Rhododendron festival concludes

The three-day second annual rhododendron festival has concluded on Sunday (20 April) at Royal Botanical Park in Thimphu.

The festival was showcased under three villages namely Culture and Entertainment Village, Education and Awareness Village and Food and Beverages Village along with other attractions like free guided walks through 124-acre Rhododendron garden. Tourists, guests and officials alike experienced the local culture, local cuisine and the natural environment.

The Royal Botanical Park which was set up as the first recreational park in the country contributes towards fulfilling the mandate of keeping the nation under 60% forest cover.

At his inaugural address Minister for Agriculture and Forests Yeshey Dorji expressed his appreciation to Meto-Pelri Tshogpa, a community based organisation and the Nature Recreation and Ecotourism Division for taking such an initiative to organise and promote the festival.

The Chairman of the Meto-Pelri Tshogpa, Sonam Dorji pointed out that the park was home to many rare species and a watershed area and asserted they would work towards conserving and managing the forest for its great economic, social, ecological, cultural and spiritual benefits along with greater ecological services including recreational benefits and also thanked the Tourism Council of Bhutan for their continued support.