For the primary time in ten years, a Thai lake revealed its dazzling secret – the pink flowers of tens of hundreds of lotuses.
The sea of color at Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, three hours south of Bangkok, is a panoramic feat of nature that has locals hoping for a tourism bonanza.
The flowers, considered sacred in Thai culture, are excellent news for locals, who ferry camera-wielding visitors through the lotuses that weave within the lake’s vast waters.
Very nulumbo nuciferaor the sacred lotus, the fields have been dry for over ten years, say residents, adding that the majority of the prevailing lotus fields are smaller nymph nouchali, or blue lotus flowers. 43,260 in actual fact
43,260 in actual fact rai (69 square kilometers) of swamp in Khao Sam Roi Yot in 2016 was in its worst condition in over 30 years on account of drought. The lack of water caused the earth to dry out and all of the lotuses withered.
“Right now, the lotuses are rejuvenating and growing again, but it is going to take a while before they shall be beautiful,” said Nisakorn Tongprong, head of an environmental group on the national park Khaoso English.
“This yr, water levels have returned to 2 meters in some areas, but now they’re mostly all the way down to 50-80 centimeters on account of the warmth and wind. Still, I’m sure the swamps won’t dry up as summer is sort of over and the lotuses are strong recent plants.
Rungrote Atsawakultarin, chief of Khao Sam Roi Yot, said on Thursday that just one a part of the swamp on the Bung Baw Nature Study Center is open to tourists to guard the flowers.
Thailand is attempting to balance its lucrative tourism industry with environmental protection. Few countries have experienced such stratospheric tourism growth.
Few countries have experienced such stratospheric tourism growth. International arrivals have greater than doubled over the past decade, from 13.8 million in 2006 to a record 32.5 million last yr, with the rise partly driven by arrivals from China.
Some 61 national parks, including 25 marine parks, were closed to visitors this week for the monsoon season, an annual move aimed toward helping them get well.
Source: AFP | Asia News Channel | Khaoso English
