Organised under the auspices of the International Association of Horticultural Producers, the event was held in Kunming, Yunnan, China.

The theme of the exposition was "Man and Nature, marching into the 21st century.

It lasted from April 30 to October 31, 1999, and attracted 9.5 million visitors.

On August 5, 1999, Hu Changqing led the Jiangxi delegation to participate in the 1999 World Horticultural Exposition.

After August 7, Hu was arrested and executed for corruption.