Kimjongilia aroused a wave of passion
in the world horticultural circles and a wave of jubilation in the minds of
humankind.
In February 1989 a festival of
political songs was held in Germany. Kimjongilia appeared on a flat-screen
display in the festival arena. The deep red petals, large flower filling a
flowerpot to its brim, a thick stem holding up the flower, heart-shaped green
leaves-all these raised a storm of cheers and applause. Voices of praise rang
out. "It is the first time for me to see such a brilliant, beautiful and
charming flower," "Kimjongilia outshines other flowers in the world,"
and "It is a source of pleasure and pride for humankind that this flower
was born."
Later, the flower demonstrated its
beauty at international horticultural expositions and flower shows-special
prize and the gold medal at the 12th International
Horticultural Show held in former Czechoslovakia in May 1991; the optimal award
in a horticultural exposition held in Jilin, China, in August 1997; Grand Prize
and its diploma at the Kunming International Horticultural Exposition in China
in 1999, a highest level of flower exposition in the world; the first place and
ribbon at a begonia show held in California, the US, in August 2004; and
optimal awards at the International Horticultural Exposition held in Shenyang,
China, in 2006, the International Horticultural Exposition in Venlo, the
Netherlands, in 2012, and the International Flower Show held in Mongolia in
2014. On the authorization of the International Society for Horticultural
Science, the American Begonia Society deliberated the species characteristics
and horticultural value of Kimjongilia and registered it as new species No. 991
in 2004. Introducing the flower in its journal
Begonia, it highlighted that the flower was named after General Kim Jong
Il of the DPRK.
Fascination of humankind with
Kimjongilia raised a hot wind of cultivating it.
Formation in 1995 of the Nordic
Kimjongilia Association in Sweden was followed by the opening of Kimjongilia
greenhouses and establishment of numerous associations and fanciers societies
in China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Japan, Ethiopia and other countries and regions
of the world.
Many foreign visitors from over 100
countries to the DPRK returned home with tuberous roots of Kimjongilia and over
100 rounds of shows of this flower took place in foreign countries.
It is not simply because of its unique
beauty that the flower enjoys fascination of the peoples the world over. It is
an expression of genuine respect and reverence of humankind for Kim Jong II, who is still regarded in the international
community as one of the most famous persons in the world.
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