A Floral Tribute To H.M. The King Of Thailand

The government and the people of Thailand conceptualised a unique way of commemorating the 60th year of His coronation and 80th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand by converting 80 hectares of land in Chiang Mai into one large beautiful garden. Farzana Contractor is charmed by this outpouring of love.

Flowers represent a universal offering of love and respect. The people and the government of Thailand could not have found a better way of celebrating two important occasions in the life of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The 60th coronation jubilee in 2006 and the monarch's 80th birthday in 2007.

What they did is organise on 80 hectares, in Chiang Mai, a floral event that was recognised as an "A1 international horticulture exhibition". There were 32 countries from five continents and 22 corporate entities who joined in to create a floral masterpiece to pay homage to H. M. the King, by developing 'International Gardens' with their own unique gardening art by bringing with them imported plants, flowers and garden designs.

In addition to these countries, 51 provinces from across Thailand brought in over 200 rare plant species and 87 cultural dances, music, and other performances to the exposition, which was called Royal Flora Ratchaphruek. The outcome was that over 2 million visitors from around the world came to look at this awesome floral tribute to the much loved and respected King.

During the past 60 years, H. M. the King has created thousands of agricultural theories which have led to thousand more royal projects. These projects have helped improve water management and restoration, reforestation, soil restoration, and quality of living of his people. The UN recognised H. M. the King�s humanitarian contributions and presented him with the United Nations Development Program's First Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award through the hands of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in May 2006. A month after, the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology also presented H. M. the King the title of, "Father of Thai Innovation."

For the Thais, their King means everything to them and the Royal Flora exhibition was just one more proof of the esteem they hold him in. The predominant colour at the Expo site was yellow. Everywhere you looked you saw large groups of Thais in yellow T shirts, scarfs, caps, or wrist bands, even trousers. In Thailand each day is represented by a colour, I learnt, and yellow is for Monday, the day of His Majesty's birth so everyone wears yellow. That also explained the towering Ratchaphruek tree, better known as fistula or Golden Shower that stood on a small hill at the entrance of the Exhibition grounds, its outstretched branches heavy with yellow blossoms that are Thailand's national flower.

The Royal Flora is the first of its kind horticultural exposition ever organized in Southeast Asia. It had on display more than 2.5 million plants in all, and more than 2,000 species of flora from around the world. With the theme "To Express Love For Humanity", the exposition was designed to reflect the many ways in which humankind is cared for by nature in the same unselfish manner that H. M. the King cares for his people.

This outpouring of love by the Thais and the international community through a simple and beautiful thought and method, truly helped in not just promoting an appreciation of nature in the general public but also imparting world-class horticulture knowledge to specialists, by specialists.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY FARZANA CONTRACTOR