Human Flower Project
Oh, To Be in Chiang Mai
Northern Thailand is some of the best flower-growing country in the world, especially during its temperate wintertime. The city of Chiang Mai celebrates with a three day flower festival that begins today.
Chiang Mai Flower Parade
Photo: Escati
While much of the Northern Hemisphere wears earmuffs and hunkers down under snow, Thailand is blossoming. The tour guides say that orchids, African marigolds, globe amaranth, “Ban Chun” (which I gather is a tree peony), chrysanthemums, and the region’s roses are “at their best” now. To prove it, Chiang Mai is holding a three-day flower festival, starting today.
The first flower festival in Chiang Mai’s recent times was held in 1977. We don’t know how or why it began. Some twenty floats ride through the city ending at Buag Haad Park, which overflows with booths of farmers and food vendors. With its beauty contest and parade down Tha Pae Road, Thailand’s major flower festival is the Tournament of Roses minus the leaden corporate-imprint on everything. Or so it appears.
Floral float with King of Thailand
His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej
Photo: Kelly and Rich Willis
This beautiful detail from a parade float, we’re told, shows the King of Thailand. He seems to be bending over to place a branch in an offering-bowl, as a cadre of uniformed supporters stands behind him. A very 3-D inscription pokes out in purple lettering above him. To someone like me, who can’t speak the language and knows next to nothing of Thai culture, this seems a luscious and sincere tribute to the King. Perhaps it is just that.
Then again, this gesture and these colors may be skewering the leader with satire, a political cartoon. Why does one assume that other people’s cultural expressions are straightforward, non-ironic, folksy-nicey? More like Pasadena’s Rose Parade, the script may read “Winston Tastes Good like a Cigarette Should.” Will one of our Thai-reading visitors (Jingles?) please translate?
If you can’t be in Chiang Mai this weekend, my sympathies are with you. You can at least enjoy these many stunning photos of the Chiang Mai parade. Here’s a detail from just one, bright enough to blow out your earmuffs.
Detail from a float, Chiang Mai Flower Festival, 2003
Photo: Life Events