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The Hong Kong Flower Show 2012 opened at Victoria Park today (March 16) with more than 350,000 flowers on display, including more than 30,000 pots of hyacinths. Featuring the hyacinth as its theme flower and "Floral Delights" as its main theme, the show runs for 10 days until March 25.
Officiating at today's opening ceremony were the Chief Executive's wife, Mrs Selina Tsang; the Chairman of the Panel on Home Affairs of the Legislative Council, Mr Ip Kwok-him; the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Raymond Young; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung; and the second runner-up of Miss Hong Kong 2011, Miss Whitney Hui.
Greeting visitors at the showground entrances at Sugar Street and Hing Fat Street are floral displays of international scenic attractions such as the penguins of Antarctica and the Great Wall of China, echoing the theme of "Floral Delights".
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is also presenting a spectacular exhibit made up of over 16,000 pots of flowers in the display "Colourful World", whose design is based on the metamorphosis of Hong Kong from a fishing village into a metropolis of international renown. A traditional Chinese-style wooden junk symbolising Hong Kong moves around a globe representing planet Earth. Under the globe, a water feature with a silhouette of the city's impressive skyline will make visitors feel like they are looking at Victoria Harbour. Special lighting effects add to the silhouette, showing that Hong Kong is an attractive place full of vigour and energy by day and night. Surrounding the globe are thousands of hyacinths.
Special plant exhibits include:
* Aquilaria sinensis: Also known by its common name "incense tree", Aquilaria sinensis was widely grown in Hong Kong in the past for the production of incense and perfumes, which were then distributed to several provinces in China and exported to the Southeast Asian region and even the Middle East. Hong Kong, literally "Fragrant Harbour", was so named as it was the port from which these aromatics were shipped. Because of the continuous depletion of the natural habitat of the incense tree, the State Council of the People's Republic of China has designated Aquilaria sinensis a Class II wild plant under state protection to conserve the species.
* Synsepalum dulcificum: The pulp of Synsepalum dulcificum has a sour flavour which, when eaten, causes acidic fruits to taste sweet due to the presence of glycoprotein (miraculin). This "miraculous" effect lasts for about half an hour, and as a result Synsepalum dulcificum is commonly referred to as "miracle fruit".
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, there is a colourful floral wall depicting a junk. A spectacular sea of flowers made up of more than 15,000 tulips is also a popular spot for photo-taking.
Other main attractions include a mosaiculture display entitled "Tropical Delights", with tropical fruits from around the world decorated with the local costumes of their main country of production; a fun display on the park's main lawn featuring flowering plants and agricultural produce in the shape of a 4-metre high windmill; and a wish-making corner in the shape of a Hakka "tulou".
Displays from the Mainland are equally spectacular, including "Vitality Abounds in Spring" by Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks and "The Way to Go, in the Year of the Dragon" by Shenzhen Urban Management Bureau.
The hyacinth is a perennial herbaceous monocotyledon of the genus Hyacinthus in the family Hyacinthaceae. Native to the eastern Mediterranean from northwestern Syria and Lebanon to southern Turkey, the hyacinth is now widely grown all over the world and extensively cultivated in the Netherlands.
The hyacinth has numerous cultivars, with single or double-petalled flowers of various sizes, colours and varieties. The densely packed florets, in shades of red, yellow, white, blue and purple, normally bloom from March to April.
Hyacinths are especially suitable for growing indoors, where their colourful flowers will brighten the house and fill it with a delightful fragrance. Hyacinths can be grown as potted plants, cultivated in water or used as ornamental cut flowers. Small and regular in size and outline, the hyacinth is an excellent choice of bulbous flowering plant for flower beds in spring.
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 and cooking demonstrations, plant maintenance workshops, green stalls, guided visits, recreational programmes and fun games.
Admission tickets to the Hong Kong Flower Show 2012 are available from now until March 25 at the LCSD's District Leisure Services Offices and leisure venues with Leisure Link services. Tickets will also be sold at the entrance to the Victoria Park showground throughout the show period. Octopus cards can be used to pay for admission.
Admission fees for the flower show are as follows:
* Normal rate: $14
* Children, students and senior citizens aged 60 or above: $7
* Persons with disabilities and minders (each person can enjoy the concessionary rate with one minder only): $7
Concessionary rates from Monday to Friday:
* Free admission for senior citizens aged 60 or above.
* Free admission for persons with disabilities and minders (each person can enjoy the concessionary rate with one minder only).
* Adults in a group of 30 persons or above will be admitted at half rate.
For enquiries, please call 2601 8260, fax 2691 7264 or visit the LCSD webpage at www.lcsd.gov.hk/green/hkfs/2012/en/index.php.
Ends/Friday, March 16, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:36
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