Flower power

The name Royal Flora Ratchaphruek has become almost synonymous with Chiang Mai, which was home to the world-class horticultural exhibition hosted by the government in 2006 in honour of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King’s accession to the throne. Running for three months, the exposition was a resounding success, drawing more than three million visitors from across the globe.

This year, Royal Flora Ratchaphruek is returning to the Royal Agricultural Research Centre’s 80 hectares of landscaped greenery in Mae Hia to mark three auspicious occasions: His Majesty’s 84th birthday this month, Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday next August, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Majavajiralongkorn’s 60th birthday next July. After a few weeks delay due to the flooding that has affected much of the kingdom, the expo opens its doors next Wednesday.
 

Accredited by the Association Internationale des Producteurs Horticoles (AIPH), the theme for the 2011 event is “Greenitude: Reducing Global Warming to Save Planet Earth and Improve the Quality of Life”, a timely reminder of the need to protect the environment.

As in 2006, at the heart of the expo is the opulent Hor Kham Royal Pavilion designed by architect Rung Jantabun and surrounded by more 8,000 varieties of flowers and plants. Thirty countries are showcasing their gardens this year and visitors also get to enjoy a new ferris wheel and plenty of other side attractions.

Here’s a look at the five highlights of Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2011.

Over and above
A 42-metre-high gleaming ferris wheel aptly named the Giant Flora Wheel will be an unexpected bonus for fair-goers wanting to rise above the entire expo with a view of Doi Suthep as the giant backdrop.

With 27 open gondolas, this modern wheel complements rather than detracts from the green landscape. It raises you to a level on par with being on the 14th floor of a skyscraper. A must-do for kids and adults alike.

A walk on the light side
Join butterflies that glow in the dark as they dance to live music nightly from 6.30 in the “Imagination Light Garden”. The presentation also uses LED lights and solar cells that stock energy from the sunlight during the day to power up this charming floral area after dark.

Interestingly, the lights can be interactive with movement, offering some exciting moments for young visitors.

Chilling out in the playground
The Kid’s Eco Park is well equipped with innovative knowledge technology to draw the attention of young fair goers. When the sun is too bright, kids can escape into eye-catching buildings and play with interactive mixed media and multimedia learning screen, all created through the animated cartoon mascot of the fair, Nong Khun, and his companies on the environmental themes of global warming and energy conservation.

What’s new for repeat visitors?
Those who visited Royal Flora Ratchaphruek in 2006 should come back to the ground if for no other reason than to admire the newly added gardens. The International Gardens section has new entries from Pakistan, South Korea, Nepal, Yemen and Canada while other additional highlights include a Buddha image and a blue poppy in the Bhutan Garden, a multi-headed Ganesh statue at the India Garden and a Dragon Blood tree in Spain’s Garden. A new partnership with AirAsia sees the airline creating its own garden complete with a large aircraft!

It’s all about nature
It’s hard to deny this is a fair created for horticulture enthusiasts in mind. Although the new ferris wheel and light garden will draw general visitors, nature is undeniably the real attraction whether you’re visiting the Orchid Pavilion, Lotus Pond, House of Mulberry, Temperate Greenhouse or Bug World.

Do take time to admire the largest collection of orchids in Thailand and the orchid contests, which feature both domestic and international varieties. Bug World is probably the best of all the insect parks in Chiang Mai and offers you the chance to peek at the lifecycle of some fascinating insects in their everyday habitat as well as learn more about the specimens on show.

Lotus, the sacred flower of Thai Buddhists, is a beautiful bloom and this year, the exposition will have a variety of them on display from a giant colour-changing lotus to a miniature lotus and many more cross-breeds you won’t see anywhere else in Thailand.

IF YOU GO
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek runs from December 14 to March 14.
For information on accommodation, programmes, timings and registration, visit www.RoyalFlora2011.com/index_eng.html.