Last year’s flower festival attracted big crowds to National Kandawgyi Garden. Pic: Hein Latt Aung

NATIONAL Kandawgyi Garden in Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay Division will host its second annual flower festival from December 15 to January 15.

The festival – which is aimed at attracting local and foreign visitors, floriculturists and flower lovers – will showcase about 20,000 tulips and 40,000 lilies, said U Win Aung, the chairman of Woodland Groups of Companies, which manages the garden.

“We are focusing on tulips and lilies because they are very eye-catching flowers,” he said, adding that last year’s festival, which showcased about 30 varieties of local flowers and 40 foreign species, attracted more than 300,000 visitors.

“Local people will be able to enjoy the beauty of tulips and lilies without having to go abroad. We have ordered flower bulbs and seeds from Germany and China, and we expect some bulbs to arrive in early October,” he said.

The Myanmar Floriculturist Association will give flower arranging demonstrations at the event, while the Myanmar Bird and Nature Society will promote awareness of its nature conservation programs.

A new orchid garden will be unveiled during the festival, which will give visitors the opportunity to see a wide range of local and foreign orchid species displayed in a variety of ways.

U Win Aung, who is also the managing director of Woodland Travel, said the festival will show that Pyin Oo Lwin possesses weather and soil conditions that are favourable for growing flowers for the export market.

“Visitors will see that Pyin Oo Lwin is suitable for growing not only local flower varieties but also new types of flowers that are highly prized in the international flower market,” he said.

“If people of all levels work together, Myanmar can gain substantial benefits from the flower export business,” he said.

Last year about 400,000 locals and 20,000 foreigners visited National Kandawgyi Garden, a 436.9-acre park that encompasses a wide variety of landscapes, including lakes, natural forests, recreational lawns, swamp walkway, elevated timber pathway, rock garden and walk-in aviary.