Royal Floria Putrajaya, Malaysia’s leading annual flower and garden festival, and Magic of the Night 2016 saw Putrajaya come to life among a sea of colour and vibrant lights.
Almost 740,000 people — the majority young families enjoying the first week of school holidays — attended the May 27 to June 4 event, with organisers aiming to showcase Putrajaya as the ‘City in a Garden’ or ‘City of Flowers’.
The theme for this year’s event was ‘Chrysanthemum’, with entrants unveiling a series of never-ending floral arrangements featuring carnations, spider lilies, roses and millions of chrysanthemums, which exploded in colour, interspersed with unique, locally created works of art.
Hundreds of creative exhibitions from government sector, corporations, schools, universities and independent artists were vying for 28 awards under four categories covering gardens, flowers, design and water-colour painting, with organisers commending the improvement in design concept, work standard and quality of planted materials from last year.
For the second year running, DBKL was awarded the FLORIA Putrajaya Garden Cup Trophy for their elegant arrangement and design that again garnered the most attraction. During the awards ceremony, Royal Floria Putrajaya also entered the Malaysia Book of Records for the tallest glutinous rice exhibit. The 7.15m structure was erected jointly by Putrajaya Floria Sdn Bhd and the Putrajaya Community that operates the Heritage Village.
Other notable exhibits included the Chrysanthemum Garden and Candy Courtyard. These featured a mesh of natural arrangements interlaced with mechanical structures that gave a modern twist to your simple floral decoration.
Malaysia’s royal families also did not fail to impress with the Johor royal family presenting a beautiful replica of their palace and royal crown taking home the Gold Award for their display.
There was even a section designed to resemble the ancient Chinese royal court, which housed the Magic of Bonsai and Suiseki exhibit. These were living works of art, which had taken years of cultivation, pruning nurturing and sculpturing.
The Magical Garden, which housed the Mystical Forest and Mermaid’s World, was a unique combination of projected images employing holograms and the latest technology to create spectacular visuals and serene backdrops.
List of highlights included:
- Magical Garden featuring Mystical Forest and Mermaid’s World
- Chrysanthemum Garden and Candy Courtyard
- Floral Pavilion featuring the Tree of Life
- The Magic of Bonsai and Suiseki
- Terrarium: Magic In The Glass
- Special Gardens
- Government and Corporate Gardens
- Gardens of Malaysia
- Designer Gardens
- School and University Gardens
- Cat’s Pavilion
- Arts and Crafts Bazaar
- Horticulture Market and Garden Bazaar
The Magic of the Night 2016 was again undoubtedly the star attraction with thematic barges representing each Malaysian state in a beautiful, neon-lit parade wowing the masses.
The boats featured colourful lights and handcrafted three-dimensional designs of indigenous flora and fauna. The more creative and elaborate displays included traditional dancers as well. The Sabah float in particular was a standout promoting the region’s native rainforests, hornbills and orang-utans.
The boats were stationed on the Putrajaya Lake under the Putrajaya Bridge which was lit with multi-coloured flood lights and lasers. The evening ended with the nightly fireworks display.
Royal Floria Putrajaya flower and garden show and Magic of the Night 2016 was a spectacular event showcasing the many colours and personas of Malaysia. It is perfect for families, couples or just a peaceful night out. Be sure to check it out in 2017!
Head to http://www.floriaputrajaya.com.my/ for more information.