Aboriginal flower expo opens this week

November 29, 2010

Floral arrangements from all 14 aboriginal tribes in Taiwan will be featured in a month-long exhibition, set to open this Wednesday.

"For Aborigines, flowers are an important medium of communication with ancestral spirits," said Sun Ta-chuang, minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples.

The 14 tribes have each reconstructed versions of their traditional houses for the exposition, as well as created decorations for the structures featuring most of the culturally significant plants, reports the Taipei Times. Traditional crafts, such as pottery, will be displayed inside the houses, according to the news source.

Wu Shang-yang, a non-aboriginal florist who helped plan the event, said he had to not only focus on making the exhibition visually appealing, but taking cultural differences into account. "Most people like fresh flowers, but Aborigines do not like to kill the flowers for decoration when they're fresh, and they believe that dried flowers represent harvest," he told the news source.

Whether flower enthusiasts wish to use dried blooms or fresh cut flowers to pay tribute to aboriginal customs, chrysanthemums are one option, as Shang-yang says they represent different things for tribes and mainstream culture. Cherry blossoms are also a symbol of the native land, which the local government promotes with the help of the Atayal tribe, according to TaiwanHolidays.com.

This article is brought to you by Teleflora - a leader in the flower delivery service for over 75 years. Teleflora helps its customers buy flowers online and specializes in bringing the freshest available flowers for a variety of holidays and occasions - all hand-delivered in keepsake vases by the best local florists.

06bb1d27-7f03-4eb8-9979-2c839ba22fcf|0|.0

Add comment

Commenting Options

Enter your personal information to the left

Name*

E-mail*

Website

b i u quote

Notify me when new comments are added

comment policy