Taiwanese orchids win gold in the UK; city government invites team to shape Taipei

By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

Creating a "Taiwanese Orchid Garden Wedding" themed "The Happy Phytoncide," flower designer Zheng Xiuwei, who won the gold medal at this year's Chelsea Flower Show in the UK, visited Taipei City Hall yesterday (August 11) afternoon with her design team and Chen Qingyu, chairman of the Taiwan Florist Association. At the meeting, Zheng Xiuwei explained the design concept of her exhibited work and was praised by Mayor Hau Lung-pin as "a light of Taiwan."

The Chelsea Flower Show is the most prestigious and important flower exhibition in the UK, and it is also an annual must-visit event for the British Queen. It is hailed as the Oscars of the horticulture and floral design world. Hau Lung-pin stated that Zheng Xiuwei and her design team have, among numerous international participants, won silver and gold medals in two consecutive years since 2010, earning praise and recognition from the British Queen and the royal family, helping to spread the reputation of Taiwan as the "Kingdom of Orchids" overseas.

Zheng Xiuwei previously participated in the exhibition setup for the Taipei International Flora Exposition. After the exposition, Taipei City designated the Yuanshan, Fine Arts, and Xinyi zones as Flora Exposition parks, promoting the advancement of domestic horticultural techniques. In the future, the city also hopes to collaborate with the floral industry to encourage more citizens to join in greening efforts, making Taipei a garden city.