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The Hong Kong Flower Show 2006, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), will be held at Victoria Park from tomorrow (March 3) to March 12, from 9am to 9pm.
More than 350,000 flowers will transform Victoria Park into a colourful wonderland at the Hong Kong Flower Show. The show's theme flower is the Dianthus with the theme of "Enchanting Beauty".
The event has attracted 183 organisations from 19 countries showcasing exotic flowers, landscape and floral art displays. These organisations are from the Mainland, Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Korea is taking part for the first time.
On display at the Special Exhibits corner is a rare double coconut. Its seed weighing up to 15 kilograms is the biggest and heaviest in the plant kingdom.
A spectacular sea of flowers made up of over 15,000 tulips, measuring 15 metres by 10 metres, adds colour and fragrance to the showground.
The LCSD presents an elaborate display, using some 4,000 plants to make an Olympic emblem of "Five Rings" to celebrate Hong Kong as a co-organiser of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Equestrian events. The "Five Rings" comprise kalanchoes, cigar flowers and impatiens. The emblem is surrounded by spurting water jets and further decorated at the base with 30,000 dianthus flowers.
Other highlights are a floral wall displaying the 5th East Asian Games emblem and the displays presented by Ocean Park Hong Kong, the Institute of Horticulture (Hong Kong) and the Bureau of Urban Utilities and Landscaping of Guangzhou Municipality.
Dianthus is a group of flowering plants belonging to the genus Dianthus of the family Caryophyllaceae. It is cherished by flower lovers for its brilliant colours, charming forms and long flowering period. It has been extensively cultivated throughout the world, mainly in the Netherlands, Italy, Israel, the United States and Poland. There are more than 30,000 varieties. Those commonly found in Hong Kong are D. caryophyllus, D. barbatus, D. plumarius and D. deltoids.
A series of fringe activities complement the 10-day flower show for the enjoyment of visitors. They include music and dance performances, floral art demonstrations and fun games.
Admission tickets to the Hong Kong Flower Show 2006 will be sold at the entrance to the showground at Victoria Park throughout the show period. They are also available now until March 12 at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s District Leisure Services Offices, and venues with Leisure Link services.
Admission for adults is $14. Children aged four to 14, students, senior citizens aged 60 or over and people with a disability pay half price. Senior citizens and people with a disability have free admission on weekdays and adults in a group of 30 or more admitted at the same time will pay half price on weekdays.
For enquiries, please call 2697 8030, fax 2691 7264 or visit the LCSD website at http://www.lcsd.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, March 2, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:19
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