IJCNLP 2011 Blog

The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek

The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek was a flower festival held 1 November 2006, to 31 January 2007, in the Thai city of Chiang Mai that drew 3,781,624 visitors. It was one of the grand celebrations being hosted by the Royal Thai Government in honor of King Bhumibol, the world’s longest reigning monarch. The 92 days of the expo featured 30 international gardens reflecting nations such as Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Netherlands, South Africa, and Canada; more than 2.5 million trees of 2,200 species of tropical plants and flowers are presented to the world in this exhibition.

The festival included many highlights to attract tourists:

• Gardens for the king There were two features in this zone: one was International gardens, which were presented by 30 participating nations and covered 21,000 square meters; the other was Corporate gardens, which covered 27,475 square meters, and were presented by both Thai state enterprises, and domestic and international major corporations.

• Ho Kham Royal Pavilion This building featured Lanna architecture, the architectural style of northern Thailand; inside, visitors saw pictures of King Bhumibol’s works and his dedication. (more…)

Loy Kratong Festival (Chiang Mai)

Undoubtedly the biggest and most colorful festival of the year in Thailand is Loy Kratong or Yi Peng, as it is known in Chiang Mai and the north. It is held on the night of the full moon of the twelfth lunar month and usually falls in November. It originated in Sukhothai and spread north and east. The other parts of Thailand celebrate this festival but nothing like in Chiang Mai.

Loy Kratong is probably the most picturesque and most beautiful of Thai celebrations. ‘Loy’ literally means ‘to float’ and ‘Kratong’ refers to the lotus-shape vessel that can float on water. Originally, the kratong was made of banana leaves or the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. A kratong contains food, betel nuts, flowers, joss sticks, candle and coins. The making of a kratong is much more creative these days as many more materials have been applied in making a kratong.

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Thailand’s “Rose of the North” is a cultural and natural wonderland with ethnic diversity, a multitude of attractions, and welcoming hospitality. (more…)