The 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition bloomed far more brilliantly than most everyone expected, attracting 8.96 million visitors. And though the expo was closed on April 25, it is still physically preserved, not just in memory. Many of the pavilions and facilities will be reopened this month, and if you missed the spectacle for the first time, here's your chance. If this is not your first time and you would like to see it again, here's your chance to revisit sweet and florid memories.
There were originally 14 pavilions, spreading over four adjoining park areas. Significant adjustments will be made to the Pavilion of New Fashion (流行館) sponsored by Far Eastern Group (遠東企業), which will be relocated in August, and to Daijia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園), which will be converted back to a riverside recreational park. The other three areas— Yuanshan Park, Fine Arts Park, and Xinsheng Park—are now collectively the“Flora Expo Park”(花博公園), with all flower walls and“sea of flowers”(花海) landscaping retained. In light of the scorching heat that visits Taipei in July and August, more plants and bushes resistant to heat and aridity have been put in at Yuanshan Park Area(圓山公園區), increasing the range of greens in the flower seas. The lovely maples and ancient city-wall motifs of the Shanghai Charm (上海庭園) and Xi'an's Courtyard (西安庭園) showcase gardens remain in place, making a visit to this park one in which the ecological characters of Taipei, Shanghai, and Xi'an can all be taken in. There's no admission charge for the outdoor gardens in Flora Expo Park.
Still in the Yuanshan Park Area at the Pavilion of Culture (文化館), Hall A is dedicated to folk culture, and Hall B is dedicated to puppetry. The Celebrity's House (名人館) and EXPO Theater (真相館) facilities will again become part of the Taipei Children's Recreation Center (臺北市立兒童育樂中心), staging a wide-range of activities, but the latter will continue to show the 12-minute 3D animation film Nature's Wrath: Taiwan's Inconvenient Truth (面對臺灣的真相), which delivers you back to the scenes wrought by Taiwan's fearsome Typhoon Morakot. Note that the entry price to the recreation center is NT$30; entry to the theater is not expected to surpass NT$100.
The EXPO Dome (爭艷館) has been transformed into an exhibition and conference center, and until Sep. 4, you can take in the Animated Version of the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival (會動的清明上河圖), which was first staged at the China Pavilion at the Expo 2010 Shanghai and was the most popular attraction, bringing to life one of the Chinese culture's most famous paintings with advanced multimedia technology. The sumptuous elegance of the Northern Song capital, Kaifeng, are given flesh, and you are immersed in the many intricately depicted small scenes from the painting's rich tapestry of imperial life.
In the Fine Arts Park Area (美術公園區), during the Flora Expo the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (美術館) staged shows that specifically complemented the expo's floral theme, and now continues in its quest to present the most aesthetically pleasing modern-arts creations by native soil and international talent. In July and August, two scheduled exhibits already creating a great deal of buzz are Trans-Cool Tokyo—Contemporary Japanese Art from MOT Collection (日本MOT當代精選展) and Super Contemporary—Design in London: A Touring Exhibition from the Design Museum, London (英國超當代設計大展). At the next-door Taipei Story House (臺北故事館) the exhibit The Story of Dolls (娃娃的故事) will run from July to the end of December. The EXPO Hall (舞蝶館) will be available for rent by government organizations and social groups for cultural activities, and the Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers (風味館) will serve as a display showcase and sales outlet for the best arts and crafts by Taiwan's indigenous peoples.
The original Global Garden Area (寰宇庭園區) had 22 lovely outdoor gardens representing the cultures and horticultural traditions of different countries. Many of the courtyards will still exist, including those of Taiwan and the Netherlands, and the original international courtyard concept is being expanded to make this a grand garden that belongs to all citizens. Plans are to reopen this space in the near future— an event awaited with eagerness by one and all.
In the Xinsheng Park Area (新生公園區), which during the expo presented the bright aesthetics of the outdoor floral landscaping and the south Fujian-style gardens (the ancestors of most Taiwanese came from this region) at the Palace of Floral Teas (花茶殿), is now formally renamed the“Lin An-Tai Historic Home and Fujian-Style Garden”(林安泰古厝民俗文物館及閩式庭園). The first floor of the Pavilion of Future (未來館) will continue with its exhibition on plant life, and on the second floor the popular Taipei Pavilion from the Expo 2010 Shanghai is being reconstructed; note that this section is slated to open in September. The most popular pavilion at the Flora Expo was the Pavilion of Dreams (夢想館), and in addition to its original stellar exhibits, even more high-tech wizardry is now being brought in. A general ticket for admission to this pavilion and the Pavilion of Future's two floors will be just NT$150, great value for what you witness; individual-entry tickets to the three attractions will not be more than NT$100. The Pavilion of Angel Life (天使生活館) will continue to be operated by the Angel Art Gallery (天使美術館), with the focus on art and aesthetics in everyday life. The Pavilion of Regimen (養生館) will return back for government use.
For more information, visit the official Flora Expo website at www.2010taipeiexpo.tw
