Also contributing to the event was Chinese ink painter Gu Xiaolan, who has taught traditional Chinese painting in Britain for many years and brought orchid-themed works to the exhibition.

Gu said ink painting is about creating from within and allowing the work to "speak" for itself. Having sketched at Kew over an extended period, she added that the garden's staff had adjusted lighting, temperature and humidity conditions for her, a gesture she described as both professional and thoughtful.

Juliet Petrus, a London-based soprano and doctoral candidate studying Chinese music, said the festival felt like a cultural bridge that uses flowers to connect different traditions. Holding the event ahead of the Spring Festival, she added, further enhanced the celebratory atmosphere.

As visitors moved between lantern-lit installations and discussions on conservation, the glasshouse on a winter evening became a shared space where nature, culture and science converged.

The Orchid Festival runs from Feb. 7 to March 8, a period that includes the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 17.