Ten kilometers to the southwest of Chiang Mai, you will find Ratchaphruek Garden in a gorgeous mountain setting. When you visit Ratchaphruek Garden in Chiang Mai, you will enjoy a marvelous collection of some of the most intriguing and interesting flora on earth, as well as displays of incredibly detailed and beautiful architecture and artwork.
Ratchaphruek Garden Chiang Mai was home to the 2006 Royal Flora Expo - the most beautiful horticultural exposition worldwide, which attained "A1" status from the Association of International Horticultural Producers. The expo commemorated the sixtieth anniversary of the crowning of HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Now the Ratchaphruek Garden Chiang Mai is open to the public as a research and learning center and to local farmers as a place to share their knowledge.
The attractions of Ratchaphruek Garden Chiang Mai are many and varied. You will see lovely examples of traditional architecture and art in the Ho Kham Royal Pavilion. The murals inside the building are skillfully rendered in muted tones of red and gray with gold. The backgrounds are in the style of traditional temple paintings with clear, lifelike figures superimposed. The effect is quite surreal and haunting. Inside the pavilion you will find the very beautiful Tree of the Ten Kingly Virtues which symbolizes the spiritual shade bestowed upon the people by the king.
When you visit Ratchaphruek Garden Chiang Mai, you will enjoy a collection of gardens, each one established for a specific purpose!
The Corporate Gardens are presented by a number of state enterprises and other organizations for the purpose of showcasing eco-friendly farming and sustainability. His Majesty's powerful insight and desire to improve the quality of life for the people is behind the development of these gardens. The goal is to show the world how easy sustainability is and to provide a model for all.
In the International Gardens, you will see many very interesting, unique and unusual horticultural examples from around the world. Thirty-three countries are represented, including South Africa, Bhutan, India and Japan. Each exhibit showcases the plants of their country of origin as well as examples of unique art and architecture.
The hydroponics garden in the Indoor Exhibit displays methods for gardening in the desert and in temperate areas. You will see a dome housing tropical plants, a tissue culture nursery and more.
The Outdoor Gardens offer tropical horticulture at its best highlighting a number of beautiful land and water plants from all over Thailand. You will see a wonderful lotus garden that pays homage to Buddhist tradition and history. Additionally, many native Thai plants are trained in traditional style to conform to amazing and dazzling shapes and configurations. Learn about Thai horticultural history by visiting a small museum located within the Outdoor Gardens.
Ratchaphruek Garden Chiang Mai has one of the best Rare Plant collections in the world. A towering, bottle shaped Royal Palm with deep green leaves and smooth, grey trunk graces the entrance to the collection, along with a Double Coconut Tree - whose fruits are traditionally considered an aphrodisiac. It has been speculated that the Double Coconut Tree is actually the type of tree that stood at the center of the Garden of Eden! Inside the Rare Plant Collection you will wander through a forest of pine trees that are over 250 million years old!
To visit the Ratchaphruek Garden Chiang Mai, you must call in advance to arrange for a fascinating guided tour, available between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday. Admission to the garden is free of charge; however, there is a nominal fee for the tram to take you there.
There will be more gardens in Chiang Mai when The Promenada Resort Mall will open there in 2012. For more information visit Garden Chiang Mai.
Article Source: Jeff_Molenda
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