Southern Kazakhstan's Tulip Festival wrapped up amidst controversy (video)

Southern Kazakhstan's Tulip Festival wrapped up amidst controversy (video)

Turns Out the International Tulip Festival in Kazakhstan's Zhambyl Region Was a Chaotic Mess - Locals Are Pissed Off

Twist in the Tulips: A Scandal Erupts

Remember that tulip festival held in the Zhambyl region, 100 kilometers from Taraz, among the breathtaking mountains dotted with rare tulips? Well, it ended in a messy scandal, as reported by the KTK channel's website.

The Day Things Fell Apart

The chaos began early on Saturday morning when nearly a thousand people were loaded onto 10 buses from Taraz, hoping to witness the floral spectacle. However, their hopes were soon dashed when the buses meant to take them to the final location broke down.

""Unfortunately, they can't move anymore because some ran out of gas, others have damaged transmission. Because the inclines are steep. The organization is practically non-existent. The heads of regional departments and the regional akimat managed to pass through. But the people were left here and are trying to leave the road, even by paying for rides," described regional residents," KTK reported.

Stranded Up The Hill

Some of the stranded festival-goers decided to walk the 10 kilometers uphill. Yet, the steep terrain, coupled with strollers, children, the elderly, and unprepared individuals, made the journey challenging. By noon, many guests, tired of waiting uncertainty by the roadside, decided to return to Taraz. But even this didn't go smoothly, with some taxi drivers demanding around 100,000 tenge for the trip back to the city.

Event in Full Swing, Yet the Chaos Persisted

Meanwhile, the festival raged on in the mountains, with a record-breaking woven wool carpet with a tulip being set, milking contests, and foreign scientists from Germany, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and the Netherlands expressing their amazement. All the while, officials on the podium were urging increased interest in natural heritage.

""Last year, the Zhambyl region was visited by around 200,000 tourists, which is 27% more than in 2023. Significant work is being done to develop infrastructure at tourist sites. This festival will give a new impetus to the development of tourism in our region. The tulip is a symbol of national pride and cultural heritage," said the region's akim, Yerbol Karashukeev," the KTK channel noted.

Sadly, Kazakhs are displeased that the festival participants trampled the red-listed tulips.

""Where are the environmentalists? And I have a feeling that the organizers won't face million-dollar fines for destroying the red-listed tulips," residents complain," the report added.

An Apology, but No Explanation for the Debacle

After the masses expressed their discontent, officials apologized, blaming the influx of unaccounted guests. Supposedly, instead of the expected three thousand, five thousand arrived, overwhelming the prepared vehicles.

""All the people who came from the city of Taraz were supposed to be transported in two shifts. But since those guests who arrived by private transport left their cars at the village of Eseikhana and started boarding the PAZs..."" explained Gulnura Zhurabekova, the deputy head of the department of entrepreneurship and industrial and innovative development of the Jambyl region administration.

The exact amount spent by the region on the two-day international tulip festival remains a mystery, with rumors swirling around figures ranging from 16 to 160 million tenge.

Lessons Learned, or Without a Lesson?

Some city dwellers have opted to admire the flowers in the city, avoiding the fiasco all together. However, officials say they have learned from their mistakes and are ready to correct them in future projects.

Worth noting, the Zhambyl region is a rich tapestry of tulip species diversity in Kazakhstan, with 18 tulip species growing in the region, 10 of which are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. Dutch specialists have bred dozens of varieties based on these, now adorning parks and gardens worldwide. The festival also included a scientific-practical conference with leading global experts, proposing to UNESCO the inclusion of Greg, Kaufer, and Regel tulips in the World Heritage List, followed by organizing a geopark in the Little Karatau area to preserve Kazakhstan's unique tulip gene pool.

1. The steep inclines and broken buses left festival-goers stranded, with some choosing to walk the 10 kilometers uphill, while others paid exorbitant amounts for taxi rides back to Taraz.
2. Despite the chaos and inefficiencies at the festival, officials in the Zhambyl region are pushing for increased interest in natural heritage and the development of tourism infrastructure.
3. The destruction of red-listed tulips by festival attendees has disappointed local residents, who are questioning the absence of environmental regulations and the potential fines for breaching them.
4. The organizers of the festival have apologized for the influx of unaccounted guests, but the exact amount spent by the region on the event remains a mystery, with rumors swirling around various numbers.
5. As a UNESCO Geopark, the Little Karatau area in the Zhambyl region seeks to preserve Kazakhstan's unique tulip gene pool and attract global attention to the diversity of tulip species found there.

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