Today in Smithsonian History: January 29, 2011

Portrait of Yinli, Prince Guo (1697-1738), 1731, by Mangguri (1672-1736), Qing dynasty, Yongzheng reign.

January 29, 2011 Orchids: A View from the East  opens at the National Museum of Natural History. The museum, Smithsonian Gardens and the U.S. Botanical Gardens collaborate each year to display some of the world’s rarest and most exquisite orchids.

A View from the East explores how orchids have been a part of Chinese culture for many centuries, permeating Chinese history, legends, literature, and art.

Blettilla striata (Photo by John Gibbons)

Epidendrum Pacific Fantasy (Photo by John Gibbons)

Polystachya galeata (Photo by John Gibbons)

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