a lead designer.<br /><br /> “It takes us two years to create and assemble a carpet like this,” – Johan Aelterman‘s family flower-growing business has been involved since the first event in 1971.<br /><br /> “We are from Hiroshima, which is famous for its peace park but is very different. We do not have such colourful flowers there, so I am really surprised,” – Japanese tourist Misa Kitatani.<br />
