Chongqing Expo 第八届中国 国际园林博览会

For almost three decades the Seattle Chinese Garden has been nurturing a close relationship with our sister city Chongqing.  Many delegations from the Garden and from China have traveled back and forth between the two cities, working on the concept of building a Sichuan-style Chinese garden unlike any other outside of China. No other project in Seattle relies so heavily on this cross-cultural collaboration than the Seattle Chinese Garden.  There has been a constant dialogue with designers and architects and horticultural experts from both Chongqing's Municipal Parks Bureau and the Seattle Chinese Garden Society.

Two Chinese workers (last January) standing on the site where the Seattle Garden is opening next week at the Expo

Now it is Chongqing celebrating the opening of a garden... 第八届中国（重庆）国际园林博览会! And within this enormous project there will be a Seattle Garden, a touch of the Northwest in the hills of Chongqing (see original architect drawing from Chongqing below).  

On November 19th, Chongqing will open the 8th China International Garden Expo. Within this enormous 476-acre project will be the "Seattle Garden" constructed in collaboration and friendship with our two cities.  Next week, a four-member delegation – Seattle deputy mayor Darryl Smith, Seattle Chinese Garden vice president Jim Dawson, Washington China Center president Scott Heinlein, and Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects co-founder, Ilze Jones – is headed off to Chongqing to attend the opening ceremonies of the Expo.

China International Expo architects going over Ilze Jones' plans for the Seattle Garden (in Chongqing January 2011)

The Expo will showcase the best garden landscapes from around the world. Mayor Mike McGinn has asked his deputy mayor, Darryl Smith, to represent him and the city of Seattle on this important occasion. Ilze Jones, who was invited to design the Seattle-style garden built on the Chongqing site for the Expo just over a year ago, was chosen by Chongqing to participate in the Expo (Jones & Jones was hired by the Garden years ago to refine the original master plan of the Seattle Chinese Garden - generated by Chongqing designers - to comply with local code and preserve the traditional elements of the Sichuan-style garden). 

Ilze Jones (with plans under her arm) at the Seattle site in Chongqing with Jim Dawson - the as yet unfilled "lake" in the background (January 2011). 

The Seattle Garden taking shape at the Expo site in September 2011

As part of the official EXPO activities planned for next year, the Chongqing Parks Bureau and the Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China are working with the Seattle Chinese Garden to organize a "Seattle Week" of activities to take place in Chongqing early spring 2012. Scott Heinlein is spearheading the business activities planned during the Seattle Week celebrations which will include banquets with senior US and Chinese officials, business breakfast roundtable discussions, and meetings with Washington State and Seattle companies already doing business in Chongqing (contact Scott Heinlein at 206-229-8587 or via email at heinlein@wachinacenter.com if you are interested in attending). Board member Sandy Marvinney will be organizing the cultural part of the delegation.

Scott Heinlein, SCG president Jon Geiger, and Consul General Gao in October after meeting to discuss the upcoming delegation to Chongqing (at General Gao's residence in San Francisco - photo taken by Vice Consul Zhang Hao)