Kandawgyi National Garden
Encyclopedia
The National Kandawgyi Botanical Gardens is a 177 hectare botanical garden
located in the Alpine
town of Pyin U Lwin
(formerly Maymyo), Burma, situated at an elevation of 1000 metres (3,605 ft) and 69 km (42.9 mi) by road from Mandalay
.
of England
with the help of an amateur gardener called Lady Cuffe
. In 1917, the government granted it official recognition, and in 1924, the site was declared a Government Botanical Reserve. On 1 December 1942, the Ministry of Forestry designated the Botanical Gardens a "protected forest
area". On 1 December 2000, Sr Gen Than Shwe
renamed it "Kandawgyi National Gardens". It has been used to promote extensive ecotourism
in Burma.
s and 74 foreign species, 75 species of bamboo
, , and 75 species of crotons
. Of the 300 species of indigenous orchids, 178 were already collected in 1942. There are 25 rose
species, and 6 land lily
species. Medicinal plants for traditional medicines are also grown. The National Botanical Gardens is managed by the Ministry of Forestry. Forty two acres of the site are a protected forest area. The gardens are popular among tourists, who enjoy the rolling lawns and Alpine landscape reminiscent of those in England. Endangered wild animals
are also kept in the National Kandawgyi Botanical Gardens, including Eld's Deer
, Burmese Star Tortoise
, Takin
, Hog Deer
, but there are also pheasant
and water fowl. It has collaborated with the UK based Botanic Gardens Conservation International
(BGCI) to conserve the indigenous orchids in their natural habitat.
The Botanical Gardens has three museums. The Fossils Museum houses fossils of mammls, reptiles, and invertebrates, and the Petrified Wood Museum displays fossils of plants, colorful stones, toddy-palm roots, as well as things made from fossils of plants. The Butterfly Museum has various species of butterflies from Nepal, Taiwan, South America, Japan and South East Asia.
were held from 14 December 2006 to 13 January 2007. Kandawgyi has expanded in recent years and reached its current size in 2000. An annual flower festival has been held in December since 2006. The 5 day event this year had over 7 million flowers of 16 local and over 70 foreign species on display. Number of visitors has averaged 400,000 since it was reopened in 2001.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
located in the Alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
town of Pyin U Lwin
Pyin U Lwin
Pyin U Lwin or Pyin Oo Lwin , formerly Maymyo , is a scenic hill town in Mandalay Division, Myanmar, located in the Shan Highland, some east of Mandalay, and at an altitude of 1070 meters .-History:...
(formerly Maymyo), Burma, situated at an elevation of 1000 metres (3,605 ft) and 69 km (42.9 mi) by road from Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
.
History
It was first established in 1915 as the Maymyo Botanical Gardens by Alex Roger, a Forest Officer. The original site was 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), and was modelled after the Kew GardensRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
of England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with the help of an amateur gardener called Lady Cuffe
Lady Charlotte Wheeler Cuffe
Lady Charlotte Wheeler Cuffe was an Irish botanic artist and collector.-Life:Wheeler was born in London to a family with Irish connections, her grandfather being the Rev. Sir Hercules Langrish, third Baronet of Knocktopher, County Kilkenny...
. In 1917, the government granted it official recognition, and in 1924, the site was declared a Government Botanical Reserve. On 1 December 1942, the Ministry of Forestry designated the Botanical Gardens a "protected forest
Protected forest
A protected forest is a specific term to denote forests with some amount of legal, and / or constitutional protection in certain countries, besides being a generic term to denote forests where the habitat and resident species are legally accorded protection and are protected from any further...
area". On 1 December 2000, Sr Gen Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
renamed it "Kandawgyi National Gardens". It has been used to promote extensive ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
in Burma.
Flora and fauna
The Botanical Gardens has 514 species of indigenous treeTree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and 74 foreign species, 75 species of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, , and 75 species of crotons
Croton (genus)
Croton is an extensive flowering plant genus in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, established by Carl Linnaeus in 1737. The plants of this genus were described and introduced to Europeans by Georg Eberhard Rumphius. The common names for this genus are rushfoil and croton, but the latter also...
. Of the 300 species of indigenous orchids, 178 were already collected in 1942. There are 25 rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
species, and 6 land lily
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
species. Medicinal plants for traditional medicines are also grown. The National Botanical Gardens is managed by the Ministry of Forestry. Forty two acres of the site are a protected forest area. The gardens are popular among tourists, who enjoy the rolling lawns and Alpine landscape reminiscent of those in England. Endangered wild animals
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
are also kept in the National Kandawgyi Botanical Gardens, including Eld's Deer
Eld's Deer
Eld's Deer , also known as the Thamin or Brow-antlered Deer, is an endangered species of deer indigenous to southeastern Asia. The species was first discovered by westerners in Manipur in India in 1839. The original scientific name Cervus eldi was coined in 1844 in honour of Lt. Percy Eld – a...
, Burmese Star Tortoise
Burmese Star Tortoise
The Burmese star tortoise is becoming extinct in its native Myanmar . It lives in the dry, deciduous forest, and is eaten both by the native Burmese, and is traded to the Chinese, where it is sometimes found in the food markets. It is on CITES Appendix II, meaning a permit from the country of...
, Takin
Takin
The Takin , also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. There are four subspecies: B. taxicolor taxicolor, the Mishmi Takin; B. taxicolor bedfordi, the Shanxi or Golden Takin; B. taxicolor tibetana, the Tibetan or Sichuan Takin; and B. taxicolor...
, Hog Deer
Hog Deer
The Hog Deer is a small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland southeast Asia...
, but there are also pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
and water fowl. It has collaborated with the UK based Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Botanic Gardens Conservation International is a plant conservation charity based in London, England. It is a membership organisation, working with 800 botanic gardens in 118 countries, whose combined work forms the world's largest plant conservation network.Founded in 1987, BGCI is a registered...
(BGCI) to conserve the indigenous orchids in their natural habitat.
The Botanical Gardens has three museums. The Fossils Museum houses fossils of mammls, reptiles, and invertebrates, and the Petrified Wood Museum displays fossils of plants, colorful stones, toddy-palm roots, as well as things made from fossils of plants. The Butterfly Museum has various species of butterflies from Nepal, Taiwan, South America, Japan and South East Asia.
Special events
Celebrations of the Gardens' Diamond JubileeDiamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
were held from 14 December 2006 to 13 January 2007. Kandawgyi has expanded in recent years and reached its current size in 2000. An annual flower festival has been held in December since 2006. The 5 day event this year had over 7 million flowers of 16 local and over 70 foreign species on display. Number of visitors has averaged 400,000 since it was reopened in 2001.