Fringe activities to complement the flower show at Victoria Park (with photos)
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     The Hong Kong Flower Show 2013 at Victoria Park will close on Sunday (March 24). Featuring beautiful floral arrangements and gorgeous landscape displays, the flower show also offers a rich diversity of fringe activities for the enjoyment of visitors of all ages including music and cultural performances, floral art demonstrations, greening talks, greening activities workshops and fun games.

     The "Happy Wonderland" on the park's lawns has been well received by youngsters, with fun-filled programmes including magic shows, balloon-twisting, face-painting, African drum playing, inflatable bouncers, sports fun games, chess games, arts-and-crafts workshops, games stalls and more. Equally entertaining are the marching band and music performances.

     Various programmes will be held on the stage, including juggling, dance, music, cultural and Chinese music performances. There will also be floral art demonstrations by masters from Japan and Hong Kong.

     The flower show has attracted over 200 organisations from 18 countries to take part in showcasing exquisite potted plants, beautiful floral arrangements and gorgeous landscape displays. More than 350 000 flowering plants are on display, among which are about 10 000 pots of the theme flower dendrobium of some 10 cultivars.

     Greeting visitors at the showground entrances are delightful floral carpets extending from Sugar Street to Hing Fat Street with floral displays of jovial clowns, carnival masks and giant mushrooms.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is also presenting a spectacular exhibit, "A Kaleidoscope of Spring in the Vibrant City". The design is a gigantic flower in bright and beautiful colours, symbolising Hong Kong as a gleaming Pearl of the Orient.

     Measuring 34 metres long, 18m across and with a multi-tiered design, the crowd-pleasing sea of flowers "Floral Celebration" is bewitchingly beautiful this year. With tulips at the centre, a variety of colourful flowers at different tiers enliven the entire floral display, providing an opportunity for leisure viewing and photo-taking.

     Other main attractions include a mosaiculture display entitled Nature's Kaleidoscopic Beauty, showcasing an insect world in spring with flowers in bloom; the Brand Hong Kong and the 4th Hong Kong Games floral walls made up of colourful plants; a fun display of lovely farmers together with their agricultural produce; a wish-making corner with a vibrant floral display; and interactive photo-taking booths.

     The displays from the Mainland are equally spectacular, including the Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks' "Dancing in Spring"; "A Quality Life - Slow Living in an Urban Environment" by the Administration Department of Landscaping and City Appearance of Minhang District, Shanghai; Hangzhou Children Park's "The Dreamy World of West Lake"; and the displays by the Administration of Forestry and Gardening of Guangzhou Municipality and the Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Parks.

     Special plant exhibits include dendrobium officinale and dendrobium huoshanense.

     The Hong Kong Flower Show, organised by the LCSD, runs until Sunday (March 24) from 9am to 9pm at Victoria Park.

     Admission tickets are being sold at the entrance to the Victoria Park showground throughout the show period. Octopus cards can be used to pay for admission. Admission tickets are also available at the LCSD's District Leisure Services Offices and leisure venues with Leisure Link services, except for water sports centres.

     Admission fees for the flower show are as follows:
* Normal rate: $14
* Children, students and senior citizens aged 60 or above: $7
* Persons with disabilities and their minders (each person can enjoy the concessionary rate with one minder only): $7

     For enquiries, please call 2601 8260, fax 2691 7264 or visit the LCSD webpage www.lcsd.gov.hk/green/hkfs/2013/en/index.php.

Ends/Friday, March 22, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:28

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