Highlights of Royal Flora Ratchapruek - Chiang Mai

October 30th, 2006

I was reading Bangkok Post this morning and it says that among gardens set up by foreign countries participating in the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006, the gardens from Japan, Bhutan and Laos stand out as highlights. Here’s the details: 

In the 33-million-baht Japanese garden, Japanese horticulturists are nurturing an Ogahasu lotus, even though it is not expected to blossom sooner than July next year. In the Bhutanese garden, colourful Bhutanese wooden crafts will feature together with 1,500 plants from the Bhutanese forest, while the Lao horticulture team has set up in their garden a miniature of the 440-year-old Wat Xieng Thong, one of Luang Prabang’s most popular tourist attractions.

Among outdoor international gardens the Japanese garden is the most expensive one.

On its 1,500-square-metre space, Japanese horticulturists have created a “Garden of Luck.” Inside, they have created miniatures of Kiritani misty alley, the turtle island of long living, the crane island of good luck, and Mount Fuji.

The miniature Fuji mountain that looks quite like the real Fuji is made of muddy soil, covered by Japanese grass. It also has a crater, and revolving fountain on top.

In the garden, there is also a sign reading “Know sufficiency,” which is in line with His Majesty the King’s philosophy of a sufficiency economy.

The Japanese garden’s other highlight is the Ogahasu lotus that Japanese botanists bred from 2,000-year-old seeds. Normally, an Ogahasu lotus is seen in only a few places in Japan. Among them are the Imperial Palace and Tokyo University.

A Japanese horticulturist said it was sad for his team that the Ogahasu lotus planted at the Japanese garden here is not likely to flower soon. The lotus flowers are expected to blossom next July, he said.

Gyambo Tshering, a Bhutanese horticulturist, said the Buddhist principle of living in harmony with nature underpins the Bhutanese garden named “Himalayan Garden of Peace.”

The architecture around the garden is a spectacular attraction. Each stone on the stone wall is cemented with mud. All woodwork representing colourful Bhutanese art is handmade.

Mr Tshering said 14 artists had spent about one month working on all the wood crafts before they were transported to Chiang Mai and assembled together at the garden.

This was the first time Bhutan had participated in an international floral expo. The 1,500 Bhutanese plants in the garden include two rare orchid species, Blue Iris and Rododendron, he said.

At the Lao garden, Thongchan Bunphala, the director of Laos’ Horticulture Research Centre, said the miniature of Wat Xieng Thong was made of imported wood from Laos. The garden is also decorated with small waterfalls and champak trees from Champassak, Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

If you have a chance to visit the Royal Flora Expo, stop by and see for yourselves!
Have a great time!

Tags: Royal Flower Expo Thailand, Royal Flora Rajchapruek, Thailand hotels, Chiang Mai hotels

Entry Filed under: Thailand Destination