Green Ambassadors for International Dialogue

By staff reporter ZACHARY G. LUNDQUIST

ON March 23， 2014， a ceremony took place in the Netherlands during the state visit of Chinas President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan. The centerpiece of the event was a type of tulip which Madam Peng had been invited to christen with champagne and name by the Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. On this occasion， Madam Peng decided to call the tulip the“Cathay Tulip” in honor of the old name for China once used in the Netherlands as well as the shared common dream of both countries expressed in the Chinese translation “Guotai” meaning “prosperous country.” The story of the Cathay tulip represents the ongoing dialogue between China and other countries in the field of horticulture and gardening. These kinds of “green ambassadors” will not only promote political relations but every other field from trade to green development.

This years International Horticultural Exhibition serves as a major platform for exchange and dialogue of various kinds of green ambassadors. The theme of the Beijing Expo is “Live Green， Live Better”and includes sub-themes of “green development，”“horticulture in life，” “harmonizing with the nature，”“education and the future，” and the “home of hearts.”O(jiān)n this platform， over 110 represented countries and international organizations share their story and aspirations of green development.

Green Homes： Harmony between Nature and the Home

As you enter the Japanese Pavilion， one cant help but be impressed with the serene environment. Enclosed by an outer wall on all four sides， the exhibit is divided into two main parts： connecting with nature outside the home and bringing nature into the home. According to the pavilion directors assistant， Li Jian， the theme of the Japanese Pavilion is realizing the harmony between plants， nature， and architecture， and living more in connection with nature. From the more earthen colors， simple designs and materials， and beautiful fresh flowers， each element in the exhibit harmoniously comes together to illustrate the philosophy of a Japanese home garden.

Outside the building， there is a small manmade waterfall， a pond with a few fish， and trees along the exterior walls. Along the inside of the surrounding wall， there lies a line of dark colored bamboo. The architecture of the building is built in the form of a house， with traditional Japanese walls facing the pond that can be folded together like a fan during summer months to allow the air to flow into the home. Inside the home exhibition， there were several small exhibits about how to enjoy and make flower arrangements. Ikebana is a traditional element of Japanese culture for arrang-ing flowers and finding beauty in flowers.