27th Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Festival kicks off in Oct

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-09-10 11:32

This undated photo shows visitors look at chrysanthemums at an exhibition in Kaifeng of central China's Henan province. [chinadaily.com.cn]

On September 9, the municipal government of Kaifeng announced that the 27th Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Festival and Autumn Outing in Bianliang city will kick off in Kaifeng, Henan province.

With the theme of inheriting the rich central plain culture while displaying the grand style of Kaifeng city in present times, the festival will last 30 days from October 18 to November 18, 2009.

Kaifeng city, named Bianliang, Bianzhou, and Dongjing in ancient times, is located in the center of China on the coast of the Yellow River. As one of the eight famous ancient cities in China, it also ranks among 24 historical cultural cities approved by the Chinese government.

In addition to these cultural marks, it is also in the list of Advanced Cities of Creating Civilized City Program of China and pilot cities of Service Industrial Comprehensive Reform.

Kaifeng Chrysanthemum has a long and renowned history, which can be traced back to the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-581) of 1,600 years ago. However, it was not until the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) that the beautiful and strong flower was fully embraced.

The Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty composed poems of praise for the Kaifeng Chrysanthemum, making the flower a legend in history.

Currently, tourists in Kaifeng enjoy both the traditional chrysanthemum flowers as well as newly cultivated species. Tourists walking in the ancient city are often intoxicated by gorgeous colors and a delicate fragrance. Moreover, the meanings conveyed by different Chrysanthemum varieties will impress the tourists with traditional cultural and artistic conception.

Since the founding of the PRC and the reform and opening-up especially, the material and cultural living standards have improved in the area, enabling the festival to be bigger than ever before, in size and popularity.

Every October, the municipal government of Kaifeng city will hold a Chrysanthemum festival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from both China and foreign countries.

The Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Festival has experienced several changes throughout its history:

During the first Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Exhibition, fewer than 200,000 pots could be seen throughout the city. However, this year there will be 600,000 pots, transforming Kaifeng into a city of chrysanthemums.

After years of development, the festival now teams up with local tourism, culture, commerce and trading industries to create a wider platform for participation among residents of the area.

The cross-strait civilian Collection Treasures Exhibition, which starts with the Chrysanthemum Festival will last from October 16th-20th, and will also be a good chance to promote cross-strait civilian relations in relation to the arts.

The festival is increasingly driving the economic growth of the local economy. In recent years, thousands of tourists have traveled to Kaifeng, causing the local catering and hospitality industry to boom at an unexpected rate. From January to July of 2009, the city received 17.8 million tourists yielding a revenue of over 6 billion yuan.

For the 60th anniversary of the PRC this year, the 27th Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Festival committee plans to make a "60" figure with chrysanthemum flowers. A variety of recreational and sports activities will also be part of the festival.

Kaifeng people believe that their beloved motherland and hometown will be more and more prosperous in the future, like the Chrysanthemum flower, beautiful, strong, forever.

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