The biennial Brussels Flower Carpet Festival kicked off in a grand manner on Thursday (August 13) and will continue until Sunday (16th). This year, with over 700,000 fresh flowers, the iconic Japanese ukiyo-e painting “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” was recreated on the Brussels Grand Place, offering visitors a breathtaking visual feast.
The Brussels Flower Carpet Festival, which started in 1971, is now in its 24th edition. On the Brussels Grand Place, known as the “most beautiful living room in Europe,” over 700,000 fresh flowers (due to the impact of the European heatwave, the traditional begonia flowers were replaced with Belgian dahlias with higher water content) were arranged to form a giant flower carpet measuring about 70 meters long and 24 meters wide. This has become one of the important tourist events in Brussels, attracting locals and tourists alike.
Each year, the Brussels Flower Carpet Festival selects a cultural theme. To celebrate the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Japan, the organizers chose the masterpiece “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai as this year’s theme. Collaborating with Japanese artists, a large number of colorful flowers were used to recreate this famous work on the Brussels Grand Place.
“The Great Wave off Kanagawa” is a woodblock print created by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai between 1831 and 1833. Set against the backdrop of Mount Fuji in the distance, the artwork vividly depicts rolling waves on the sea and a small boat struggling for survival, making it an immortal classic in the history of art.
Hundreds of volunteers were mobilized on-site, starting around 7 a.m. on Thursday, to carefully place flowers of different colors and types in designated positions as instructed, successfully completing this masterpiece before noon.
Whether viewed from above or from ground level, this flower artwork covering an area of 1680 square meters showcases a breathtaking and magnificent sight.
During the four-day exhibition of the flower carpet, there are nightly concerts and light shows at 10 p.m., transforming summer nights into enchanting experiences comparable to daytime, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of flowers and dazzling lights.