Taipei Starts Countdown to 2010 Flora Expo

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin announced on Nov.

6 the countdown of exactly 365 days to the opening of the 2010 Taipei International Gardening and Horticulture Exposition and urged other cities and counties of Taiwan to join Taipei City in putting Taiwan in the spotlight on the world stage again.

Famous model Lin Chi-ling, who has been invited to be a public information ambassador to help promote the grand event for the capital city, said she hopes to spread Taipei City?s strength of beauty.

At the beginning of a press conference held in the newly constructed Expo Hall, the Taipei Expo mascot Ya-by, the five flower fairies and 365 primary schoolchildren carrying flowers danced onto the stage, followed by Mayor Hau and Ms. Lin, who then announced the opening of the Taipei Expo in exactly one year?s time.

Mayor Hau said the Expo Hall is one of 14 exhibition pavilions of the Taipei flora exposition and its chrysalis-like structure symbolizes that Taiwan will develop from it into a beautiful butterfly, showing the world the beauty of the island. He also invited other cities and counties of Taiwan to join the gardening and horticulture Olympics, making Taiwan shine in the international community again after the successful hosting of the 2009 Deaflympics.

Ms. Lin, who rushed back from Lanzhou, China for the occasion, stunned the audience when she appeared in a dress decorated with pink roses and yellow orchids. And she agreed on the spot to serve as a public information ambassador for the Taipei Expo when Mayor Hau extended the invitation.

The top model said each flower speaks its own language and represents different mood that has a healing effect, and she wants to spread to the world community Taipei City?s strength of beauty and its goal of preserving the Earth through sponsoring the flora exposition.

When asked by the press, Ms. Lin said the mayor is like sunflowers that give off vigorous spirit and energy, while she represents a content tulip in the Taipei Expo, which is the positive message she wants to deliver to everyone.

Both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Taipei Expo will be held at the 1,200-seat Expo Hall, also called the Butterfly Pavilion, located in the Fine Arts Park. The expo site covering a total area of 91.8 hectares in Taipei?s Yuanshan district will have another 13 pavilions. The expo will be held from Nov. 6, 2010 to April 25, 2011.

The Taipei Expo ticket presale is now available and those who buy the tickets online by the end of 2009 will enjoy a 33% discount. For more information please check: ticket.2010taipeiexpo.tw

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