A Floral Feast For The Eyes, Royal Flora Ratchaphruek

             Nida Sampattavanich
        Since its inauguration in 2006, large sections of the Thai population eagerly anticipate Chiang Mai’s annual floral extravaganza, which was launched as the International Horticultural Exposition, but is now better known as Royal Flora Ratchaphruek

        Royal Floral Ratchaphruek 2011, which highlights the best of the country’s flora and plant life, officially opened last week and will continue through March 14 (2012). Among the colorful displays are layouts produced by landscape garden designers from 32 nations.

       Following the International Horticultural Exposition in 2006, the 468-rai (74.8-hectare) park area was reopened in 2008 as Royal Park Ratchaphruek, so visitors could learn more about the country’s agriculture and its rich supply of tropical botany. The park welcomes domestic and international tourists, who are sure to be impressed by the diversity of the flora and the variety of tropical plants on display, gathered from various parts of the country. 

Playful Personalities
        On arrival at the Royal Floral Ratchaphruek 2011, you’ll be greeted by five colorful mascots, which were designed to reflect nature’s five elements that all have a significant impact upon the lives of plants. The mascots are known as Nong Khun (representing a Ratchaphruek flower), Lom Bin (the wind), Din Chum (fertile soil), Num Sai (water) and Ai Un (sunlight).

        The most prominent zone apparent to visitors on their arrival is a collection of gardens designed and maintained by the Thai government and private organizations. Many of these gardens were designed to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Royal Family’s contribution to the development of the people’s quality of life through agriculture. The 92-day-long event has been organized to commemorate three auspicious occasions – the 84th Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty the King, the 80th Birthday Anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and the 60th Birthday Anniversary of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.  

International Participation
         You will discover an incredible array of gardens produced by designers from numerous nations, including Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Canada, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar, Spain, Taiwan and Yemen, among others. I was particularly impressed by an Indian designer’s garden, which is dominated by a unique shade of maroon and has a large statue of Ganesha as its centerpiece (see photo, left).

      While many folks would expect to see lots of tulips in a garden developed by the Netherlands, they might be rather surprised to find a windmill surrounded by a rare form of orange lily, which is proudly presented as another eye-catching plant native to Holland.

        The exposition includes a tropical dome, which is a great place to discover a large variety of exotic plants, such as orchids and the rare Gaping Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia ringens), which, as its name suggests, resembles a pipe.

      If you head along an elevated path, you'll be rewarded with a bird’s eye view of the gardens. The size of some of the plants will truly astound you, especially the white elephant palm, which has leaves large enough to completely cover an adult human (see photo, right). 

      For something a little different, you can pay the fair a visit during the evening, which is when the Imagination Light Garden is illuminated by tens of thousands of solar-powered LED lights. Other highlights that are sure to appeal to children are a 40-meter-tall Giant Floral Wheel and a Kid’s Eco Park, which is an 'edutainment'-style exhibition aimed at kids.      http://www.royalflora2011.com.
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