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Taiwan honors queen
with new orchid
FIT FOR A QUEEN: Designers of the Taiwan
pavilion went all-out for a display at the Chelsea Flower Show, flying in 100
kinds of orchids to celebrate the country¡¦s centennial
Staff Writer, with CNA, LONDON
Taiwan Orchid Growers¡¦
Association secretary-general Ahby Tseng, left, and design director Cheng
Hsiu-wei show a gold award won by the Taiwanese delegation at the Chelsea Flower
Show in London yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Besides an Olympic park, a cruiseliner, as
well as countless city squares and schools, Britain¡¦s Queen Elizabeth II can now
add another item that counts her as its namesake ¡X an orchid.
At this year¡¦s Chelsea Flower Show in London, Katharine Chang (±i¤p¤ë), Taiwan¡¦s
representative to the UK, presented the queen with Doritaenopsis Elizabeth II.
The new species was based on Doritaenopsis Sin-Yuan Golden Beauty and Pinlong
Chris, a very popular type of orchid in Europe. The plant has the unique feature
of producing many blossoms when in bloom.
FIRST OF ITS KIND
Taiwan developed the orchid in 2009 and registered it with the Royal
Horticultural Society last month. The queen received the very first orchid of
this new type. It will take two years before the flower can be mass-produced for
her subjects to bring home.
This was the second time that Taiwan took part in the Chelsea Flower Show ¡X one
of the world¡¦s most famous floral extravaganzas. Given that the Republic of
China celebrates its centennial this year, organizers set up a tour de force
display, and 100 different types of orchids were flown from Taiwan to Britain
for the event.
The queen, who was quite impressed when she first visited Taiwan¡¦s pavilion at
the show last year, visited again in a tour arranged by the Royal Horticultural
Society. She again praised Taiwan¡¦s floral spectacle, where she stayed for five
minutes.
PRESENTATION
Chang also presented a large pink butterfly orchid with 20 blossoms to the
queen. The queen admired the orchid and asked how long the flowers could last.
Chang said it takes about five days for a flower to bloom, and three months for
all 20 flowers to open ¡X a substantial period of time.
She also told the queen the Taiwan pavilion was designed this year with the
royal wedding as its theme. The decor aims to convey the sense of happiness,
love, passion and completeness.
BEST WISHES
Chang also wished the Queen good fortune for her Diamond Jubilee next year, for
the wedding of Prince William and for the economic prosperity of Great Britain.
As the visit progressed, more orchids exchanged hands.
Chang presented another pot of orchids, Chiada Lucia, to Camilla, Duchess of
Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles.
Prince Albert II of Monaco also visited the pavilion, and Chang talked with him
about Taiwan¡¦s orchid industry. The prince seemed very taken with the variety of
-colors in the flowers.
More than 650 exhibitors from 16 countries are taking part in the show at the
Royal Hospital, which runs until Friday. Organizers have estimated that 170,000
visitors will turn up and tickets are already sold out.
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