The Kim Ilsungia Flower Exhibition

The Kim Il Sungia Flower Festival (김일성화축전 | 金日成花慶典) is an annual flower exhibition held each April for the Day of the Sun (15 April – the birthday of leader Kim Il Sung). In the festival, organisations, work units, and individuals from across society compete to put on the best floral display incorporating the Kim Ilsungia flower, a type of orchid. The festival has been held since the late 1990’s.

If you fancy cultivating your won Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia flowers, there are Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia seeds & bulbbs for sale at the flower exhibition that are available for purchase. These also come with a handy guide (in English) on how to correctly cultivate your flowers and make sure they survive, and thrive!

The Kim Ilsungia Flower History

The Kim Ilsungia (Kimilsungia) flower is a type of orchid. Its colour is a vibrant purple, and they can grow from 30 to 70 centimetres. It is named after the North Korean leader President Kim Il Sung. It was specially bred by scientists in Indonesia and is now an important symbol in North Korea. During the Day of the Sun celebrations (Kim Il Sung's birthday) you can see this flower throughout Pyongyang city, and also have the opportunity to attend the Kimilsungia Flower Exhibition.

The Kim Jongilia Flower & History

The Kim Jongilia (Kimjongilia) flower is a type of begonia. It produces large, vibrant red flowers with a thick stem. They can grow large and high, and are easier to cultivate than the Kimilsungia flower. It was bred by a Japanese botanist to commemorate Kim Jong-il's 46th birthday in 1988, and has been bred so that it blooms at the time of Kim Jong Il's birthday, the 16th February. This depends on what kind of environment you keep it in, though!

You can see the Kimjongilia flower throughout Pyongyang during the Day of the Shining Star celebrations.

Location

The exhibition centre is located in east Pyongyang and also used for the Kim Jongilia Flower Festival held each February.

Want to visit the Kimilsungia Flower Exhibition for yourself?
Check out our North Korean holiday tours, or get in touch with us for information on the next tour that will pay a visit to the Kimilsungia Flower Exhibition.