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Hong Kong Flower Show opens today (with photos)
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     The Hong Kong Flower Show 2011 opened at Victoria Park today (March 11) with more than 350,000 flowers on display, including more than 50,000 pots of Primula. Featuring Primula as this year's theme flower, under the main theme "Symphony of Spring Flowers", the show runs for 10 days until March 20.

     Officiating at today's opening ceremony were the Chief Executive's wife, Mrs Selina Tsang; the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui; the Chairman of Eastern District Council, Ms Christina Ting; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung, and the first runner-up of Miss Hong Kong 2010, Miss Sammi Cheung.

     Greeting visitors at the showground entrances at Sugar Street and Hing Fat Street are floral displays of musical instruments decorated with jumbo musical notes, echoing to the theme of "Symphony of Spring Flowers".
 
     One of the highlights is the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s  jumbo floral exhibit, made up of about 30,000 stems of Primula of over 30 species in the display "Symphony of Spring Flowers". This beautiful tapestry-like presentation invites visitors to immerse themselves in the resplendent colours and enjoy the wonderful spring scene.  The ingenious design weaves together flowers, music, a water feature and lighting on a floral music stage.  The sea of Primula stuns visitors with its colours during the day, while with special lighting effects and background music at night, it turns into an even more dazzling vision of splendour.

     Special plant exhibits include:

* Dove Tree (Davidia involucrata): Unique to China, the Dove Tree in its natural habitat is a Class I protected species under the State Forestry Administration of China. Having survived the ice age, this tree species is known as a "living fossil plant".

* Tigridiopalma magnifica: Native to Guangdong, China, the plant has big leaves, vibrant flowers and tiger-striped leaves.  The plant in its natural habitat is a Class I protected species under the State Forestry Administration of China.

* Dancing Grass (Codariocalyx motorius): The plant gains its name from the wriggling movements of its small leaves.  The movements are mainly triggered by sound waves under light.

* Australian Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia): From its leaves tea tree oil can be extracted, which is a highly effective antibacterial and immune activator widely used in natural health products.

     Other main attractions of the show are: a spectacular sea of flowers made up of more than 15,000 tulips; a mosaiculture display, "Animals in Concert", with a group of lively animals singing, dancing and playing instruments; a fun display on the park's lawn featuring carrots and other produce in the shape of a musical instrument and rabbits; an 8-metre by 3-metre floral wall made up of colourful flowers promoting the 3rd Hong Kong Games and interactive fun photo booths for photo-taking.

     Displays from the Mainland are equally spectacular. They include displays by Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks, Chongqing Municipal People's Government and Organising Committee of International Horticultural Exposition 2011 Xi'an China.

     Primula, a member of the genus Primula of the family Primulaceae, is a herbaceous perennial, though usually grown as an annual or a biennial. As the word "Primula" and its Chinese equivalent suggest, the flower is one of the earliest blossoms, blooming between December and March and heralding spring.

     There are about 500 species of Primula, found mainly in the temperate northern hemisphere and high mountain areas. Of approximately 300 species of Primula in China, most grow in Sichuan, Yunnan and southern Tibet.

     Primula flowers come in a myriad of colours, from red to yellow, orange, blue, purple and white.  Some horticultural species have two-tone petals, making the flowers more colourful and attractive.

     A rich diversity of educational and recreational fringe activities will also be organised for the enjoyment of visitors of all ages, including music and cultural performances, floral art demonstrations, cooking demonstrations, tree demonstrations, plant maintenance workshops, green stalls, guided visits, recreation programmes and fun games.

     Admission tickets are available at the entrance to the showground at Victoria Park throughout the show period. Tickets are also available from now until March 20 at LCSD's District Leisure Services Offices and venues with Leisure Link services.

     The admission fee for adults is $14. Children, students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, persons with disabilities and minders (each person can enjoy the concessionary rate with one minder only) pay half price. Senior citizens, persons with disabilities and minders (each person can enjoy the concessionary rate with one minder only) will have free admission on weekdays. Adults in groups of 30 or more admitted at the same time will pay half price on weekdays.
    
     The flower show, an annual event organised by the LCSD, is a major programme promoting horticultural activities as it provides an opportunity for local people and horticulture lovers from around the world to appreciate the beauty of flowers and share their experiences of growing flowers.

     More than 200 organisations from 21 countries are showcasing exotic flowers and landscape and floral art displays - from the Mainland, Australia, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

     For enquiries, please call 2601 8260, fax 2691 7264 or visit the LCSD's website www.lcsd.gov.hk.

Ends/Friday, March 11, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:44

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