Annual flower show to take place in Victoria Park
Organisers of the annual flower show on Thursday promised visitors they would feel like they are stepping off the busy streets of Hong Kong and into a real-life fairytale.  The 10-day event will be in full bloom at Victoria Park from Friday, under the theme "Floral Joy Around Town."  This year's theme flower will be the Angelonia.  Speaking at a press briefing, Tina Tai, who chairs the show committee, said the event took inspiration from Chinese and international folklore. "The main theme of the landscaped display of the flower show this year is fairy tales, including ‘Journey to the West’, ‘Arabian Myths’ and ‘The Candy House’. We hope that the visitors will feel like they were in a wonderland surrounded by colourful floral displays." Tai said 229 horticultural groups have signed up to participate in this year's exhibition, including 82 exhibitors from 12 countries.  Local florist, Cecilia Lam, told RTHK that the show is important because Hong Kong doesn't have enough "iconic" parks to show off unique flower breeds. "I think most florists would agree that Hong Kong does not have iconic parks that are designed to show off the beauty of flower breeds, nor do they have a strong localised character," she explained. "So, I'm very grateful and thankful that we at least have the flower show, so that its temporary limited power can allow people to focus on the appreciation of Mother Nature in general." The flower show also features several exhibits by government departments, including a floral wall that celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and a selfie spot with a sign supporting the legislation of Article 23. Tai expected 700,000 people would visit the show which ends on March 24.