CHIANG MAI, THAILAND — The Royal Flora Expo opened here November 1 in Thailand’s second city, up in the north west of the nation near the border with Myanmar.
It’s an exposition of flowers plain and exotic on exhibition grounds perhaps a quarter of a mile on a side, nestled up against the mountains.
Central to the Expo is the Royal Pavilion, featuring the King of Thailand’s “initiatives and activities focusing on the agricultural projects. In addition there’s a Thai Tropical Garden, a Corporate Garden, the Expo Center, and an International Outdoor Garden with exhibits from about 25 nations from Iran to China.
Your correspondent could not stay long at the Royal Flora Expo, due to scheduling constraints but did manage to visit the Orchid Pavilion and the Tea Pavilion.
The Orchid Pavilion featured a dazzling array of orchids ordinary and exotic.
The Tea Pavilion had videos of diverse cultural practices with respect to tea, including the Japanese Tea Ceremony, European ladies enjoying afternoon tea, and Middle Eastern men who apparently enjoy tea in an “atmosphere of conversion,” which seems culturally appropriate. After conversion (or maybe the fractured English meant to say conversation) the visitor gets a chance to enjoy a cup of Oolong.
The Royal Flora Expo is set to run through January 31, 2007. If you are in Thailand and plan to visit Chiang Mai, be sure to block out some time to enjoy this splendid treat.
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