Flower expo opens

The second edition of the Chiang Mai international horticulture expo known as Royal Flora Ratchaphruek officially opened yesterday. The event will continue until 14 March next year.

About 2.5 million trees and 2,200 flower species are on display on a site  covering 752,000 sqm. Flowers from 32 countries are on display in an illuminated garden and there is a 40-metre-high Giant Flora Wheel.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut said: “The expo is now ready to welcome visitors. It should be more memorable than the last Royal Ratchaphruek held in 2006.”

The event marks the auspicious 84th birthday of His Majesty the King, the 80th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen next August and the 60th birthday of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, July 2012.

The main highlight is the international garden zone, which features 10 newcomers such as Canada, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, Yemen, Myanmar, Cuba, Argentina, and Brunei.

For instance, the Canada garden has a replica of Niagara Falls, and examples of Inukshuk stone landmarks and wood-carved Totem poles, both prevalent structures in North American heritage.

The Netherlands showcases a windmill with a front yard decorated with plots of orange lilies, also known as “Fire Lily”.

The Indian garden displays a remarkable sculpture of Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity, which is the Hindu god of success, for visitors to pay respecs. There is also a Bodhi tree from India.
A replica of Fuji Mount and cherry blossom are exhibited in the Japanese garden. A giant golden shower tree stands tall in the Kenyan garden, while West Africa nation Mauritania displays houses with a cactus garden imitating a desert atmosphere.

There will are also various international performances. For example, South Korea will host two rounds of Korean traditional dance and a samul nori (a genre of percussion music) performance on 15 to 16 December, while Argentina will display two rounds of tango dance 17 to 20 December.

Another must-see exhibit is the “Imagination Light Garden” made with illuminated plants and flora with decorative glow-in-the-dark butterflies which will fly like they are dancing in tune with music.

A 40-metre-high Ferris wheel will give visitors a bird’s-eye view of the massive gardens and the beautiful landscape.

The Kid’s Eco Park is also another highlight to educate children about the impact of global warming, while the landmark of the Expo is Hor Kham Luang, a Lanna-style pavilion exhibiting the works of HM the King through some 3,000 royal projects that have helped to improve the lives of those living in rural areas over the past decades.

The event’s administration office director, Upatam Nisitsukcharoen said: “ The exhibition will also present 200 pictures and songs composed by HM the King.”

The flora extravaganza also hosts a lotus zone where visitors can see the world’s smallest lotus, giant lotuses that can change colour from white to purple in six days and various types of lotuses from around the world.

There is also an area promoting a green-initiative garden where visitors can learn how to grow vegetables and crops in a limited space such as a building roof or balcony.

The government set aside a budget of about Bt390 million for the event and it is expected to lure more than 2 million visitors during the 92-day event with around Bt16,000 million in revenue.

The average gate will be 30,000 to 40,000 visits a day.

Since 8 August, about 190,000 tickets have been sold and about 10,000 people visited the Expo site since 9 November, the previous launch date for the Expo, which was rescheduled for 14 December due to the flood crisis.

The 2nd Royal Flora Ratchaphruek is being hosted at the Royal Agricultural Research Centre, Mae Hia sub district, Muang district in Chiang Mai.

Source - ttrweekly