Rose Festival blossoms in Kazanlak

The annual Bulgarian Rose Festival kicked off on Sunday in the town of Kazanlak, attracting tourists worldwide with the beauty of rose blossoms.

Bulgaria is known as "the kingdom of roses" as over three-quarters of the roses in the world are cultivated in the country. The roses cultivated in Kazanlak are famous for their high content of oil due to the advantageous climate and soil.

Held on the first Sunday of June each year, the century-old festival often starts with a traditional harvesting ritual in the rose fields early in the morning, followed by a parade across the villages. The climax of the celebration is the election of the Rose Queen, who represents the Bulgarian culture of roses.

"There are many cultural activities during this traditional festival, presenting our culture of roses. The Rose Queen, who is elected among the young girls in the Rose Valley, is the best representative of local flower growers who produce rose oil," said Galina Stoyanova, mayor of Kazanlak.

Other events such as concerts, art shows, exhibitions and wine-tasting are also held during the festival weekend.

Bulgaria is one of the world's largest exporters of high-grade rose oil, making up 40 percent of the world's output. Bulgarians hope to show rose culture to the world and promote economic exchanges through the festival.