Taichung Journal: Taichung Flower Expo Blossoms and Dies

On January 23, 2018, the weather was perfect for a long bike ride; sunny, cool, and not windy. I would go to my favorite spot on the abandoned grandstand at the Houli Horse Farm near Taichung in front of the disused racetrack. I was shocked when I saw what they had done since summer while I was gone.

The Houfeng Bike Path was more crowded than I thought. I made my way through the congregations, across the old railroad bridge over The Dajia River and through tunnel #9. I heard machinery at work and smelled the dusty air as I reached the end of the bike path, turned right and had a surprise. The racetrack that I used to sit at was not there anymore! It was replaced by the 2018 Taichung World Flora Expo.

The number of Taichung flora expo visitors exceeded six million guests since November 3, 2018. The international foundation that accepted Taichung’s bid to host the Expo was pleased. Mayor Lin had kept to the agreement to charge reasonable entrance fees, but starting January 1^st, Taichung citizens, new residents, and children under the age of 12 from around the world were allowed to attend the flora expo free of charge; a campaign promise from KMT mayoral candidate Lu Show-yen that flouted the agreement.

The Houli Horse Farm was the governor's stables during Japanese occupation, then was commandeered by the interloping KMT when they retreated from China after the civil war. Finally, it was opened to the public to see the variety of horses bred there. The track was actually used for races back in the day but fell into disuse.
All of this construction was for a grand plan called "Houli Horse Ranch & Forest Area" that was expected to be completed in 281 days, according to the website, in time for the Expo.That was a horse of a different color!

There was good news for bikers. The Bikeway would be extended 1.2 km. on what they were calling "Flower Horse Path" between the Houli Train Station and the Horse Ranch. They said they wouldn't mess with the historic buildings of the ranch; just add a lot of flowers to create a "garden city." All I knew was all this progress would crowd out my pleasant bike ride and replace it with vehicular traffic.

To accommodate traffic, they were constructing another overpass parallel to Highway #1 across the Dajia River to the new flower exhibition center. Not only did it access the racetrack but also spilled into the updated horse farm area. Luckily, former Mayor Lin planned public transportation to the site well; there was little traffic. The building of an exhibition center left me nowhere to sit without the din of drills. I rode back up the bike path and stopped at a boardwalk and wooden benches near the Taiwan railroad line.

There I sat in peace at the end of the path with a silicon valley factory out of sight over the hill, far from the school kids on their rented tandem motorized bicycles.

As the Expo opened, I helped public school students get involved by polishing essays for a recitation contest:

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. My topic is 'Ways to promote Taichung's World Flora Exposition.' With the World Flora Exposition opening later this year,
I've been thinking
about how to make Taiwanese and people from all over the world recognize the beauty coming to Taichung. How can we catch people's eyes and keep them coming on weekdays and focused when the day is done?

First, let’s think about how to catch people’s eyes on the Expo.
Yes! “Curiosity.” If we can persuade the USA to turn the torch in the hand of Statue of Liberty into a bunch of flowers, that would turn some heads our way. Turn the Eiffel Tower into a vase with flowers sprouting atop until France and the whole world turns its attention to Flora Expo. Let's spread advertisements far and wide and the spotlight is sure to follow. That will catch people's eyes.

We must spread the news through the internet. Foreigners will easily get messages through
Facebook, Instagram,
We-chat, Twitter and other social media. So, it is a good idea to invite the world to the Expo through it. I suggest we start a trend; invite people to write invitations on their hands; draw some cute pictures on them and write down "Welcome to Taichung's World Flora Expo.” Imagine flowers blooming virally all over the internet with thousands of people waving "welcome" back at you! I’m sure it will draw a huge crowd of foreigners to Taichung's Flora Expo.

But what happens when that weekend crowd at the Exposition Parks becomes intolerable? How about week day tours? But on weekdays, who has free time? Without doubt, pensioners and school groups have free time and money. As we know, elders love to spread good morning cheer and teachers love taking their students on trips outside school. So why not design some good morning stickers on Flora Expo for free download? Let the young and old wake up the whole city and everyone can bloom a new weekday in blossoms. What a way to enjoy good
morning and promote the Flora Expo!

As we know, flowers bloom and fade. People come and people go. But the Flora Expo goes on! When the day comes to an end, keep the memories in a blog of good stories and photos. With Taichung's Flora Expo, we can have strawberry fields forever!"

Many families have attended every flower show hosted in Taiwan. They were all good, but none could compare with the Taichung World Flora Exposition, for family fun and the scientific side of flora. There were three visiting areas in Taichung; Waipu, Houli and Fengyuan. Houli was the biggest and most impressive. The Houli Horse Ranch & Forest Park sites emphasized the science of cultivation. “The Sound of Blooming” in the Blossom Pavilion was amazing. It featured lots of huge and amazing mechanical flowers inside and around it, colorfully coordinated with LED lights that belonged to the large decorative art. Secondly, I loved to view the “Alpine Ecosystem by Observing the Leopard Cats” feature. There was a lot to learn from international cultures by watching those art works in “International Gardens.”

Could I hear the sound of flowers’ blooming? That was a confusing question someone asked me before I went. I didn’t get it until I saw the huge mechanical flower ball there. While its flowers bloomed, I could hear the sound of their blooming. When I “talked to” the flowers or applauded them, they rolled up as if they were shy. They even varied their bloom to the sunlight and precipitation. This intelligent art presents both the creativity and technology of Taiwan artisans and technicians.

Another interesting section of the Flora Expo is the Discovery Pavilion. This hall presents natural ecology along Taichung’s Dajia River as it changes from sea level to 3,886 meters high. But first, my visit started at the dream-like Gao Mei Wetlands. There, I listened to people reciting poetry about the water world, telling me how they nurtured our land. Higher still, I entered the leopard cats’ display area. There, rich knowledge about big pretty cats was shared. Surprisingly, their habitat was found because of the flora exposition; it was going to be built there but that area is now well kept.

From 1500 to 3500 meters high, I went to the bottom of Cijia Bay. Many large Formosan landlocked salmons swam by my side. The fish restocking works well.

Finally, I stepped into the mountain forests full of towering trees. Its stubs and the endangered mountain animals reminded me of the fragile value our forests.

One more impressive place at the Expo was the Harvest Blessings Pavilion. I could smell the different grains of Taiwan in the exhibition area, many kinds making up a golden carpet. The farmers’ stories told there touched me; they used natural farming skills to protect the land. Their sweating tanned faces glowed with happiness! Meanwhile, in the classroom, Ma-Ming Elementary school presented lessons on farming. Students could learn about the rice paddy, rice dishes, straw crafts, and even the raising of ducks on their campus. I could feel the workers grit, the crops, and nature living in perfect harmony!

The 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition wilted to a close April 24, 2019. It was left to die because the new mayor shoveled manure off the ground instead of spreading it around, as Mayor Lin had done. The building stands closed, the lights off, the exhibits gone. The park is off-limits, completely closed,visited by no one now instead of thousands as it should be. But for six months, it was the pride of Taichung renewal. What went wrong? A KMT mayor indebted to the underground and business interests won an election.

The 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition was in violation and the AIPH threatened to cancel it. The International Association of Horticultural Producers sent a letter to the Taichung government objecting to the proposal. Former Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung said he would do everything to communicate with the AIPH to make sure that the expo was not canceled. The unlimited free

admission proposal would bankrupt any plans for the Expo to go on past the closing date. The call for free admission drew the objection of the AIPH, the Expo's certification authority. The flora expo, they said, was of high-quality and high-value; normal for the public to pay admission for. Lu Show-yen didn’t care; they never discussed admission when the previous Mayor Hu agreed to host it. Despite Lin Chia-Lung's assurance that everything would be handled according to the contract, he lost the election and there was nothing he could do. Mayor Lu dealt dead flowers to Taichung, as she has to so many civic projects. But I was there to see the Flower Expo grow and blossom. Too bad it had to die so soon.

Watch the sound bloom here