The Tourism Malaysia Garden recently won gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2010. The garden, the first full-size tropical garden in the event's history, was officially opened on 25 May 2010 by the Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, YB Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen. She was joined by renowned shoe designer and Tourism Malaysia's tourism ambassador, Dato' Jimmy Choo OBE, at the opening ceremony of the garden to press and VIPs.

The Tourism Malaysia Garden at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show was designed as a chic, ultra-modern envisioning of a traditional Malay village or "kampung." It used an angular, terraced layout and featured a calm reflective pool. A pavilion, or "wakaf," framed the garden and provided a shady retreat from the sun, whilst walls were densely planted with greens. Up to a third of indigenous Malaysian plants were specifically evolved to inhabit these living walls. The garden used an array of native plants from Malaysia - including the fig tree (Ficus microcarpa nitida), bat lily (Tacca integrifolia), slipper orchid (Paphiopedilum callosum), pitcher plant (Nepenthes alata), and finger palm (Rhapis multifida ) - and had a distinct rainforest feel.

Malaysia's garden at Chelsea was designed by Amphibian Designs, which is owned and run by James Wong, who is of Malaysian descent, and David Cubero. This was the designers' first gold medal at the show; last year, the designers won the silver recognition for their Canary Islands Tourist Board entry.

The Tourism Malaysia Garden captured the essence of what "kampung" life means to Malaysians - a lifestyle of close-knit communities, idyllic outdoor living and rural tranquility. The garden's design also drew upon inspiration from the Malaysian archipelago, from its ultra-modern sky scrapers to its lush primeval rainforest. The resulting garden was truly cutting edge and embodied traditional eastern values in an innovative and contemporary way.

The garden used traditional Malay-style materials, such as white limestone and sustainably-sourced timber. These materials contrasted against the wild, tropical landscaping, using species typical of Malay village gardens.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Maizan Ahmad, Senior Deputy Director, International Marketing Division (Americas/Europe/Oceania) at tel: +603 2615 8188 or email maizan@tourism.gov.my.