Shijiazhuang Banknote Printing Co began printing tickets, also called "Color Keys", for the 2014 Qingdao World Horticultural Expo on Aug 15. Attached with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, the tickets can automatically identify ticket-holders.

"A ticket needs to go through a process including chip-making and anti-counterfeiting signs printing, which often takes as long as three months. The first batch will come out very soon," said a staff member from the expo.

China Golddeal Investment Co, who once served the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Shanghai Expo, is in charge of the ticket printing. Its working partners include Shijiazhuang Banknote Printing Co and Zhongsheng Security Printing Co.

Edited by Michael Thai, Li Xiaoliang and Zhao Jingchen