A lovely North Korean woman smiles beautifully as she smells the scent of a Kim Jong-il Flower (Kimjonglia) at the Kim Jong-il Flower Exhibition held in Pyongyang/Korean Central TV (Yonhap)
The Dong-A Ilbo ran a brief English language blurb on the Ninth Kim Jong Il Flower Festival, which opened Feb. 12.
Singaporean traveler Tan Wee Cheng got to drop by the 8th International Kimilsunglia Flower Show during an eight-day stay in the DPRK last year. It was apparently pretty wack. Aside from running a terrific travelogue with tons of cool photos, Mr. Tan was kind enough to provide the history of the flowers of the moment:
We were quickly brought into a few rooms where there was a display on the history and background of the two flowers. The pink Kimilsungia is a species of orchid, first bred by an Indonesian botanist, and presented by Sukarno to Kim Il Sung in 1965 when the latter visited Indonesia. It was named after Kim Il Sung, a gesture which North Korea’s KCNA called “a symbol of the great love and genuine admiration the people of Indonesia have for the Great Leader.”
Before long, this tropical orchid became the symbol of the regime and over 250 greenhouses have since been built for the growing of this tropical hybrid all over this country of harsh winter. Despite the shortage of electricity, the greenhouses of Kimilsungia are always well taken of. During the famine and energy crisis of the late 1990s, KCNA carried reports about how patriotic citizens asked the state energy bureaus to shut down their home heating systems during winter so that there is enough electric power for the glories of Kimilsungia.
How can there be a flower for the father without one for the son? The Dear Leader’s cause was answered by a Japanese botanist in 1988. The Kimjonglia is a variety of the South American begonia. Huge and red, some critics say the Dear Leader need flowers larger than his father’s to make up for his father greater stature in history. Whatever it was, Kimjonglia took off in a big way too, with huge Kimjonglia festivals every year as well.
Oh, and lest you forget, the Kinjongilia is the king of flowers, according to the KCNA:
Immortal Kimjongilia is now appreciated by people at home and abroad as a “flower of the sun revered by all people”, “valuable flower representing the times”, “the best flower in the world”, “king of flowers”, etc. This flower was awarded a special prize, gold medal, diploma and other top prizes at the 12th International Flower Show held in Czechoslovakia in May 1991, the Nordic Flower Show in Sweden in March 1995, the Jilin, China, Flower Exhibition in August 1997, the China 99 Kunming World Horticultural Expo in May 1999, the Begonia Show held in California of the United States in August 2004, etc. The facts go to clearly prove that Kimjongilia is the most beautiful flower in the world.
The flower received the top “Grand” prize and diploma at the China 99 Kunming World Horticultural Expo, the largest in the world, as it brought together 69 countries and 26 international bodies.
It also won the first prize ribbon at the Begonia Show in California where on display were flowers of various species belonging to the begonia family cultivated by at least 60 flower production units and organizations, horticulturists and flower lovers. Kimjongilia was formally registered as new variety No. 991 by the unanimous approval of the jury of the show.
Amid the growing of admiration for this flower, Kimjongilia greenhouses were opened in different countries including China, Japan and Madagascar and Kimjongilia associations and Kimjongilia lovers societies were formed one after another in Asian, Nordic and other regions.
Kimjongilia is now being rapidly propagated in at least 60 countries to be loved by hundreds of millions of people around the world.
You can’t make up stuff like this, folks.
