Seattle Chinese Garden 西华园

Garden in Snow

2012-01-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

Board vice president Jim Dawson slipped out to the garden late this afternoon to capture the Courtyard in Seattle's first snow of the season, first of the new year. These beautiful shots call to mind two great poets across two great continents: Bai Juyi (772-846) and Robert Frost (1874-1963) both of whom shared a love for the beauty of simplicity and honesty, and a renown for their highly regarded realistic depictions of rural life, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes.

白居易: 夜雪

Bai Juyi: Night in Snow

已訝衾枕冷

復見窗户明

夜深知雪重

時聞折竹聲

Surprised to find, so cold, my quilt and pillow,

Then light I see from the papered casement window.

Deep in the night, so heavy it snows, I know, when

Bamboos go crack ~ a sound, now and then, I follow.

Translated by Andrew W.F. Wong.
(Huang Hongfa) 譯者: 黃宏發

Dust of Snow

by Robert Frost

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

Donor Wall Reflects Knowing the Spring Courtyard

2012-01-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

Today, a photo montage of a few winter views around Knowing the Spring Courtyard...

Board treasurer Alan Chinn with Courtyard reflection on donor wall (Yvonne Chinn photo)

Board president Jon Geiger with brother Stephen and family from Boston in front of family donor bricks

Ferns sprout in bamboo shoot rocks

Last leaf clings in the Courtyard

Root, stark against pristine white wall

Grays balanced with browns

Song Mei Ting framed by winter grasses

First Donor Wall Bricks Set Today

2011-12-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

Miguel Aparicio and Dan Johnson from LP Tile install the first set of bricks

Dan Johnson and Miguel Aparicio of LP Tile are installing 269 bricks on our first donor wall this week. The tiles are being set with a fast-setting thinset and will then be covered at night with thermal blankets for the curing process. Miguel and Dan, both West Seattle residents, were pleased that weather conditions were holding strong for the project - dry with even a few sun breaks. (Miguel revealed some exciting Christmas news about his family – he and his wife, who have four sons, are expecting triplets!)

Reporter Patrick Robinson from the West Seattle Herald came by to cover the story (in photo above, conferring with program director Julia Freimund). These donor bricks, which help build our community gem, will be seen by the Northwest community and by visitors from around the world as they come to visit our growing project.

The wall would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of all the brick campaign members and key volunteers including Nora Chan, Benjamin Lee, Steve Locke, Jing Wang, Ken Anderson, Noah Dubose, Sarah Dean, Katie Yuen, Allan Chinn, Chip and Charles Ragen, Jon Geiger, and Jim Dawson. The Garden is also thankful for the more than 200 individuals who purchased bricks to be placed on this first phase of the wall. West Seattle Herald

Thai Master Movie in the Courtyard

2011-12-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

Actors Julie Digiacomo and Jeremy Horn in front of the entry gate

In the great tradition of martial arts film making, comedian, actor and writer Simon Kaufman has created a character of epic proportions in the mythical tale describing the legend of The Thai Master. Its story describes the training and adaptation of one of the most deadly ancient weapon forms. Can power of such magnitude exist?

Director R.C. Muraoka (left) working with his assistant director on the script with actors in the background

This Fall, The Thai Master production company and film crew rented Knowing the Spring Courtyard to work a few scenes from this spoof on martial arts – a parody on old style Kung Fu movies fighting with the ridiculous weight loss and exercise contraptions promoted on late night TV (such as Shake Weights, resistance bands, thigh masters, and ab rollers), making fun of the cheesy exercise infomercials promoting these gimmicks.

Thai Master production crew and martial arts actors working a scene

For two days, a professional director, camera crew, lighting tech, fight choreographer, and many kung fu martial arts students and actors filmed in the Chinese Garden with the Courtyard as its backdrop.

Actors Digiacomo and Horn

As far back as July of this summer, the Garden was contacted by writer and star Simon Kaufman from New York city about using the courtyard for the filming. The location is an ideal backdrop and, as has been discovered by local news crews and cultural programming directors, the acoustics are fantastic. After ironing out a few of the details and logistics, the film crew set to work.

"We find ourselves in the dojo as the young Thai Master meditates, learns, trains, and prepares himself to accept the awesome power that will be his covenant for life. He devotes his full being to learn the secrets and harness the power of the dreaded weapon that will make him the one and only Thai Master."

"As the Thai Master's power grows, Grandmasters from other clans come to challenge him with an array of weapons that would be more than just a workout for a mere mortal. The Thai Master is up to the tests and defeats all those who dare flex their muscles against him. The Ab Roller, The Shake Weight, The Cross Crunch, The Easy Curve, The Magic Circle, and the Perfect Push Up, are some of the enemies our hero must defend himself against. Danger lurks around every corner."

So begins the seven-minute film... I'll keep you posted on its progress.

Total Eclipse of the Moon

2011-12-10T21:08:00.001-08:00

Early this Saturday morning there was a total lunar eclipse, a rare celestial phenomenon – the last one before April 2014. Heavy cloud cover made viewing difficult, but starting at 6 am, the moon turned a deep shade of red, a sliver of the crescent shadow highlighted before clouds obscured the burnished orb. (Play the video below while reading further...)

The moon took on a reddish glow, as some indirect sunlight continued to reach it after passing through the earth's atmosphere. A lunar eclipse happens when the earth blocks the sun's light from reflecting off the moon, casting an eerie shadow over its surface. The moon, following its orbit around the earth, passes directly behind our planet (as seen from the sun). And so we have a total eclipse of the moon. During a total lunar eclipse such as we had this morning, the moon is obscured completely from view.

As I watched from my early morning vigil, I was reminded of Ray Pfortner's moon shots in the Courtyard last month, during the full moon we had here in November in Seattle. These photographs call to mind the powerful pull of the moon, seen and felt all across the globe.

Photographer Ray Pfortner captured Knowing the Spring Courtyard while teaching a photography class at the Garden during a full moon shoot. After the total eclipse today I thought of how connected we all are, watching the moon, miles away from each other...

Miles Away From Light At Noon

Total Eclipse Of The Moon

Many Reasons To Believe In Life

Just Listen What It`s Telling You

(Enigma)

Chinese Garden Inspires West Seattle Students

2011-11-29T16:43:00.001-08:00

Bones of Earth form mountains

Timeless pines know many stories

Bamboo dances with the wind
Fourteen fishes paint the water
Alia An Ode to Tang Dynasty Poets

In the Waterside Pavilion, Chunman Gissing talks
with students about writing Tang-style poetry.

Alia beautifully captures the spirit of Tang Dynasty poetry, as did John and Madison, all sophomores in a world history class at Chief Sealth International High School (CSIHS) in West Seattle.

Teacher Paul Fischburg introduced Tang poetry into the curriculum to acquaint his students with traditional Chinese culture. The class read poems such as Li Bai’s famed Road to Shu, and each student chose a favorite poem from an anthology, wrote about the feelings it evoked, and created a poster board to illustrate the poem with art or photos.

On October 21 the class was ready for a field trip to the Seattle Chinese Garden and a poetry writing session. First stop for a little inspiration — the 15-foot-tall gleaming white marble statue of Li Bai near the South Seattle Community College library. This statue, a gift from famed Sichuan sculptor Ye Yushan, will be moved to the Garden when construction is completed.

Two students work on their poems.

After a tour of Knowing the Spring Courtyard by docent Sandy Marvinney, the students gathered around long-time volunteer Chunman Gissing, a former Chinese language teacher. She delighted them by explaining how her mother taught her poems when she was a little girl, and offered tips on the rhythm of four- and seven-line Tang poems.

With an assignment to write about anything that inspired them, the 30 students gathered into small groups around the courtyard, just as Tang poets might have gathered with friends to write poems 12 centuries ago.

Freezing water blankets like snow

Blustery wind makes us shiver

Icy rainwater stings sharp

Hunched over teeth chattering cold.

Madison

As the chilly morning turned to drizzle, the class moved into the Chan Education Center classroom, where Chunman had set up a beautiful display for a traditional tea service, including flowers, an array of tea and teapots, and Chinese snacks.

Chunman Gissing serves traditional Chinese tea.

As the students one by one shared their poems with the class, Chunman shared the warmth of tea.
I sit alone with nature.

Am I really alone?

The sun masks the moon.

The clouds hide my shadow.

John

“A big challenge in a world history course is how to connect to people and places not your own. Getting students out of the classroom and into a place that expresses another culture is a great way to do that,” Fischburg said. “Writing poems in the Garden setting gave students a chance to explore Chinese culture on a personal, heart level. The students truly embraced this learning experience. "

As a final lesson assignment, Fischburg asked the students to write about how they experienced the Garden. One student truly captured its essence as inspiration for inner reflection.

Here I was able to sit and relax and tune into the sound of raindrops hitting the ponds, rocks, and nearby trees. … the architecture and designs of this garden were beyond calming. … Being able to sit and be alone with your thoughts for a while is one of the best things a person can do… These gardens allow me… and anyone else, to separate from everything and just let the thoughts flow. Saying I love this garden would be an understatement. Antonia

Posting by Sandy Marvinney

Seattle Deputy Mayor Smith Charms Chongqing

2011-11-23T09:12:00.001-08:00

Seattle deputy mayor Darryl Smith spoke at the summit of the International Garden Expo in Chongqing, China on Saturday, November 19th after a very successful lunch the previous day with deputy director Zhang Haiqing of the Foreign Affairs Office. Smith was part of the Seattle Chinese Garden delegation attending the opening ceremonies – sent to China by Seattle mayor Mike McGinn to represent Seattle at this important event showcasing gardens from around the world on a 476-acre site in the largest city in the world.

Mayor McGinn asked Darryl Smith to represent him at the EXPO opening and take advantage of the excellent opportunity to meet with Chongqing officials to explore future opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration. "Both of our cities face the challenge of providing economic opportunities for a growing population while maintaining a high quality of life," wrote Mayor McGinn in a letter to Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan. Smith discussed finding better ways to reduce carbon emissions and protect our natural resources by developing sustainable energy resources, more transportation alternatives, and better building practices. "Perhaps these are some of the areas where we can partner in order to achieve better results in our respective cities," wrote Mayor McGinn.

On the lake at the Chongqing Expo

Smith, who has served as an advocate, activist and community building expert in southeast Seattle, has built strong relationships in business, housing, community development, environmental sustainability, and arts and cultural affairs in Seattle. He spearheaded the revitalization of Columbia City, making it a vital active community, attracting new business development.

Boy crossing bridge in the "Seattle Garden"

His visit to Chongqing with Garden board vice president Jim Dawson was his first to China. The Chinese were very impressed with his understanding of our two cities' need to pursue clean energy and charmed by his engaging manner.

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 in 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. Sandy can be reached at sandymar2@comcast.net.

Artist Liu Nenfeng who has donated a sculpture to the Garden (see previous blog entry) presents Smith with a gift.

Jim Dawson photos.

Garden Delegation Visits Chongqing 重庆 and EXPO

2011-11-20T13:32:00.001-08:00

The four-member Garden 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 – attended the 8th China International Garden Expo opening ceremonies on November 19th in China's largest city, Chongqing.

Robert Pong, Scott Heinlein, Darryl Smith, Ilze Jones and Jim Dawson in the "Seattle Garden" at the EXPO (Robert Pong is a sister city board member who owns a spectacular new restaurant under the Three Gorges Museum).

They were there to see the Seattle Garden, designed by Ilze Jones, constructed in collaboration with our two sister cities as part of China's Garden Expo and to visit the city of Chongqing as guests of the Foreign Affairs Office.

Ilze Jones inspecting the Seattle Garden at the Chongqing EXPO

Before the opening ceremonies, the delegation was met at the airplane door by the Foreign Affairs Office (FOA) and whisked off to the VIP arrival lounge. Reports from Jim Dawson indicate that the FOA have had to do this for over 125 delegations from around the world. They were very attentive and interested in the Seattle delegation, particularly because of Seattle deputy mayor Darryl Smith's attendance. The FOA made a special effort to host and showcase Smith's visit.

The second day, the delegation went to a briefing at the headquarters for the Two Rivers Development Zone. Smith was immediately engaged in discussions with Chongqing officials because of their interest in gaining his perspective and ideas on clean energy and Seattle's potential involvement in business opportunities.

Charles Ragen, Ilze Jones, Darryl Smith, Scott Heinlein, and Jim Dawson at the Dazu stone grottos.

Darryl Smith with artist Liu Nenfeng

The delegation was then taken to the famous Baodingshan Buddhist carving site outside Dazu which is about two hours from Chongqing. In Dazu they met with the artist Liu Nenfeng at Mr. Liu's stone carving studio where they had a chance to see the Guan Yin carving that Mr. Liu has donated to the Garden. Great discussions ensued about the logistics of shipping the sculpture which from the photo on the left seems incredibly large.

On the Friday before the EXPO opening, the delegation spent the morning at the ancient street on the Jialing River followed by a lunch at the Foreign Affairs Office with deputy director Zhang Haiqing who was very interested in talking with Darryl Smith. Zhang Haiqing emphasized that the FOA will be helpful in setting up the upcoming March delegation, a "Seattle Week" of activities to take place in Chongqing early spring 2012.

Scott Heinlein is spearheading the business activities and board member Sandy Marvinney will be organizing the cultural delegation for that week (see previous blog entry for details).

More photos and stories to follow in my next blog posting. Thanks to Jim Dawson for the updates and his incredible photos.

Chongqing Expo 第八届中国国际园林博览会（重庆）

2011-11-08T23:18:00.000-08:00

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)

West Seattle Curiosities on the Way to the Garden

2011-11-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

When driving to the Garden from downtown Seattle, I cross the West Seattle Bridge and take the Delridge Way exit. Two distinct landmarks strike me every time I go. The enormous American flag in front of the Waterfront Federal Credit Union building and the strange beguiling sculptures on the hill as you take a left on 23rd Avenue SW and head up to South Seattle Community College. The size of the billowing flag is impressive, but the crazy sculptures on the hillside are curious and entrancing.

Sculptures by Nicole Johnson

I finally stopped the car to find out who is creating these odd figures. The artist is Nicole Johnson – unfortunately she was leaving just as I walked up her driveway to hear the story behind her work, so I'll have to discover more on that later...

Meanwhile, at the entrance to SSCC a flock of geese provided escort into the Garden, two of them running along beside me as I walked towards the group of volunteers planting bamboo on the small hillside behind the Discovery Center.

The soil was the toughest of clays and all sorts of tools were required to get the bamboo into the ground (a pickaxe?), but the intrepid volunteers who put in a full day's work managed to plant the groundcover bamboos (two truck loads of Sasarella romosa and Pleioblastus pygmaeus donated by Bamboo Gardens of Washington). One of the volunteers was Eng Heng, who is also known as the bamboo expert in his neighborhood (see Bamboo Curtain House Man).

Volunteers John Sammons, Eng Heng, Phil Woods, and Andrea Jensen (not pictured is Bucky Farquahar)

The bamboo, once established, will loosen that tough soil on the banks and provide a good screen in front of the temporary chain link fencing. For a brief moment, the sun peaked out and gave us a last glimpse of the colorful foliage of Seattle's brief fall season. Another striking image to carry home after a hard day's work...

The Taller the Bamboo Grows, the Lower it Bends

2011-10-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

Bamboo Gardens of Washington, a premier destination for bamboo in the Pacific Northwest, has donated two truckloads of high quality bamboo plants to the Garden. They are one of the oldest bamboo nurseries in the northwest. Bamboo, a fast growing evergreen, is represented in over 70 species at this specialty nursery. The owners donated two groundcover bamboos: Sasarella romosa and Pleioblastus pygmaeus.

On Friday, horticultural chair Phil Wood is organizing a Garden work party to plant the bamboo, delivered in two truck loads by president Jon Geiger over the weekend. The plants will be put into the ground on the banks behind the Discovery Center for beauty and erosion control on Friday from 10 am to 3 pm, depending upon the number of strong hands and big hearts that show up to help.

Bamboo is an integral sight in Asian life and landscape – its many uses, from fencing to music and weaving, to sculpture and scaffolding, is considered to be a strong symbol of their people – capable of enduring even the onslaughts of lashing storms and hurricane winds.

Today in central Thailand, 200 bamboo rafts were made by residents of southern Pattani and Yala to aid flood victims displaced by the monsoon flooding of the region.

Come help the Chinese Garden plant this enduring symbol. Contact Phil Wood (206-841-1591) or email: philwood@philwoodgardens.com. We are extremely grateful for this wonderful donation (please note: Jim and Rainy Husband, owners of the Bamboo Gardens who are looking forward to retirement, have put their nursery in Redmond up for sale. For more information, call 425-868-5166).

"The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bends."

竹子长得越高，弯得越低

Seattle Photography Meetup in the Garden

2011-10-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, over 50 members of the Seattle Photography Group gathered at the Seattle Chinese Garden to share their love of photography and take advantage of good afternoon light and temperate weather.

To see some of the photos taken by this group of enthusiasts, go to the Seattle Photography Website and check out the photos posted by their members.

Chrysanthemum Tea

2011-10-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

The weather this week has been full of contrasts – buffeting winds, bursts of sun, full moon, drenching rain, skittering clouds, blue sky. No better way to fortify yourself from the elements than with a cup of tea, most particularly chrysanthemum tea served up by Brett Boynton with Phoenix Tea. Last Sunday at the Garden during the Chrysanthemum festival, Brett had a selection of distinctive teas to sample.

Mountain Songs 山之歌

2011-10-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

The sound of heavy rain and wind under the protection of an overhang may keep conversation low, but as soon as the sun burnishes the glossy rocks and shines the dampened tree bark, the need to capture the beauty and share it with others becomes strong.

The Chinese garden is a perfect place for contemplation during stormy weather – the proper arrangement of various elements placed in juxtaposition to each other (the yin and the yang) is a measure of how well these multiple layers of opposites create balance – how well-paired are these contrasts and do they create harmony? Does the garden reflect a painting or a poem, do you find balance in the midst of a storm or when the sun breaks through?

Chinese gardens are built – not planted – and building a rock mountain is considered one of the highly valued aspects of the garden. Rocks are valued in Chinese culture for their concentration of Qi energy (perhaps because most of China is mountainous). Stones in a Chinese garden symbolize the body of the earth, representing wisdom and immortality (see more about building the garden, How High is a Mountain 山有多高？ and Moving Stones 移动的石头).

The elaborate placement of rocks and small pieces of mountain in a top-heavy manner seems to defy gravity, but the strange and contorted forms invite all sorts of life-like imagery. Nature makes the shapes, but it's the placement of the rocks that becomes lyrical. Human work framed by nature, and a work of nature touched by humanity (Listening to Stone by Dan Snow). The energy gives one an appreciation for the poetry of rocks and for the balance of opposites.

Settled At Cold Mountain

by Han-shan (Tang)

I settled at Cold Mountain long ago,
Already it seems like years and years.
Freely drifting
I prowl the woods and streams,
And linger
watching things themselves.
Men don't get this far into the mountains,
White clouds gather and billow.
This grass does for a mattress,
The blue sky makes a good quilt.
Happy with a stone under head,
Let heaven and earth go about their changes.

寒山

Translator: Gary Snyder

West Seattle Field Trip: Rolling Terrain

2011-10-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Our community has two new rolling vistas to enjoy—one by foot and one by skateboard. Just before heading up the hill to visit the Seattle Chinese Garden, stop at the Delridge Skatepark on the corner of Genesee and Delridge Way.

Local skateboarders worked with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Grindline Skateparks Inc. to build the 13,000-square-foot park which features a deep egg-shaped bowl and a large flow bowl. What's unique about this particular skatepark is the flowing street course design which meanders through the large trees on site and around the bowls. Teens from the Service Board worked with artist Pat Davidson to put their stamp on the park through a glass mosaic mural on the benches overlooking the rolling expanse of concrete.

With the recent grading and seeding of the stretch of earth behind Knowing the Spring Courtyard one mile up the hill from the skateboard park, West Seattle will soon have another rolling expanse to enjoy—only this time on foot. When the grass grows here, the rolling hills and grassy terrain behind the main gate of the courtyard will be the ideal place to fly a kite, have a picnic and enjoy the view.

Soon the sweeping expanse of these 4 acres will be covered in lush grass for all to enjoy

Chrysanthemum 菊 Double Ninth Day 重阳日

2011-10-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is the traditional Chinese Chongyang festival or Double Ninth festival. In the Gregorian calendar, the day usually falls in October. It is a festival during which people eat Chongang cake ( a kind of steamed layered cake with nuts), drink chrysanthemum wine, climb mountains, and pay homage to the elderly. This weekend the Garden celebrates one of China's most iconic flowers—the chrysanthemum—with its very own Double Ninth Day.

The chrysanthemum, one of the "Four Gentleman" (四君子) of China (the others being the plum blossom, the orchid, and bamboo), is said to have been favored by Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet.

Julia Yang chrysanthemum arrangement

In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing, or The Book of Changes, number "6" was thought to be of Yin character, meaning feminine or negative, while number "9" was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine or positive.

So the number nine in both month and day create the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. Chong in Chinese means "double." Also, as double ninth was pronounced the same as the word to signify "forever," the Chinese ancestors considered it an auspicious day worth celebration.

Julia Yang, founder of The Hua Yuan School of Chinese Flower Arrangement, demonstrated her beautiful art today. Her three chrysanthemum arrangements and those of her students will also be showcased on Sunday in the Garden.

The Garden will have Phoenix Chrysanthemum Tea Service at 2pm on Sunday October 9th.

Drinking Wine by Tao Qian

I made my home amidst this human bustle,
Yet I hear no clamor from the carts and horses.
My friend, you ask me how this can be so?
A distant heart will tend towards like places.
From the eastern hedge, I pluck chrysanthemum flowers,
And idly look towards the southern hills.
The mountain air is beautiful day and night,
The birds fly back to roost with one another.
I know that this must have some deeper meaning,
I try to explain, but cannot find the words.

A great discussion and reading from Columbia University: Asian Topics.

Garden Salutes South Seattle Community College

2011-10-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Chinese Garden celebrated its partnership with South Seattle Community College on Monday evening with a wine reception in Knowing the Spring Courtyard. The presidents of the college from 1988 to 2011 were honored with speeches and an unveiling of a plaque that will be installed at the entrance to the courtyard, in gratitude for their enthusiasm and support spanning over 23 years.

Gary Oertli, Jonathan Geiger, Peter Ku, and Jill Wakefield uncover the plaque

Chancellor Jill Wakefield, president Gary Oertli, and former president Peter Ku, who have all played key roles in leading and supporting the Garden, were there to accept the plaque. The plaque honors them, the former presidents Jerry Brockey and David Mitchell, and the college faculty and staff who have assisted in so many ways over the years.

The plaque will be placed at the entrance to Knowing the Spring Courtyard

Peter C. Ku spoke of his involvement in the project from its infancy, remembering the work and collaboration with Garden board vice president Jim Dawson. The vision of the early college leaders such as Peter Ku led to the selection of the exceptional site for the Garden.

SSCC president Gary Oertli thanked his faculty and staff and especially campus security for working closely with Garden volunteers and with program director Julia Freimund during construction of the first courtyard. And chancellor Jill Wakefield spoke of how the garden impacts our community beyond the gates of the college.

Jonathan Geiger toasting Jill Wakefield

"This beautiful Chinese courtyard and garden celebrate diversity and global understanding, complementing South Seattle Community College's rich history of diverse student population," said chancellor Jill Wakefield.

"The presidents of the college have always held the vision and helped support our efforts," said Garden president Jonathan Geiger. "This has been an incredible team effort, many from the college have played key roles in leading and supporting our efforts - building a community asset for the college and for Seattle, one that will attract visitors from all over the region and the world."

Stella and Grace Chien with Julia Freimund

A selection of wines from the Northwest Wine Tasting Academy at SSCC was offered to the guests. The Northwest Wine Academy is the first and only program of its kind in the Puget Sound region, offering classes in wine making, wine marketing and sales, and food and wine pairing.

The academy took home three medals in the prestigious 2011 Seattle Wine Awards competition this year. If you are interested in sampling some of their wines, they hold frequent wine tastings on campus (next one is Thursday and Friday October 13 and 14, from 1 to 4 pm). What a great partnership - a stroll through Knowing the Spring Courtyard after wine tasting at the college! Check the SSCC website for details.

Nicole Barnes, Nancy Kedward, and Suzanne Barbour from the Northwest Wine Academy

Why Learn Chinese? 为什么学习中文？

2011-09-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Governor Christine Gregoire applauds student competition

Chinese is a complex language...thousands of characters to memorize, four tones to master, and many years of study to become fluent. Most students opt for a more familiar tongue like Spanish or French, si? oui? 对吗?

A group of teens across four school districts in the Puget Sound region want to encourage more students to take on the rewarding challenge of learning Chinese, and they aren’t waiting for educators to show the way. They have turned the question “Why Learn Chinese” into a competition for middle and high school students across the state. Students don’t need to know Chinese to participate because entries must be in English.

From left, WACE co-chairs Kevin Li, Andrea Liu and members Wayne Huang (standing), Alex Liu, and Ashwin Rao

Masterminds behind the competition are members of a student-run nonprofit organization, the Washington Association for Chinese Education (WACE), co-founded and co-chaired by Andrea Liu and Kevin Li, seniors at Skyline High School in Sammamish.

From October 1–31, students statewide may submit (online) a brief essay, video, poem, or song to WACE, to be judged by a panel of educators and China experts. Six finalists will receive cash awards and plaques.

The Seattle Chinese Garden is proud to host the awards ceremony on November 19.

“Our goal is to generate interest in learning Chinese so students will gain the competitive edge and the global perspective needed to succeed in today’s increasingly interdependent world,” said Liu, who was born and raised in Virginia but lived in Beijing and Chongqing during her middle school years.

WACE Co-Chairs Andrea Liu and Kevin Li

“We want to help students understand China, because in the future they will be responsible for maintaining the growing economic, political, and cultural ties between the US and China,” Li said. “Only 22 public high schools in Washington offer Chinese and our goal is to encourage more schools to do so.”

Governor Christine Gregoire has applauded WACE for its commitment to educating students about the benefit of learning Chinese, “for young people to not only recognize the importance of language capacity, but also to exercise leadership in promoting it is truly inspiring.”

In addition to the Seattle Chinese Garden, more than a dozen organizations are endorsing the competition, including the Washington State China Relations Council, Chinese Language Teachers Association, Confucius Institute of Washington, Seattle-Chongqing Sister City Association, Hong Kong Association of Washington, and Microsoft CHIME.

For more information, please visit: WACE

Posting by Sandy Marvinney

An Expanse of Earth

2011-09-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Often visitors who admire Knowing the Spring Courtyard are astonished when they pass through the post and beam main gate with the sweeping hip ridges and hanging "lotus blossoms" to find an expanse of earth stretching four and a half acres above the Seattle skyline. The sight can be startling.

New volunteers receiving training on the ridge top overlooking the property.

Future plans for the Garden include the Floating Cloud tower, a teahouse on a lotus pond, a stream rushing through a rocky gorge into a lake, pine and bamboo groves, and small pavilions for pausing to enjoy the tranquil scenes. Garden designers in our sister city of Chongqing who have planned the Sichuan-style garden are eagerly awaiting the next big phase with a goal of completing the garden within five years.

President Jon Geiger grading the site nearby

Over the last few weeks board president Jon Geiger and board member Allan Chinn have been carefully grading the area for the future southern Courtyard. Although site preparation is only a fraction of the work of capital improvements, landscaping, operations and programs, it is clearly enjoyed by Geiger and Chinn as part of their committment to growing the next big phase of our project.

New volunteers at the waterside pavilion listening to Dewey Webster give his docent tour.

One of the biggest efforts comes from volunteers and our part time staff, headed by program director Julia Freimund, who keep the books, manage the office, direct the programs, and recruit and train these indispensable volunteers who have donated over 6000 hours of their time since we opened in February.

Several new efforts involve launching a Facebook community page thanks to volunteer Lee Kimmelman and a short 60-second video produced by Matt Lincoln and board member Sandy Marvinney which they entered in a nationwide competition for nonprofit organizations. One of the easiest ways you can help us is by sharing the link to all your friends on Facebook. And if you're not on Facebook, consider joining just for this wonderful new project. The videos of 15 semi-finalists will be posted to the Mercedes Benz site on October 3 and the public will vote on their favorite. Five finalist winners will each receive a $25,000 grant. I will post more about this soon! Use the buttons below...

Qigong 氣功 in the Garden

2011-09-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hwa Tuo (circa A.D. 200), perhaps one of the greatest Chinese medical physicians in history, was fond of saying “a door’s hinge will never become insect riddled.” By this expression, he stressed the importance of movement in the prevention and curing of disease. And while physical movement is key to structural and cardiovascular health and well-being, Hwa Tuo was specifically referring to the mysterious flow of life force in the body, called Qi (pronounced “chee” in Chinese). Qi is the energy or natural life force that pervades the universe. It flows through all living things and is considered to be a divine animating force. Gong is a short form of Gong fu, which means accomplishment or skill.
The movement of Qi, Paul Fraser Qi Gong, LLC.

Qi gong means "cultivating energy". The gentle, rhythmic exercises mirror the movement of nature, especially the fluidity of water. Combined with simple breathing techniques, Qi Gong is uniquely suited to relieving stress, boosting the immune system, and increasing the body's innate healing abilities.

Watch the International Wudang Internal Martial Arts Academy practice their Qi in the Courtyard of the Seattle Chinese Garden.

Main Gate in Moonlight 正門的月光

2011-09-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

The couplets flanking the entry gate have never seemed more alive than when captured bathed in moonlight by docent Dewey Webster's artistic eye. Docent Dewey added his dramatic flare to the image of moonbeams shining down on the main gates of Knowing the Spring Courtyard - illustrating the power of the couplets by Chongqing poet Dachun Yang in a most prescient way.

风巴国海

月共故乡明清溪曲似巴江水

日浮沧海阔飞阁遥分缙嶺霞

Overseas country with Sichuan style.

The moon shines here and in my hometown. The clear meandering stream resembles the Ba river.

The sun floats above the sea. A soaring pavilion parts Jinling's rubescent clouds.

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, the gates are framed with Chinese poetry. All the sign boards and couplets were composed by the poet Dachun YANG of Chongqing. Here he explains the poetry (notes are by Dewey Webster):

Horizontal plaque above the gate: 风巴国海 Feng Ba Guo Hai.
Overseas country with Sichuan style. Hai Guo, ocean country. Ba Feng, Sichuan wind or style.

First couplet on the right: 月共故乡明清溪曲似巴江水
The moon shines here and in my hometown. The clear meandering stream resembles the Ba river.
Ba River is another name for the Jialing River in Chongqing. The beauty of the moon and the emerald waters in both places folds them together. It is an emblem of the friendship between the two places, and can give pause for thought amongst travelers.

NOTE: We might assume “here” is Seattle; “hometown” is Chongqing, and that the Garden’s stream

reminds him of the Ba River in Chongqing.

Second couplet on the left: 日浮沧海阔飞阁遥分缙嶺霞
The sun floats above the sea. A soaring pavilion parts Jinling's rubescent clouds.
The red clouds of sunrise over the Jinling Mountains is one of the 12 famous scenes of Ba Yu (Sichuan/Chongqing). The meaning of the verse is that even though the two places are separated by the vastness of the ocean, with each sunrise, the high pavilion in the garden provides as beautiful a view as the Jinling Mountains shrouded by rosy clouds.

NOTE: We might consider that the poet sees the sun above Puget Sound, or, in a bigger picture,

the Pacific Ocean. The soaring pavilion might be suggesting that the Floating Clouds Pavilion (when built) will part the clouds of sunrise over the Cascades, as the one in Chongqing parts them over Jinling (which refers to Jinyun Mountain in Chongqing).

The translations and notes came after much hard work from a team of experts headed by Stella Chien, Dewey Webster and Ben Moger-Williams.

Master Chang Wu Na 張悟納 and Dr. Lu Mei-Hui 呂美惠 in the Courtyard

2011-08-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

Master Chang Wu-Na and Dr. Lu Mei-Hui honed their lightening fast skills in a Wudang Sword demonstration in front of their students and visitors at the Courtyard on Sunday. Lightly moving from slow to fast, soft to hard, and attacking from a straight line to a circular, the two co-founders of the International Wudang Internal Martial Arts Academy brought drama and power to the Courtyard, clearly illustrating why Wudang Sword is one of the most famous and sought after sword arts in China's history.

The students then gave additional martial arts demonstrations, including some of the various forms of fighting and sparring (Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, Baguazhang) with the weapons of Nei Jia Quan such as the Crescent Moon Knife and the Body Turning Double Knives. (Check for movie to be posted here soon!)

Thomas Ng from Federal Way demonstrates his fine martial arts form

Dr. Lu Mei-Hui explained to visitors that the Wudang style of martial arts focuses on Qigong training — a serious training which incorporates knowledge of ancient literature about philosophy of life and cultivates balance for physical, psychological and spiritual well being.

Dr. Lu Mei-Hui comes from a long line of martial artists and healers with deep exposure to traditional Chinese music, arts, and medicine. Master Chang Wu Na has been trained in martial arts since the age of four by numerous leading Chinese masters. Both have done great research and training and have won highly esteemed gold medals and international championships from around the world. The Seattle Chinese Garden was honored to have them bring their students to demonstrate their talents and teaching skills in the Courtyard.

陳國就 Allan Chinn — Legacy Builder

2011-08-28T00:44:00.000-07:00

Allan Chinn with Sifu Qian Timing after a martial arts demonstration

Allan Chinn's personal mission to do the right thing for the community came to him while eating roast duck and noodles at the Kau Kau restaurant in Chinatown International District. He was reading an article in NorthWest Asian Weekly about the Seattle Chinese Garden and decided to visit the next day.

The following day he attended a Garden board meeting and shortly thereafter, he was voted on the board as treasurer. This is how Allan Chinn works — he rolls up his sleeves and starts immediately.

Chinn working with the Chinese artisans in November 2010

Chinn takes building a legacy garden and community center seriously. He has always enjoyed building things — most likely learning his skills from watching his father work on projects around the house (his father, a senior pilot for the Chinese Air Force during WW II, flew more than 600 times "over the hump").

Allan is a problem solver, a skill developed from years as a professional arbitrator and nearly 30 years officiating as a volleyball referee. How can we fix this? What do we need? What's the right call? How should we do it? Is this solution right for the community? Let's do it now...

Chinn discusses work with supporter Steve Locke

After only one year at the Garden, Allan Chinn has completed an incredible array of projects. Here are just a few of the many highlights:

He hooked up and maintained the plumbing and electricity for five trailers which housed the Chinese artisans (for four months). He built fencing, doors, and decking for the artisans. He installed irrigation systems throughout the Courtyard to replace leaky hoses for much-needed watering efficiency. He is a liaison with South Seattle Community College. He meets and greets visitors to the Garden.

Allan Chinn with gardening guru Ciscoe Morris and horticultural chair Phil Wood

He commandeers the backhoe on weekends, most recently to help build the perimeter path. He installed signs identifying future structures and is currently working on the retail shop.

Chinn surveys his next project - working the perimeter of the 4.6 acre site

Allan Chinn has truly made his mark on the community. He is bringing people together, working hard “to build a legacy garden and community center that promotes cultural exchange, education, and business development between Washington and China, Seattle and Chongqing.”

Just three days ago, I received a one-line message from Allan:

New entry gate for garden. Built it today.

The wooden gate built by Allan Chinn replaces a chain link fence

Meditation in Motion

2011-08-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Restita DeJesus in blue shirt on the left

Restita DeJesus (just inducted into Masters Hall of Fame in southern California, see West Seattle blog), master instructor from the Seattle Wushu Center, taught her tai chi class in the Courtyard last Saturday. Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion" because it promotes serenity through gentle movements, connecting the mind and body and achieving a sense of inner calm. The graceful exercise flowed without pause. The students coordinated their breathing with the constant motion and the rhythmic patterns of movement. The gentle flowing gestures of Sifu Restita's students combined with their intense concentration filled the Courtyard with serenity reflected most perfectly by the fish gently swimming nearby.

Yvonne Chinn photo

Yvonne Chinn took this photo of the fish in the Courtyard pond while visiting the Garden.

One Year in Two Minutes

2011-08-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team

After one year of blogging about the Seattle Chinese Garden, I decided to compile a few clips into a short video that expresses just a small fraction of the joy burgeoning in this project. We've had an abundance of visitors, volunteers, and events. Watch just a few of the diverse moments showcased in the short movie below.

We need your help to keep us growing! Consider a donation by clicking here.

Martial Arts in the Courtyard with Sifu Leong

2011-08-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

David Leong's Kung Fu school (Belltown Martial Arts) practiced their martial arts today in the Courtyard. Sifu David Leong teaches the Shaolin Hung Kuen style of kung fu, a martial arts system that originated in southern China. He also teaches the art of Chinese lion dancing, and ended the class today with "waking up the lion," a traditional lion dance. The setting could not have been more inspiring, the acoustics for the drums and cymbals perhaps sending neighbors to their decks or under their pillows...

Master Leong took the time to teach the audience various stances, blocks, punches and strikes. In the photo above, students are demonstrating the core hung kuen stance called sae-ping ma which means four-point horse or square horse. The stance is deep and low to the ground. The feet are five steps out from the shoulders and the knees are thrust out to the side, locking the legs. He explained that new students will spend most of their first class working on the proper horse stance.

Centuries ago, Chinese grandmasters developed kung fu martial arts as a way to understand the body, mind and spirit — to enhance one's life internally and externally — developing a fine sense of spirituality, health and physique. "There are no short cuts, true kung fu takes time and patience — I am a student for the rest of my life," said David Leong.

Come to the Garden next Saturday to watch more martial arts, this time from the Seattle Wushu Center.

The Entrance 入口 What Does it Say?

2011-08-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

After the publication of Valerie Easton's article (Seattle's Chinese Garden; both ancient and local) in Sunday's edition of the Seattle Times, large numbers of visitors came to see the courtyard. Many of them asked Docent Dewey Webster about the Chinese writing on the plaques around each of the gates. Dewey spends much of his time during the Saturday tours telling the story of how they came to Seattle and interpreting the meaning of the poetry. The translations came after much hard work from a team of experts headed by Stella Chien, Dewey Webster and Ben Moger-Williams.

All the sign-boards and couplets were composed by the poet Dachun YANG of Chongqing. The first gate into Knowing the Spring Courtyard has a large horizontal plaque above the doorway that reads:

园华西 Seattle Chinese Garden

Docent Dewey explains, "the classical Chinese above can be read from right to left, i.e. Xi Hua Yuan. Xi means west, and it is the first character in the Chinese name for Seattle: Xi Ya Tu. Hua can mean China/Chinese. Yuan can mean Garden."

The doorway is flanked by a poetic couplet, whose calligraphy was done by Chunyuan ZHAO, also of Chongqing. Below is the translation of the couplets (in the translation, note that western refers to Seattle and Ba to Chongqing).

西窗烛剪巴山雨

Trimming candles by the western window;

Ba Mountain rain

华萼香漂海国春

Fragrance of beautiful flowers drifting to spring overseas

Poet Dachun YANG offers us this explanation:
First couplet on the right: Since Chongqing was called Ba Zi (ba zi guo) in olden times, “Ba Mountain” refers to Chongqing. This sentence is borrowed from the Tang poet Li Shangyin who wrote of: “cutting wax in the western window, speaking together of the old times in Ba Mountain.” This was borrowed in order to look back on the common resistance of China and the USA against the fascists.

Second couplet on the left: “Fragrance of flowers” refers to the “Chinese bush cherry” (tang di) in the ancient Book of Songs, an allegory for brotherly love. “Hai guo,” or the “country overseas,” refers to Seattle. It means that the flowers of brotherly friendship are in bloom here.

Coming Together Place

2011-07-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

In a very short time, the Seattle Chinese Garden has become a focal point for demonstrating our region's deepening friendship and growing relationship with China, bridging and cultivating our two cultures in a tangible, often happenstance way. A snapshot of one day's visit to the Garden illustrates how interconnected Seattle has become with the Garden with China and with all the links in between.

Visitors Diane Tien and friend Kitty Flaherty sitting at the Pine and Plum Pavilion on stones quarried from the Yangtze river

Diane Tien just moved to Seattle with her children after living five years in Beijing with her husband. There she was immersed in the education, art, architecture and literature of China - especially involved while raising a family of three sons in Beijing. She came to visit the Garden out of curiosity and perhaps a bit of nostalgia over the life she left behind. "I know how important it will be for me to show my sons something they share with their father without having to hop on a 13-hour flight," she said.

Rongfen Sun Burford, One World Now! Chinese instructor

Meanwhile, as Diane toured the Courtyard, over 45 energetic high school students arrived for a tour. The students were part of a group called One World Now! (OWN!) that had chosen the Garden as the destination for that week's field trip.

One World Now is a program for high school students who are learning critical languages, such as Mandarin Chinese (and Arabic), in preparation for today's more globalized world.

The program gives high school students access to language studies and leadership development, introducing them to perspectives of the Chinese-speaking world and helping to "build the next generation of strong global leaders."
(read Seattle Times article)

The students were guided by their Chinese instructor, Rongfen Sun Burford from the Bellevue School district, who leads the Chinese 2 program of OWN. She took them first to the South Seattle Community College arboretum next door for a picnic in the gazebo that overlooks the pristine white walls of the Courtyard.

Sun told the students the story of how twenty years ago, Seattle civic and business leaders had a vision to create a gateway between Washington state and China that would strengthen our cultural and economic ties. These leaders planned a unique Chinese garden, a coming together place.

Teacher assistants Weiyu Wang and Sarah Miller at the Garden

The OWN students then made their way to the Courtyard ready for their docent tour. Diane Tien was on her way out of the Courtyard when she noticed that one of the high school students looked familiar. Turns out Nadia Nelson was a student and friend of Diane's from Beijing who had also just moved to Seattle. The last time Nadia and Diane had seen each other was four years ago in Beijing when Nadia was a little girl.

In our progressively interconnected world, the importance of building strong relationships within cultures and between new cultures has never seemed more vital nor has it seemed more pertinent. From the vastness of China and its bustling Beijing to the quiet reflective garden on a hillside in West Seattle, comes this chance meeting - two individuals still immersed in the culture of a country continents away, coming together unexpectedly but in perfect harmony.

Diane Tien and Nadia Nelson, a chance meeting in the Garden

A Peachy Parable...世外桃源!

2011-07-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Why is there a peach tree in the Courtyard? The peach tree, Prunus persica, suggests prunes and Persia, but peaches actually originated in China - a favorite fruit of kings and emperors - mentioned as far back as the 10th century BC in writings and manuscripts and in historical records traced from fossil stones in Wu County and Jiangsu Province. Not until Christian times along the Silk Road were they introduced to Persia.

Peach trees are highly prized for their blossoms which bloom before leaves begin to sprout in the spring and most especially for their fruit, which ancient Chinese believed to be a symbol of vitality and renewal. Today, many cultures consider the peach to be the fruit of happiness and longevity.

Many folk tales and parables such as Peach Blossom Spring and the Peaches of Immortality perpetuate the popularity of the peach...

The tale of the "Peach Blossom Spring" (桃花源记) by poet Tao Yuanming is a tale about a fisherman's journey upstream through a narrow cavernous passage where unexpectedly he discovers a forest made up entirely of blossoming peach trees When he reaches the end of the river, the source turns out to be a grotto behind which he discovers a vibrant village with animals and people living in harmony with nature - a chance discovery of an ideal utopia, the primal source of water, light and life.

The expression, "peach spring beyond this world" (世外桃源) has become a popular Chinese expression meaning a fantastic place off the beaten path, usually an unspoiled wilderness of great beauty often found unexpectedly. Kind of like the garden. Come upstream and find the grotto!

Weekend Workers - Ants and Butterflies

2011-07-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the earth moved. Huge backhoe loads of earth dumped and shoveled and raked by the sweaty strength of a few hard-working volunteers. The butterflies flitted about the garden, the eagles soared high above the courtyard (screeching seagulls in hot pursuit), and the lily stamens burst an iridescent orange - but still, the earth moved.

Garden president Jon Geiger, drove the backhoe, dumping huge mounds of dirt and mulch along the path to Song Mei Ting and around the Discovery center. Andrea Jensen and Brady Morrison hefted trees and shoveled the piles of earth with horticultural chair Phil Wood. They worked hard throughout the day in tandem with the rumbling efforts of the front loader. Brady ran off for a supply of much needed drinking water, Andrea dropped the shovel to pick up the pruning saw. Shovels and spades and rakes and hoses passed hands.

Phil Wood with volunteers Andrea Jensen and Brady Morrison after moving earth and trees near Song Mei Ting

The plants and trees had been stored over the last few years in the swath of land east of the courtyard and the time had come to move them into the garden - to soften the harsh lines of the Discovery center and fill out the path on the "back 40". While scooping the earth, I noticed a diligent file of ants marching towards the hill of soil we were toiling over and laughed - we are the ants in this slowly evolving garden. Ants are social insects working for their community. They have division of labor, communication between individuals and the ability to solve complex problems. Ants play an enormous role in terrestrial ecosystems, but best of all, often the hard work of ants plays a direct role in the transformation of butterflies by sharing something sweet (watch the National Geographic video showing how ants protect the caterpillars with their mutual sugar fix).

Jon Geiger driving the backhoe

Industriousness and cooperative effort moved the earth on Saturday. More volunteers showed up to help shovel the soil, tend the trees, water the plants. And the butterflies still managed to flit across the landscape thanks to the hard sweet work of all the ants...

Volunteer Loc Nguyen received detailed watering instruction from docent Dewey Webster

"We are closer to the ants than to the butterflies. Very few people can endure much leisure." Gerald Brenan

Chinese Garden 西雅圖"西華園" on TV in China

2011-06-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Millions of people in China learned about the Seattle Chinese Garden on Saturday, June 25th, by tuning into Cultural Odyssey, a primetime magazine-style TV program produced by the Voice of America.

The beauty of Knowing the Spring Courtyard and its Sichuan characteristics and our plans for the complete garden with Floating Clouds Pavilion, Tea House and the harmonious blend of nature and architecture was showcased in a six-minute segment of the program. The closing image captures the Garden’s cultural mission with a photo of the Seattle Chinese Girls Community Drill Team performing at our May 15 open house celebration.

Enming Liu, a producer with VOA’s Mandarin Service, visited the Garden on March 24 to film and interview SCG president Jon Geiger, communications chair Sandy Marvinney, and Donna Tang, co-director of the Confucius Institute of Washington, who will collaborate with us to offer the Garden as a site for K-12 class field trips focused on Chinese culture and language.

VOA producer Enming Liu interviews Donna Tang, co-director of the Confucius Institute of Washington, about her impressions of the Garden and its educational and cultural importance.

Cultural Odyssey, broadcast by satellite TV in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, reaches an audience of about 30 million. Liu, based in Washington, D.C., travels across America producing documentary segments on fascinating places and people. He and Jon Geiger bonded over their common alma mater - Syracuse University - where Liu studied film production. Liu hopes to return for the grand opening of the complete garden in 2016.

Both thumbs up and four stars for Liu and the Garden! Watch the video below!

Posting and photo by Sandy Marvinney

So Long Sara

2011-06-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sara Kleinknecht (right) standing in front of the courtyard early this winter with Allan Chinn and Julia Freimund

Sara Kleinknecht has been working for the Seattle Chinese Garden since last July. Yesterday was her last day. She anticipated the volunteer position would be good experience before heading off to Seattle University Law School to pursue a degree in international law, starting this summer. Her love for Asian culture started young - she grew up learning Japanese and has traveled to Thailand, Japan and China many times, most recently on semester study abroad programs through the University of Oregon where she received her undergraduate degree in Chinese.

Sara wanted to become more involved in the Asian business community. She found the Garden website after graduating, and knowing that finding full time work would be difficult since she was available for only one year, she took the volunteer position.

Immediately Sara proved invaluable - thrown into the complicated juggling act of working with the Chinese artisans who arrived in August and assisting our program director, Julia Freimund in running the office.

Especially during the four months the Chinese workers were here building the Courtyard, Sara helped with translation, meals, cleaning, trips, and events. And then after they left, most of her time was consumed by office work and graphic design projects, marketing and fundraising meetings, and more big events. She organized and staffed the new discovery center. She has been an incredible asset for the garden and will be sorely missed. So long Sara and thank you for your incredible committment to the garden.

One of Sara's many talents involve being a member of Northwest Wushu and Tai Chi. She gave a demonstration in front of hundreds during the May open house celebration of Knowing the Spring Courtyard (Sara is fourth from the left)

Honoring the Vision Builders, Part Three

2011-06-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

Stella Chien, Herman Chien, Dorothy Chen and Jim Chen

The major benefactors recognized at the May 15 luncheon all have deep roots in the Seattle Chinese Garden. Stella Chien and her family, and Jim and Dorothy Chen, are among our earliest community members and supporters, and our most generous individual benefactors. They have served the garden in leadership roles and as the “tradition keepers” who share their passion for the arts and culture of China. We also honor them with the traditional character for “Longevity.”

Elizabeth Warman from Boeing (a representative
of the Miller Foundation was unable to be present)

Two key corporate and foundation benefactors to date are The Boeing Company and the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation.

Boeing demonstrated its enthusiasm for the garden with a major gift that was the foundation of our first capital campaign in the late 1990s, and has continued its advocacy in many ways over the years.

A recent gift from the Miller Foundation supported Knowing the Spring Courtyard. It reflects and carries forward the enthusiasm of Betty Miller, an expert gardener and plant collector who contributed her expertise and financial support to the garden in its earliest years. In gratitude for the support of the Boeing Company and the Miller Foundation, we honor them with the “Blessing” character.

Blog posting by board member and communications professional, Sandy Marvinney

Honoring the Vision Builders, Part Two

2011-05-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

From left, Hong Qi, Judy Koenig, Sandy Marvinney, Jon Geiger, Kuang Ping, Jim Dawson

Together, the three vision builders and sustainers honored during the May 15 Dedication Day luncheon have devoted a combined 62 years of service to the Garden. No three people have worked harder and with more dedication, passion, and endurance for so long. We have been truly blessed by their contributions, so Jim Dawson and Judy Koenig received a stone carved with the character “Blessing.” We knew that Kuang Ping did not want to carry a heavy stone back to China, so we presented him with an inscribed square of dark green granite similar to those to be placed on our brick donor wall.

Judy Koenig in the courtyard during construction

A devoted gardener, Judy infused passion into the Chinese Garden beginning in 1994. She served on the board of directors from 1995 through 2010, and as president in 1997 and 1998. She convinced the Chongqing Garden Bureau to build Pine and Plum Pavilion to show our community a tantalizing manifestation of the vision. A former teacher, Judy also established the docent program, a core component of our educational mission since 1999, and negotiated early educational collaborations with South Seattle Community College. Judy and her husband Lee are major individual benefactors and we are grateful to Lee for sharing Judy with the Garden.

A family trip to China in 1986 sparked Jim’s interest in its extraordinary culture, and when he learned about the plans for the Seattle Chinese Garden, he promptly joined the Citizens Advisory Committee. He is a past president of the society and a long-time vice president. As an architect, Jim has collaborated closely with the Chongqing architects on garden planning and design at every stage of the project. He has visited Chongqing many times and devoted untold hours to fulfilling the vision for the garden — truly a life mission. He and his wife Karan are major individual benefactors and we are grateful to Karan for sharing Jim with the Garden.

Kuang Ping and Jim Dawson in Eling Park, fellow photographers collaborating during the visit to Chongqing

A good friend and colleague, Kuang Ping has collaborated closely with us for two decades. As deputy director general of the Chongqing Landscape Bureau, he directs the team working on the garden’s master plan and the design of its pavilions, courtyards, and landscape. He has welcome our Seattle team for numerous intensive meetings in Chongqing, and he spent six weeks in Seattle in 1999 supervising construction of Pine and Plum Pavilion. Kuang Ping’s steadfast commitment, vision, and expertise have enabled us to reach this dedication milestone.

Blog posting by board member and communications professional, Sandy Marvinney

Honoring the Vision Builders, Part One

2011-05-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of people over the past 25 years have contributed to the Seattle Chinese Garden - with volunteer time, financial support, and community advocacy. Every single one brought us another step closer to the May 15 dedication of the Garden and Knowing the Spring Courtyard. New plaques near the courtyard entrance recognize our upper level donors from 1995 to May 2011.

The luncheon preceding the May 15 dedication was the time to honor, in person, a special cohort of key advocates, leaders, and supporters with roots plunging deep into the early years of this vision to build a Chinese garden in Seattle. Their common trait is passion for the project, longevity of commitment, and continuing engagement. Their enthusiasm and unstinting dedication have inspired us all. The Garden’s gift to them is a stone with a Chinese character carved by one of the master artisans (click here for story) who helped build Knowing the Spring Courtyard.

From left, Jonathan Geiger, Mike Craig, Charles Royer, and Bill Stafford

In this first blog we recognize three leaders who in 1985 put a symbolic spade into the soil to plant the seed idea to build the Garden. Without their vision and leadership, we would not be celebrating today. They have remained strong advocates exhibiting great patience and persistence over the long journey to the dedication milestone. They received stones with the character for “Longevity.”

Charles Royer

As mayor of Seattle, Charles Royer played a central role in establishing Seattle's sister city relationship with Chongqing, signing the official affiliation agreement in 1983. He asked Bill Stafford, then director of the city’s Intergovernmental Affairs Office, and Mike Craig, sister city association president, to visit Chongqing in late 1985 to meet with government leaders to plan exchange programs. The vision for a Chinese garden in Seattle emerged from those meetings. Royer led a 1986 civic and trade delegation to Chongqing, signed the memorandum of understanding for designing and building the garden, and has remained a staunch advocate.

Along with Mike Craig, Bill Stafford built support in Seattle for the garden project and in 1986 helped organize a Citizens Advisory Committee of prominent supporters. He encouraged establishment of the Seattle Chinese Garden Society in 1989 and served on the board of directors in the early years. As head of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle since 1981, he has received many delegations from Chongqing, has visited our sister city at least ten times, and is one of our region’s most enthusiastic boosters of the garden.

Over the past 27 years, Mike has served three separate terms as sister city president, the first from 1984 through 1989. His dedication to the garden effort also led to his service as executive director of the Garden Society from mid 2007 to mid 2008, a management transition period when his expertise and experience were vital to keeping the project moving forward. He also has donated many hours of volunteer time, and continues to share wisdom with Garden Society leaders.

Blog posting by board member and communications professional, Sandy Marvinney

Mayors Meet in Stormy Weather, Open House Celebrations Prevail

2011-05-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

SCG board member Shen Yushi, President of South Seattle Community College Dr. Gary Oertli, San Francisco China Consul General Gao Zhansheng, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Chongqing Vice Mayor Ling Yueming, and SCG president Jonathan Geiger standing in front of the Li Bai statue at SSCC

Minutes before Sunday's dedication ceremony for Knowing the Spring Courtyard, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn met with Chongqing Vice Mayor Ling Yueming. Hosted by South Seattle Community College President Gary Oertli on the SSCC campus, the small private gathering was attended by Consul General Gao Zhansheng of San Francisco, SCG president Jonathan Geiger and SCG board member Shen Yushi. After gifts were exchanged, they concluded their brief meeting in front of the marble statue of the poet Li Bai, a donation to the Seattle Chinese Garden by the famous Chinese sculptor Ye Yushan. The statue, titled "Drinking with the Moon" will eventually be moved into the Garden when the next phase is complete (Ye Yushan came into national prominence after creating a sculpture of Chairman Mao Zedong in a non-traditional relaxed pose that now sits near Tiananmen Square).

From left, Leigh Wang, Shen Yushi, Julian Loh, Attorney General Rob McKenna, Consul General Gao Zhansheng, Bellevue deputy mayor Conrad Lee, SCG president Jonathan Geiger, Mayor Mike McGinn, Vice Mayor Ling Yueming, Congressman Jim McDermott, SSCC President Gary Oertli, Seattle council member Sally Bagshaw, and Dr. Mark Wen

Before the ribbon cutting - stretching over twelve pairs of scissors - speeches and introductions were made under a big tent outside the Courtyard. Gary Oertli along with Mark Wen the Commercial Strategy Manager for the Port of Seattle welcomed the guests and performed introductions. Mayor McGinn and Vice Mayor Ling Yueming both emphasized the importance of our sister-city relationship. Dignitaries who also gave speeches included Congressman Jim McDermott, Attorney General Rob McKenna, Seattle City Council member Sally Bagshaw and longtime garden supporter Stella Chien.


The Seattle Chinese Girls Drill Team marched with amazing precision and grace in the courtyard

After the speeches, a lion dance by master Leong's Shaolin Kungfu academy opened the cultural activities. The rain stopped just as they finished and the courtyard filled with people happy to enjoy the celebration with music, dance, and martial arts. More pictures of the VIP luncheon and the dedication in a slideshow below. To see the Seattle Girls Drill Team march check out West Seattle Blog's great footage here (pun intended...).

Northwest Wushu and Tai Chi

After the days activities Mark Wen invited the Chinese Parks Department delegation and some of the hard working volunteers, many of whom came from Microsoft's CHIME organization, to his home for a relaxing meal and congratulatory drinks. Stella Chien showed off her ping pong skills...

Chongqing Delegation 重庆市 Visits Site

2011-05-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Deputy Director General Guo Mingyuan 郭明远 of the Chongqing Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office visited the Seattle Chinese Garden today for the first site inspection since the completion of Knowing the Spring Courtyard. With him leading the delegation was Zou Ximu 邹习木, Division Director of the Chongqing Bureau of Parks and Woods (重庆市园林局). They met with the Garden board president Jonathan Geiger and vice president Jim Dawson to discuss the future of the project and the financial hurdles involved in such a collaboration.


From left, Zhang Li, Jiang Hong, Guo Mingyuan, Zuo Ximu, Chen Hong, Yang Hong

Despite the unfortunate loss of their luggage, the delegation rallied their spirits and enjoyed the sunshine and a successful meeting before heading off to Boeing for a special tour. Tomorrow they will be back with Chongqing Vice Mayor Ling Yueming's delegation for the dedication ceremony.

From left, Guo Mingyuan, Jiang Hong, Howard Ju, Jonathan Geiger, Zuo Ximu, Zhang Li, Debbie Liu (from Microsoft), and Yang Hong

Two Chinese Delegations to Visit Seattle

2011-05-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Geiger with Vice Mayor Ling Yueming in Chongqing, January 2011

Two delegations from Chongqing, China will be arriving in Seattle this week for the official opening of the Seattle Chinese Garden.

Vice Mayor of Chongqing Ling Yueming with his delegation of seven will be attending the dedication ceremony led by Jonathan Geiger, president of the Seattle Chinese Garden.

Several months ago they had a meeting in Chongqing. There, Geiger thanked the mayor for the fine work done by the Chongqing Parks Department and the Changshu Ancient Garden Construction Company, and in turn, Vice Mayor Ling thanked the Seattle Chinese Garden Society for completing the first courtyard, especially under the economic hardship of the last few years. Deputy Director Kuang Ping of the Chongqing Bureau of Parks hosted the Seattle delegation for five days (read previous blog entry here) orchestrating many of the meetings with dignitaries. He will also be a part of Vice Mayor Ling's group.

Deputy Director Kuang Ping of the Chongqing Parks Dept.

The second Chinese delegation is a group of six from the Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing led by Yuanming Guo, Supervisor of Inspection. This group is going to inspect Knowing the Spring Courtyard construction, financial reports, and plans for the next stage. The group represents various departments within the Parks Bureau which donated the $1.5 million contributed in materials and labor. They will then make a technical report back to Chongqing on their return.

The event on May 15th is drawing quite a crowd of dignitaries. Officials expected to speak on Sunday include Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle City Council member Sally Bagshaw, and Consul General Gao Zhansheng of the People’s Republic of China Consulate in San Francisco. Also attending will be Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna, King County Council member Jan Drago, Congressman Jim McDermott, and a representative of Governor Christine Gregoire.

Consul General Gao Zhansheng visiting the Courtyard with Jon Geiger, February 2011

Among the 200 guests at the event welcoming the two Chinese delegations will be key local supporters and advocates for the Seattle Chinese Garden. The program will begin with brief cultural performances by several members of professional troupes from Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces.

Knowing the Spring Courtyard was designed by architects in Chongqing, located in southwest China, and built in collaboration with Chinese artisans and Seattle architects and contractors. The Seattle Chinese Garden, when complete, will be one of the largest Chinese gardens outside China, and the first in the United States to be designed in authentic Sichuan style.

Dig Big in the Garden

2011-05-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Adonis Piper-Williams brought his shovel to the Garden so that he could help dig a big hole. The job for the day was to move the Chinese Birch to a new spot outside the Courtyard. Adonis brought his mother Helaina and big brother Aji along to help him with the hard work of digging the hole and replanting the tree. Aaron Skinner, SCG head gardener, holds monthly volunteer work parties at the garden site and a group of dedicated workers show up with their gloves, shovels, rakes and plenty of enthusiasm.

Helaina Piper, Aji Piper-Williams, Adonis and Brook Dukes get ready to fill the hole around the Chinese birch.

The garden is being spruced up in readiness for the Open House ceremony which will be this coming Sunday May 15th from 3 to 5pm (directions on the right sidebar). The timing couldn't be more perfect in terms of blooms and foliage. The cherry blossoms look stunning against the backdrop of Chinese architecture, blue sky and dramatic white walls. Despite giving up his Sunday to plant a tree, Adonis wasn't sure he was ready to donate his goldfish to the pond. He thought perhaps Sammy the goldfish would get too lonely.

Mason Oleg Fast at Work on Donor Wall

2011-05-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Mason Oleg Sudorov prepped the donor wall in readiness for laying stones this week. He plans to install the footing stones on Friday. Today Oleg can be seen working on the wall converting the rough plans in Chinese (photo above) to the placement of the stones and mortar that you see below. When I asked how hard it was for him to read the Chinese, Oleg laughed and said almost as hard as it was for him to convert from the metric system to the American system when he moved here from the Ukraine 18 years ago.

The Chinese plans were easy to follow, he said, because they use the international system of measurement (the United States is the only industrialized country yet to adopt the metric system, although it is commonly used in the US Armed Forces and in fields relating to science).

If you walk into Knowing the Spring Courtyard you can see on the northwest corner wall a plaque in Chinese and English sent to us from our sister city Chongqing. The reflection of the inner courtyard walls can be seen on the plaque - one of the first projects the Chinese masons installed while they were here building last fall, 2010.

Dewey the Docent

2011-05-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dewey Webster rode his bike for Japan, he rode his bike for China, and he rode his bike for love. The love for architecture, gardens, language, and ultimately a woman, started in 1984 in Japan, where as a young practicing architect, he rode all over Kyoto on a bicycle, taking photos of gardens and architecture. And then, since he was studying Japanese gardens and their early connection to Chinese gardens, it made perfect sense for him to head off to China.
In China, Dewey soon became a tour group escort, bicycling the lower Yangtze valley, exploring all the famous “scholar” gardens of Yangzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Shanghai - his burgeoning interest in "China-on-the ground" leading him to further his studies there - learning Chinese, teaching English, and falling in love - pedaling in serious pursuit of Zhufeng, one of his bike tour guides whom he soon married.

Dewey in 1985 (middle with cap) ready to lead a bike tour in Shanghai. His last tour was 1995.

Dewey and Zhufeng moved to Seattle in 2001. He quickly became interested in the Seattle Chinese Garden, but was underwhelmed by what he first saw when he came out to take a look at the construction site. However, after taking Jan Whitner’s (former SCG horticultural chair) Chinese Garden class at South Seattle Community College and learning about docent training with Judy Koenig (former SCG board member), Dewey discovered his growing excitement in the nascent project dovetailed perfectly with his background in Chinese culture and history. After 7 years of doing a slideshow tour, he is eager to see how well he can blend the slideshow with the garden walk into one tour now that the first Courtyard has been built - a challenge for a guy who claims he can hardly tell the difference between a rose and a rhody.

Dewey and docent Judy Koenig in the Courtyard during construction - fall 2010

“Needless to say my work in design and construction meant I was quite interested in the design and construction of the garden. I have eagerly followed the construction stages, and have sought to include information about that in the tours. My interest in the language has motivated me to work with others in the translation of garden element names and the poetry plaques now on the walls. And I suppose it is from my years of organizing tour groups in China and Japan (and in the US for Japanese groups) that I figured I could handle the organization of public and private tours since the opening of KSC.”

Dewey at the entryway giving a tour to poet Marie Harris and photographer Charter Weeks

If you go to the Garden on Saturdays, you can take a tour at 1pm. More often than not, your docent will be Dewey Webster, tour guide extraordinaire, without the bike perhaps, but with all the love.

Bamboo Curtain House Man

2011-04-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

If you go to the garden on Fridays, you'll be sure to meet the Bamboo Curtain House Man. Mr. Eng Heng volunteers every Friday at the Seattle Chinese Garden. He has become indispensable with his help, traveling by car 36 miles back and forth all the way from Shoreline to give his time, energy and words of wisdom to the new Discovery Center located just outside the Courtyard. Mr. Heng works so much on his landscaping at home that the bus driver on the line from Northgate to Shoreline center has taken to calling the stop near his place "the bamboo stop." Eng Heng, in addition to being an avid gardener, is a prominent member of the Shoreline Chinese Association.

The bamboo at Mr. Eng Heng's house

Sophia and Selene Rodriguez were visiting the Courtyard on Friday with their mother Annabel, a parent at the Alki Co-op School from the South Seattle Community College - even a quick visit running through the gates and sitting on the rocks was enough to convince Annabel the trip well worth mentioning to the school as an easy and rewarding field trip, just around the corner from their location.

Song Mei Ting

2011-04-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

This small pavilion called Pine and Plum or Song Mei Ting, was the first structure built in the garden. The pavilion's tiles and woodwork were crafted in Chongqing, and along with stone quarried along the Yangtze river, were shipped here and erected by Chongqing artisans in 1999. Plum, which blossoms in winter, along with pine and bamboo, are the "three friends of winter".

Jim Dawson photo

Artisans of Changshu Ancient Style Garden Construction Company, shown above sitting at the Pavilion on a break from their work last November, refurbished the pavilion in fall 2010 while they were here building Knowing the Spring Courtyard. They found the secluded pavilion a restful spot to escape the noise of construction and could often be found sitting there with tea and quiet conversation.

Today, the pavilion continues to be a peaceful retreat amidst the bustling business of growing the Garden. The tranquil shelter stands soft and quiet but immensely powerful and impassively generous to those who take the time to cultivate self reflection.

Bring a book or a journal or a thermos of tea and enjoy the sanctuary.

Spring hours are Wednesday through Sunday 12 to 5:30 pm.

Discovery Center Drop Off

2011-04-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Allan Chinn

Board member and treasurer Allan Chinn guarded the exposed corner of Knowing the Spring Courtyard as the semi backed the trailer into its spot - because of the wet conditions, it took the semi several swipes before Allan was happy with the placement. The driver nearly lost it when Allan insisted he move it another 6 inches so that it would be in perfect alignment allowing for the best possible flow of people while maintaining the most minimal impact on the beauty of the Courtyard - a tricky balance indeed.

Once the trailer was finally put to rest, Allan grabbed garden supporter Steve Locke for some heavy lifting before they headed over to discuss the new donor wall which by summer will be bounded by a slope of rockery and plants. The wall will display inscribed bricks recognizing friends who are supporting the Garden through the "buy a brick campaign" described in previous postings.

Steve Locke with Allan Chinn

錢惕明中國武術8段

2011-04-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

Light, elegant - soft as a floating cloud and flowing water, light as a swallow flying over the Garden walls - Master Qian Timing displayed the elegance and quietness of Tao, effortlessly changing between yin and yang to the lucky few who happened to be visiting the Garden today. Master Qian was born in 1929, which makes him 83 years old. He is a 3rd generation master of the Changzhou branch of Wudang Free-Step Taijiquan, which combines all the elements of Wudang martial arts. And he is a 12th generation lineage holder of Wudang Dan Pai. Inspired by the setting of Knowing the Spring Courtyard, Master Qian demonstrated his internal strength and good health with grace and dignity

Watch this Qian Timing slideshow or this short video I made with my small camera.

"Wudang Sword has been in existence for many hundreds of years. It is one part of the Wudang martial arts curriculum that was handed down by the Taoist Immortal, Zhang San-Feng." (video demo)

"Wudang Sword is the main element of Wudang Dan Pai. It uses delicate technique along with lightning fast movements. Wudang sword goes from slow to fast and soft to hard in an instant. Attacks can be straight-line or circular. Low postures are utilized along with high jumps in the air. It is this combination that makes Wudang Sword one of the most famous and sought after sword arts in China's history."

Wudang mountains (武当山), located about 500 miles inland from Shanghai, have been a center for Taoist thought and training for the past two thousand years. The beautiful mountains are said to be full of spiritual and healing power - home to many temples and martial arts schools, many of them very secretive. It is said to have been in these mountains where the legendary Zhang Sanfeng went for a retreat and was inspired to create Tai Chi martial arts and the famous Wudang Sword. To learn more about the Wudang mountains, watch this beautiful slideshow.

Master Qian has published several best selling books on Wudang Dan Pai martial arts in China and over fifty articles on Wudang Sword and martial arts in China and the United States. He has taken more than twenty disciples, but has passed the complete art of Wudang Sword to only a select few. He is an 8 Duan high level Tai Chi master. Master Qian won two Grand Lion Gold medals in the National Martial Arts Competition held on Wudang Mountain in 1986 and 1989 (The Major Methods of Wudang Sword, by Huang Yuan Xiou, 2010. Translation by Lu Mei-hui and Chang Wu Na).

武当山来的太极师傅说西花园很美。
A Tai Chi master from Wudangshan said Seattle Chinese Garden is beautiful.

Prepping the Pond

2011-04-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Jim Dawson photo

At the northeast corner of Knowing the Spring Courtyard, the Lotus Pond is developing its shape and defining its contours. You can see in the distance through the arc of the backhoe below the Seattle skyline. The view will be spectacular once the Floating Cloud Pavilion is built. Watch our video to get an idea of the whole project and see the amazing progress we've made! SCG Video.

Jim Dawson photo

The grading and gravel below are laid in readiness for the Discovery center and tent for the public Open House on May 15th. Put it on your calendars now - you can click on the map on the right sidebar if you need to see where we are and how to get there. May 15th from 3 to 5pm.

Jim Dawson photo

Shaping up the Garden

2011-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Jim Dawson photo

Allan Chinn, SCG treasurer and board member adds to the latest news: "The Garden is starting to take shape and very soon we will have platforms showing where all the other structures will be. The last bit of gravel will be spread today. The space between Knowing the Spring Courtyard (above) and Floating Cloud Pavilion (in planning stage) is all level and will soon be covered with gravel. The area for the new discovery center is getting ready for delivery on Thursday and the Lotus Pond has its rough shape." (Allan, can you tell us about that enormous rock? Is it staying in the garden? Was it buried on the site? Readers, as well as any four year old on his first visit, would love to know!)

Jim Dawson photo

The donor wall (above in front of the entry court) is curing and the skin coat will be applied soon. If you are interested in being a part of this freestanding wall with your name inscribed in English or Chinese characters (gold on a beautiful dark green granite brick) you will be part of an exciting phase - a simple but dramatic way to create a legacy for yourself and the important people in your life - a permanent and quite prominent reminder of your support. Click here to go the Brick Campaign page on our website.

Grading the Site - Getting Ready for Open House May 15

2011-04-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Jim Dawson photo

Dramatic photos of the latest grading around Knowing the Spring Courtyard and the building of the new donor wall highlight preparations being made for the Open House ceremony on May 15. In anticipation of great public showing, a delegation from our sister city Chongqing will be coming for the ceremony. This is another important milestone in the building of the Seattle Chinese Garden that you don't want to miss. The public is welcome at the Open House on Sunday, May 15 at 3:00 pm.

Jim Dawson photo

The donor wall as seen on the left above and in the forefront below will be a prominent reminder of the support from brick donors. The bricks will be permanently displayed on this freestanding wall in the entry court just outside Knowing the Spring Courtyard. Create a legacy for yourself and order now!

Jim Dawson photo

西华园 Xi Hua Yuan - What's Happening Now?

2011-04-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

What's going on in the Garden? Docent Dewey Webster sends us this photo update. Grading for the Discovery Center adjacent to the new courtyard and also in preparation for the Brick Donor wall, as well as re-shaping of the pond, has started. Saturday tours at 1pm will continue with "caution" flags marking the impacted areas.

Come and see the plants and trees in bud and blossom!

Magnolia blossoms above and
Crabapple buds below

First Cherry buds above and
Dawn Redwood needle buds below

Field Trip to Your Inner Heart

2011-03-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

Friday was a perfect day to make an escape from the routine - a flight from the ordinary, yet complicated lives we lead. The sun was out, the sky was blue - I grabbed a friend and headed over to West Seattle for a quick cleansing breath of fresh spring air and a walk through Knowing the Spring Courtyard. We encountered several like-minded visitors intent on enriching mind and spirit, curious about the growing project. Marisa and Jeffrey Fang, visitors from South Seattle, were struck by the brightness of Knowing the Spring Courtyard, the clear lines, the dramatic setting. The play of shadows against the white walls was startling, mesmerizing us into contemplative moods.

Marisa Fang and Jeffrey Fang standing at Song Mei Ting in the Garden

What I love seeing in the garden the most is people's reactions to the serenity, the beauty, and the possibility. The Seattle Chinese Garden may be impatient to grow and in great need of financial support and volunteers to help, but the benefits of visiting today are already burgeoning. You see a historical landmark in its infancy. Many have yet to discover this fledgling utopia.

One of the features of a Chinese garden is to provide a place for one to connect with nature, to come back to one's inner heart. The Seattle Chinese Garden has achieved just that. Stand on the hill where the Floating Cloud Pavilion will soon soar 85 feet over the garden on an axis with the Space Needle - surrounded by the Cascade and Olympic mountains - and you will be thrilled.

Winter Sky Opens Spring Window

2011-03-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

夜来风雨声 Last night I heard the sound of wind and rain.

And today at the Garden, I had to wear a winter coat. Mittens would have been handy. The blustery winds rattled the old bamboo and shook the old leaves foolish enough to hold on tight through the cold, wet winter season. The white walls seemed stark and the trees looked barren. Rocks by the pool were slick with dampened moss and the fish were hiding - or maybe the raccoons had enjoyed a midnight snack.

Yet, upon closer inspection, I could see buds on the bare branches, warming up a bit to the temperate sky. The waiting is almost over - new life is just around the corner. Knowing the Spring Courtyard will soon celebrate its very first spring.

春夜喜雨 Delighting in Rain on a Spring Night

杜甫
Dù Fǔ

好雨知时节，
A good rain knows its proper time;
当春乃发生。
It waits until the Spring to fall.
随风潜入夜，
It drifts in on the wind, steals in by night,
润物细无声。
Its fine drops drench, yet make no sound at all.
野径云俱黑，
The paths between the fields are cloaked with clouds;
江船火独明。
A river-skiff’s lone light still burns.
晓看红湿处，
Come dawn, we’ll see splashes of wet red –
花重锦官城
The flowers in Chengdu, weighed down with rain.

A poem by the prominent Chinese poet Du Fu (712-770) from The Selected Poems of Du Fu, translated by Burton Watson (2002).

Wintersweet 蜡梅属 - Poems and Memories

2011-02-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

Peter Kirkham photo, Murray Edwards Garden

Wintersweet (Chimonanthus) usually blooms during Chinese New Year, the biggest Chinese holiday of the year. The following story and poems come from long-time garden supporter Stella Chien who was raised by her grandparents in Beijing and remembers well the strong fragrance of her childhood.

宋王十朋
蝶採花成蠟, 還將蠟染花。
一經坡谷眼, 名字壓羣芭。

Butterflies gather pollen from flowers,
With pollen, they dye the flower petals like golden wax.
Blossoming at the feet of slopes one passes through,

Their startling beauty superior to all flowers.

My grandfather had a big garden full of rare flowers and plants. He had a big hot house where he kept plants unable to survive the winter. Because of the severe Beijing winters, Wintersweet could not survive outdoors.

Wintersweet was one of his collections - in the dwarf penjing style, well trimmed with a full blossom of golden flowers so sweet and beautiful. When they were displayed in the large central room of our house, the fragrance flowed through the whole room and lingered for two weeks. I love them so much. Since leaving Beijing, I had not seen Wintersweet for almost half a century.

清潘遵祁
木落崕枯景已闌, 東皇春汛尚姍姍。
冷香寂寞東窗下, 留輿幽人伴歲寒。

Fallen leaves and desolate cliffs present tranquil scenery to the end,
Spring is still far away with plenty snowmelt around.
The delicate fragrance lingering quietly under the east window,
Accompanies the person in seclusion through the cold season.

In 2001, we had a big Chinese garden display in the Flower and Garden Show exhibition in Seattle. I made a suggestion to Mr. Phil Wood, who was in charge of the display (Phil is currently the horticultural chair of the Garden), to include Wintersweet in the show. He found it and displayed it in that year’s show. Because of the unique color, shape, texture and fragrance, it drew a lot of attention to many visitors.

After the show, the plant was planted by the side of Song Mei Ting (Pine and Plum Pavilion). Meanwhile, I planted three very small winter sweet plants of different species in my own garden, hoping to help me cure my homesickness.

Due to my own health problems and later my husband's, I had not visited Song Mei Ting for many years until this year when Knowing the Spring Courtyard was completed. On that opening day, Phil gave me a little sprig of Wintersweet and reminded me that Wintersweet was doing well and growing to a tall shrub.

Immediately, I ran to Song Mei Ting and saw the well-branched shrub with the whole tree full of golden fragrant blossoms. I was in tears.

宋朱熹
風雪摧殘臘, 南枝一夜空。
誰知荒草裡, 卻有暗香同。
姿瑩清黃外, 芳騰淺絳中,
不遭岑寂侶, 何以媚芳蹤。

Wind and snow destroy the late winter scenery,
All blooming branches gone overnight.
Who would imagine within the neglected wilderness
Comes the hidden fragrance from the transparent golden petal
If not for the lonely companion,
How could I find this beautiful blossom.

I know that with good care Wintersweet will settle happily in the Puget Sound area just like I have. To my knowledge, the University of Washington Arboretum has it and my previous garden has a few small flowers. I hope there will be more Wintersweet planted in our region. Stella Chien

The New SCG Video

2011-02-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

What brought Matt Lincoln to the attention of the Garden board was the Best Director award Matt won for a short video he produced in one week with a $40 budget (The Price of Silence, CMF International 2010). "That's my kind of action, and my kind of budget," said board president, Jonathan Geiger. Geiger contacted Matt in New York City where he is currently based and together they developed a proposal - not quite at the $40 dollar level - but within the very tight Garden budget.

"Matt was very interested in helping our non-profit. He jumped on a plane and came out to help," said Geiger.

Matt, now back in NYC, writes, "I love film. I've known I wanted to make a career out of it and even what film school I wanted to go to since 9th grade. Having also been infatuated with Chinese architecture since around that time and having loved working with non-profits since Boy Scouts, getting involved with this project was a no-brainer. The SCG team was extremely professional while also sustaining a laid back and friendly work environment. This was a refreshing change of pace from New York, especially having grown up near Seattle where this kind of attitude seems much more pervasive."

Matt worked closely with board member Sandy Marvinney and with our program director Julia Freimund to come up with this short promotional video.

Matt is also an accomplished composer, he premiered his first orchestral arrangement in the ninth grade and had a chamber piece debut with the Seattle Symphony in the eleventh grade. His recent successes have included scores in prime time commercials and international film festivals. Listen to some of his intriguing score samples on his website: Jade Seal Productions.

I Can Feel China

2011-02-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

Visitors to the Garden this weekend were not graced with sun, nor were they brushed with the balmy breezes of spring. The skies were gray and the breezes had bite.

Instead of good weather, the Garden was distinguished by community this weekend - people coming together to honor and support our first major project, whether they came to the Gala event on Saturday night or the Garden itself on Sunday.

Benjamin Lee (Chairman of HKAW Foundation) pictured here with Christina Hsu from Herndon, Virginia (China Telecom Sales Manager), was hugely instrumental in having the Garden selected as the beneficiary of HKAW's 2011 Chinese New Year Gala (see Man of Action).
On Sunday, sitting at the northeast corner of the Courtyard against the curved supports of the balustrade was Paige Miller, former executive director of the Garden (currently of the Washington Park Arboretum). With her was her daughter, Marta Johnson, who as a nine-year-old, accompanied her mother to Chongqing on a sister city visit in October 1991. "It was during that visit that I had my first meeting with the Parks Bureau about the Seattle Chinese Garden project. That was 20 years ago this year," said Miller, "the project was dear to my heart for a long time."

She and her family delightfully engaged in the spirit of what is often called the "Beautiful Ladies' Balustrade" named for the pretty women in China who pause to watch goldfish in the pond while admirers take their pictures. Jim Dawson, Jon Geiger, and young Gusti provide proper balance for the ladies.

Jim Dawson, Paige Miller, Sandy Marvinney, and Jon Geiger with Miller's daughter Marta Johnson
and grandson Gustav Lober

Chinese garden design is influenced by an ancient Chinese philosophy that seeks harmony in the balance of paired opposites, symbolized by yin (soft, dark, feminine) and yang (hard, bright, masculine). I found many examples of this over the course of the weekend.

Book author, Ida Hattemer-Higgins (The History of History) - on tour from Berlin, Germany - stopped by after her reading at the Elliott Bay Bookstore. She stands appropriately against the hard white walls and lattice windows - often called "leak" windows for the glimpses into nature’s wonders that are ‘leaked’ through the wall, helping a person’s mind take a journey by imagining what might be found on the path just beyond...

Andy Yip, President of the HKAW Foundation, arrived at the front entrance holding his son in his arms, showing his boy the signs above.

The plaque above the door reads Xi Hua Yuan. Xi is the first syllable of Seattle and also means western. Hua is an ancient name for the Chinese people and nation, and also sounds like the character for flower. Yuan means garden.
The panels on each side of the door display a poetic couplet. Poetry, a revered art form in China, is often incorporated into garden elements.

And finally, a little girl in pink, visiting with her father from just over the West Seattle ridge, stood in a trance by the tall slender stones naturally formed in caves in Zhejiang province.

I told her these rocks all came from China and that they were called "bamboo shoot rocks" because they resemble shoots of bamboo which grow rapidly in spring. She was very still for a moment and then she said quietly, "I can feel China."

Opening Day Draws Huge Crowd

2011-02-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

Back to back success this weekend! The Chinese new year gala last night, presented by the Hong Kong Association of Washington (HKAW) Foundation - with the Garden as this year's beneficiary - was an upbeat, joyous event attended by well over 500 members of Seattle's dynamic community eager to support our ambitious project.


Consul General Gao Zhansheng, HKAW Chairman Benjamin Lee, Nora Chan, and CG Gao's wife Ms. Wang Yanlai

Consul General Gao Zhansheng of the San Francisco Consulate, People's Republic of China and his wife Wang Yanlai flew in from San Francisco to attend the event and to visit the Garden the following morning.

Today, the gates to the garden were officially opened and over 300 visitors came by to take a look.
Consul General Gao was our first visitor of the day - the first on our official public opening day. Read here the story in the Seattle Times.

Consul General Gao entering the Courtyard with president Jon Geiger

The Chinese community plays an integral role in making Seattle one of America's most vibrant cities.It makes perfect sense that we should have a traditional Sichuan-style garden on a hill in West Seattle to share the centuries-old traditions of the Chinese culture.

Visitors came from all over the region. The parking lot was full - neighbors of South Seattle Community College, where the Garden is located, walked or biked over to the Garden, excited to finally get a glimpse of the finished courtyard.

Children ran in and out of doorways, up and down corridors, and out the main gate to marvel at the wide expanse of hill framed by pine and bamboo groves - the future site for the 70-foot Floating Clouds Tower. Parents urged them to follow the path and find the Pine and Plum Pavilion, the first structure in the garden, glad to have space for their kids to roam before Super Bowl plans.

Marian Liu (Seattle Times) interviews vice president Jim Dawson

The excitement and energy were palpable, even on a blustery February day.

The ridge-top site, open to the south and protected by a greenbelt to the north and east aligns with the Space Needle in downtown Seattle. Views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains will be visible from the Floating Clouds Tower which will soar four stories high once built.

Dewey Webster and Judy Koeing gave a free docent tour to the packed Courtyard.

They gave docent tours throughout construction, but this must have been quite a moment for them to actually have the completed Courtyard as their stage, the fine acoustics within the white walls strengthening their voices in a harmonious flow of energy.

Dewey Webster with Heidi Geiger

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit 新年快乐!

2011-02-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

During construction, many people came to watch the first major structure, Knowing the Spring Courtyard, rising up from the bare concrete pad and steel girders, framing the filtered view of Puget Sound and the Space Needle in the distance. Hard hats were worn and the construction dust and noise mingled with the Chinese voices of the artisans.

Starting on Sunday, February 6th at noon, you can visit on a self-guided tour without the dust and hard hats and see the completed Courtyard. A free docent tour will be at 1:00 pm. Start your new year with a visit to the Garden. Already, the flow of visitors on private tours has stepped up.

Board member Sandy Marvinney, Deng Bo and his daughter Deng Zihan,
Jonathan Geiger, and Tang Changping

Chinese directors Deng Bo and Tang Changping from the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington (CIWA), came to visit the Garden this week, hosted by board members Sandy Marvinney and Jonathan Geiger.

SCG and CIWA will collaborate to bring K-12 educational programs focused on Chinese culture to the Garden. Last year, CIWA joined efforts with the University of Washington and Seattle Public Schools to provide "lifelong pathways to learning Chinese language and culture."

Over 250 Confucius Institutes have been established in 90 countries around the world, with nearly 70 in the United States. Confucius Institutes are a non-profit initiative of the Hanban, the executive body of the Chinese Language Council International, a non-governmental and non-profit organization affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China. CIWA is the first to be established in Washington.

Donor Stella Chien with wintersweet twig from Phil Wood

On Thursday, horticulturist and plantsman Riz Reyes, celebrated the Chinese new year with a visit to the garden and noted in his wonderful blog The Next Generation Gardener that he was just in time to see the fragrant wintersweet in full bloom near the Song Mei Pavilion - its richly scented blossoms could be detected in the courtyard several meters away.

After a meeting of the horticultural committee for the garden, landscape designer and board chair Phil Wood, who hosted the meeting, cut sprigs of his wintersweet growing in his garden in Wallingford.

Sneak Preview

2011-02-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

Judge Warren Chan, Stella Chien, and Nobie Chan in the Chan Education Center

Members of the Seattle Chinese Community Girl's Drill Team

The gates to Knowing the Spring Courtyard were opened on Sunday with a small celebratory gathering of important supporters and key volunteers. The event, organized beautifully by Julia Freimund and her corps of volunteers and board members, marked the day with joy and anticipation, music and dancing, and thanks all around. The Chan Education Center was filled with Courtyard photos and books and slideshows of the accomplishments of the 21 Chinese artisans who completed the courtyard in November.

The symbolic opening of the gates one week prior to the public opening on February 6th was celebrated in a traditional Chinese way with music and firecrackers, pretty dancers poised at the gates and in the entryways. The upbeat mood was further boosted by the dry weather and the community coming together in a space they worked long and hard to build.

How does one get to know China, a country of over one billion people? Nearly thirty years ago, we established a sister city program with Chongqing. Perhaps this was recognition that a city, Seattle, at that time a city of one million, could learn more about China by developing a relationship with Chongqing, now a city of 33 million.

Today, we have a beautiful Sichuan garden on a hill starting to bloom in Seattle.

Andy and Susan Hutchison

Ann Buckner and Margaret Rothchild with granddaughter Lila leading the group into the Courtyard

Elaine Locke, Stella Chien, Steve Locke and daughter Melissa

Vi Mar and Howard Eng King

The garden will help tell the story of the contemplative Chinese culture, history and tradition - and those involved who have nurtured this project in so many ways know that more will come forward to cultivate this story. Success begets success, progress hastens progress.

Today we pause and give thanks - we celebrate the completion of a major milestone. We thank each and every one of you - for your time, your treasure, your sweat and tears that have taken us this far.

Tomorrow we are back to work - to finish the task of completing our garden on the hill.

We thank members of Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team and musicians from the Chinese Arts and Music Association for their contributions to the festivities. Special thanks to Judy Koenig for the delicious snacks and to Black Dragon Tea for the wonderful selection of teas.

The Seattle Chinese Garden will open its gates to the public on Sunday, February 6th. A special docent tour will be at 1:00 pm.

Winter hours will be Wednesday through Sunday 12 to 4:30 pm.
Docent Tours - Saturdays 1:00 pm.

Seattle Delegation Hosted by Chongqing Officials

2011-01-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

On the very same evening that President Obama was welcoming President Hu Jintao to the White House with words urging collaboration and a stronger partnership that will benefit the world, deputy mayor of Chongqing Ling Yueming was welcoming president of the Seattle Chinese Garden Jonathan Geiger with a similar message. Geiger was visiting Chongqing last week with five delegates from the Seattle Chinese Garden.

President Jonathan Geiger meeting with deputy mayor Ling Yueming in Chongqing

"The friendship between Chongqing and Seattle is a partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit - Knowing the Spring Courtyard in Seattle is a reflection of our culture - it is beneficial to us both to promote the exchange of the cultures of our people," said Ling.

Seattle's sister city Chongqing is the world's largest municipality by population (33 million) and by area (31,800 square miles).

Deputy mayor Ling thanked the Seattle Chinese Garden Society for completing the first courtyard, especially under the economic hardship of the last few years. He also thanked Seattle for working with his city to help design and build a Seattle northwest garden to be showcased in their International Garden Expo opening September 2011 - making particular note of the key players in this effort, architect Ilze Jones and landscape designer Phil Wood.

In turn, Jonathan Geiger thanked the mayor for the fine work done by the Chongqing Parks Department and the Changshu Ancient Garden Construction Company.

"The Garden symbolizes our enduring friendship with China and Chongqing and will help local and international visitors gain a stronger understanding of the richness of Chinese culture and gardens," said Geiger.

One of the interesting remarks Ling made concerned the need for China to learn from America the spirit of volunteering and giving back to the community. Philanthropy is something China needs to develop as our two nations strive for what President Hu, in a post-summit news briefing called, "the positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-US relationship."

The visit to Chongqing will hopefully encourage more participation by both of our cities towards the strategic and long-term perspective recommended by our two leaders. The building of a Chinese garden in Seattle is a perfect start towards promoting the culture and traditions of our two countries.

Expo Director Zhou Jin at Chongqing construction site with Yangming Chu, Phil Wood, Ilze Jones and Jonathan Geiger

The Chongqing Foreign Affairs Office arranged all the meetings with the high level leaders of Chongqing to discuss the future construction of SCG and the Seattle garden for the International Garden Expo.

Over the course of five days, the Seattle delegation was hosted by many dignitaries including: deputy director Kuang Ping and director Yu Shouming of Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Parks, president Wang Xiaoxun of the Zhi Gong Party, deputy director general Zhang Haiqing and division director Lu Jin of the Foreign Affairs office, vice chairman Yu Yuanmu of Chongqing People's Congress, and director Zhou Jin of the International Garden Expo.

Jim Dawson admiring posters made by the Chongqing Parks Bureau, photos of the US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke visiting the Chinese artisans in Seattle in September are featured.

Delegation to Visit Chongqing

2011-01-14T10:36:00.000-08:00

For over two 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.

Jim Dawson

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.

Today, a delegation is headed off to Chongqing to continue to build on our long term relationship. Board president Jonathan Geiger, vice president Jim Dawson, and horticultural chair Phil Wood will be thanking the Chongqing Parks Department and the Chongqing Municipal People's Government officials for their support in designing and building Knowing the Spring Courtyard - the first Sichuan-style courtyard to be built outside of China, completed in November.

They will also be discussing the next phase of the Garden project and how we might collaborate to complete the 4.6 acre Garden in 5 years.

Ilze Jones

Phil Wood and another member of the delegation, Ilze Jones, co-founder of Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects will also be discussing the design of the Seattle-style garden to be built on the Chongqing Expo site for the International Garden Expo in September of this year. They have been chosen by Chongqing to participate in the International Garden Expo and will meet with garden landscape and horticultural experts from the Chongqing Parks Department.

Years ago, Jones & Jones was hired by the Garden 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.

The fifth member of the delegation, Liz Hattemer, editor of the Seattle Chinese Garden blog, will be keeping you posted on the Chongqing visit and the meetings with the government officials.

Please note that Garden funds are not being used by board members for this trip.

King5 Show Hosts Come to the Garden

2011-01-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

Erickson holding the light reflector for Meeghan and Ciscoe

Cameraman Wolfgang Isenhart

Anne Erickson, producer of Gardening with Ciscoe, the half hour show that airs on KING5 TV on Saturday mornings, did her shoot at the Seattle Chinese Garden today for a show that will air on January 22.

The highly popular show co-hosts Meeghan Black and Ciscoe Morris, who have an incredibly buoyant rapport off camera as well as on, were inspired by the setting of Knowing the Spring Courtyard to work several hours shooting their segment for their half-hour program seen weekly on KING 5 TV - cameraman Wolfgang Isenhart worked his magic behind the lens while Erickson directed the pair against the backdrop of the stately courtyard. The depth of storytelling and focus on Northwest communities is what makes Meeghan Black's show, King 5's Evening Magazine, stand apart from other news shows in the market.

Allan Chinn and Phil Wood with Ciscoe Morris

Ciscoe's enthusiasm for cultural exploration is clearly not just a camera-ready pose. He recently returned from a trip to Ethiopia where he was blessed by a 120-year-old monk sequestered in mountain caves for the last 31 years. Ciscoe then went on to climb Abuna Josef, the third highest peak in Ethiopia - perhaps he was blessed with even more vigorous energy than his usual - imagine that!

Meeghan and Ciscoe also spent time catching up on the details of the courtyard with board members Allan Chinn and Phil Wood, horticultural chair for the Garden. On his way out, Ciscoe was particularly glad to meet head gardener Aaron Skinner who has been doing an incredible job getting the courtyard ready for the public opening on February 6th. Don't forget to watch Gardening with Ciscoe on January 22 to get a sneak peak at the courtyard before it opens.

The Upturned Roof

2011-01-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Dramatic soaring roof lines at the Garden ( Steve Plattner photo)

Some say the curved, upturned roof in Chinese architecture originated out of Buddhism and its ancient principles of warding off evil with curves. If evil spirits were to descend from the sky, for instance, they would hit the roofs and be sent shooting back up and away (however, gods were also inspired to descend onto earth by the color black, such as in roof tiles - very tricky!).

Another practical effect of the curving concave roof may have been the shooting of snow and rain water well off the eaves and away from the edge of the foundations (medieval European builders did this with parapet gutters and spouts and gargoyles). It also reduced the height of the roof while keeping a steep pitch for the upper part of a wide span at the eaves, thus reducing lateral wind pressure (Chinese Architecture).

But if the curve upward is a hydraulic device to throw water away from the building, much like a skier going down a ski jump, water has to come down at great speed and volume for this clever, yet labor and material-intensive device to actually work.

Upturned roof at the Garden (Steve Plattner photo)

With all the conjecture about these upturned roofs, the theory I like the most appeals to me as an amateur photographer:

The upward curve of the corner eaves functions as a sort of lens hood. A normal lens hood is able to maximize the reception of light rays. By blocking unnecessary light rays from entering through the lens you can reduce the intensity of lens flares in wide angle photography.

The curved Chinese roof is actually letting more light in while at the same time acting as a lens hood by preventing a large fraction of light from entering.

Zhuozheng Garden in Suzhou

"The upturned roof-edge in China had the practical effect of admitting the maximum amount of slanting winter sunlight and the minimum amount of downpouring summer light" (www.pasadena.edu).

So the upward curve at the edge of the eaves maximizes sunlight entering the courtyard when the sun is in the southern sky during winter and maximizes the shaded area around the courtyard when the sun is more directly overhead in the summer.

While there is nothing you can do about the earth and its horizon, obviously there is something you can do about roof corners - when turned upwards they allow for a beautiful field of view, particularly striking in a garden courtyard.
The Seattle Chinese Garden will be open to the public on Sunday, February 6th. Winter hours will be Wednesday through Sunday 12 to 4:30 pm.

Building the Courtyard 2010

2010-12-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

I imagine most of us are scrambling to make our holidays feel festive and meaningful — the traffic can be overwhelming, the rain discouraging, tempers unsettling — so it is easy to forget the significance of the work of the Chinese artisans here in Seattle.

This story speaks to US - Chinese relations with a compelling story line. The US and China have a complicated relationship — an economic superpower for the past 65 years confronting a rapidly emerging economic superpower. China is one of our largest creditors and one of our largest trade partners. The perceived Chinese reluctance to let their currency appreciate per the free market has convinced many in the US that China does not fully understand that free-trade is a two-way street. The Seattle Chinese Garden's experience with Chongqing tells a different story. We have real people in Seattle and China cooperating, working together, deepening our cultural ties and promoting the understanding and appreciation of an ancient Chinese cultural tradition in the "new world" to which many of its people have immigrated.

Our sister city Chongqing has contributed labor, materials, architecture and design — free of charge — to our local community. The Chinese have donated goods and services to a US non-profit, enhancing US-China relations directly. The local Seattle and Asian communities are actively involved.
The Chinese garden is a centuries-old tradition in Chinese culture. An apt analogy might be the United States funding the building of democratic institutions in China — an integral element of our 234-year legacy.

This is a story that says the headlines you read every day in the press don't tell the full story. Amidst all the posturing by politicians in China and the US over trade deficits and currency levels, here is another story—on the ground, in the US — about Chinese and Americans cooperating with people and money and materials to build a Chinese garden on a hilltop in Seattle.

Take a break and watch the 4-minute slideshow of the courtyard being built and the artisans who were here just one month ago. Pour yourself a cup of tea or maybe a glass of good cheer and toast our collaborative efforts.

And if you are still wondering what to give someone or how to make a lasting impression on generations to come, consider adding a brick to the wall for our brick campaign. Give your friend or your child - the ones you love dearly - a chance to be a part of something big, something growing. Buy a brick and carry forward your name - be a part of this memorable garden.

Buy a Brick - Build the Wall

Thank you to our Vital Volunteers

2010-12-12T23:44:00.000-08:00

Jeni Mar and Helen Lum

Lilyan Leong and Milly Cheung

Lorraine Toly and Carolyn Matthews

When you walk through Knowing the Spring courtyard and marvel at the rockery and the beauty of the gates or a window opening to the view, what must be remembered is the many hands involved in creating such a space. The work of the 21 artisans who were here for three months and the work of the more than 60 volunteers who took care of them.

Three times a week and with unbelievable style and grace, Milly Cheung picked up and delivered meals from the House of Hong. Lilyan Leong, Jeni Mar and Judy Koenig cooked several hearty dinners for the artisans.

Key volunteer Jeni Mar recruited many of the drivers to deliver the food. Jeni and other volunteers slipped in extra, unexpected gifts of fruit, desserts, Chinese newspapers, and other goods that were given anonymously by the faithful drivers. Steve and Elaine Locke set the standard by being key back-ups who frequently made extra dishes, did the weekly Costco runs (with the support of Fran Locke), and hosted afternoon teas at their home with a chance for the men to relax. Steve was a star player in this team effort. In the last two months, Paul Larned stepped in to ease the burden for Steve - taking over meal and propane deliveries, dump runs and other tasks. Emergency back up drivers included Marie Guzzardo and Yan Chen.

Throughout their stay, Jing Wang played a pivotal role in making sure that every meal delivery was covered that all the artisans' needs were met - such as new sole inserts or matches - all with smiling efficiency and speedy translation. Additional translation during field trips was graciously provided by Sherry Song.

And then, of course, the continued force of Benjamin Lee, who mobilized local companies and individuals to help, coordinated rice and noodle purchases, provided three phones which allowed the artisans to call home to China regularly, organized trips and dinners, and arranged the donation of one down comforter for each artisan from Pacific Coast Feather, just as the temperature dipped low. Benjamin also chaired the Artisan Support Committee which coordinated all the meals and social activities of the artisans, quickly resolving problems and pitfalls as they cropped up.

Allan Chinn and Steve Locke - they set up the sewer connections, the electricity, the propane for each trailer - and more importantly, kept them running!

Lorraine Toly, who organized and fully stocked the Dutchmen trailers with linens and cooking equipment, is also tops in terms of tireless trip treks! The artisans saw more of Seattle than most of us who live here - they went to Chinatown, Northbend, Snoqualmie Falls, Ballard Locks, Alki Beach, Ste. Michelle Winery, Mt. Rainier, Tulalip Snoqualmie Casino, and various private homes (croquet and dinner with Jennifer and Julia Freimund, barbecue at Jon and Heidi Geiger's, art class at Nancy Mee and Dennis Evans, and the uproariously fun Halloween party hosted by Steve Erickson!). They had frequent forays back and forth between Lowes and Costco.

Let's not forget dinners by Kam Leng, Arlene Phillips, Lee Vaughn. We also appreciated lunches provided by Kau Kau, Sea Garden, Ron Chow, Judy Koeing, Jeni Mar and friends. Christine and Omar Lee donated Friday lunches prepared by Imperial Garden Seafood chefs.

These are all people with big hearts and thoughtful minds. An incredible effort - a true collaboration. Hooray for the Seattle Chinese Garden Society for putting this all together.

The work was intense and there is now a magnificent courtyard to show for it. Thank you, especially, to all of you extremely vital volunteers. You have captured the spirit of community, engaging our hearts and minds.

There are so many volunteers that I am sure I might have missed a few… if so, please respond to blog and tell me about someone you know who was really special. I have highlighted some of the more prominent volunteers in this article.

The Mountain in Winter White

2010-11-22T20:54:00.000-08:00

Allan Chinn photo

Yesterday, I wrote about how the dusting of snow - surprisingly - accentuates the white walls in Knowing the Spring Courtyard. Today, Seattle Chinese Garden Society treasurer and board member Allan Chinn walked through the quiet courtyard and took some beautiful photos in the snow - the garden has already begun to work its inspirational magic. I asked Allan to share his thoughts...

With the Artisans home in China,

This court now seems empty

What was steel and cement now a living thing

They have made it a wonder to behold

The snow lays a soft mantle of white on the stones.

Missing that tapping of the masons

Snow hangs a white coat on the trees

Missing that shovel covering roots by men of nature

Snow covers the doors with a white coat of winter

Missing that tapping of the chisel by carpenters

Snow quietly coats the walls in its own shade of white

Missing that brush stroke of the painters

Its quiet beauty being made more in harmony with nature

Our labors only made to look feeble as nature creates it own beauty

Days like this make us humble with the power of nature

As caretakers of this garden we stand in awe as nature creates its own beauty.
陳國就
Allan Chinn, November 22nd, 2010

Allan Chinn photo

Knowing the Spring in Winter White

2010-11-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

As we head into the cold wet months of winter - snow flurries today hastily blasting us even before pumpkins get pitched - preparations for the public opening of Knowing the Spring Courtyard are in full force. The plan is for the courtyard to open to the public on December 31st with tours and public access to resume at the start of the new year.

Construction shadows from late October

Today, with the shock of snow in Seattle, I couldn't help imagining how beautiful the courtyard will look covered with a dusting of snow. The pristine white walls and pebble mosaic floor are in such stark contrast to the black tiled roofs and wooden details of the doorways and windows - snow would surely enhance the appealing composition.

White walls are of great importance in the composition of Chinese gardens, for without the foil of the white walls, the charm and beauty of trees, flowers, or rocks in the garden would be largely reduced. In Chinese gardens, great attention is paid to the beauty of shadows from the light (Beyond Suzhou, Region and Memory in the Gardens of Sichuan).

At sunset in the Seattle Chinese Garden, and most likely in the bright light of a full moon, the rockery, roof peaks, bamboo, cypresses and other trees in the garden all cast black shadows of their profiles onto the white walls, artistically abstract and deforming, overlapping and flickering in different shades and shapes, making up a picture of lingering attraction.

White paint swatches on the garden walls in October

When the artisans were here working, I remember how difficult the choice of white paint was for the stucco walls. Apparently the traditional color of white for garden walls in the Sichuan region, after which this garden is designed, has a more pinkish hue, but that white wasn't right in the Northwest landscape. Even with a dusting of snow, the white walls of Knowing the Spring Courtyard are the perfect canvas for the many elements of this wonderful garden.

How to Turn a Tree

2010-11-11T00:22:00.000-08:00

How do you turn a tree the whole way around? One way is to put the tree into the back of your pick up truck and drive around.

The other way is to get 21 Chinese artisans to help you.

Aaron Skinner, head gardener for the Seattle Chinese Garden, worked with project director Yangming Chu and architect Feng Dacheng to turn a few trees, the last big project before they left to go home to China. The trees were delivered, but getting them into the Courtyard and positioned into their holes required major finesse...

How many Chinese artisans does it take to turn a tree? As many as it takes to build a courtyard...
Knowing the Spring Courtyard.

The View from On Top the Dutchmen

2010-11-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

With the artisans leaving for China today, a serious quiet is settling back into the site. I climbed on top of one of the Dutchmen trailers and was amazed at the view of the Courtyard. Soon the trailers will be gone and the hill leveled - so the opportunity to take pictures from this vantage point will disappear too.

These six Dutchmen trailers were their homes for 3 months. The 21 artisans worked diligently and speedily to complete the Courtyard before the bad weather settled its gloom and wet on Seattle.

Just one week ago, before finishing touches, the Courtyard - already peaceful.

The Courtyard is pristine now, the white walls setting off the entryway gate and the leak windows and the beautiful tile roof - dramatic flaring lines sweeping to the sky. The interior rock formations, pebble mosaics, and river rock source pool, all framed by the quiet walls - the windows opening to a view not yet completely captured. The dramatic trees recently planted not yet coming into their beauty.

I eagerly anticipate the next phase of the Seattle Chinese Garden, because this one is stellar.

The superior work and craftsmanship - apparent the moment you step through the entry gate into the beauty of Knowing the Spring Courtyard - takes your breath away.

Life in the Garden

2010-11-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

On October 8th, China launched a tree-planting program to counteract soil erosion along the Three Gorges Dam section of the Yangtze River, with two ceremonies held simultaneously in Beijing and Chongqing. The program is aimed at raising funds from individual and institutional donors for planting trees on 978 square miles along the banks of the Yangtze River in Chongqing, a city of more than 30 million residents.

Vice Premier Hui Liangyu and Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai attended and addressed the ceremony in Beijing. Hui said the tree-planting program would be a great contribution to the reforestation and protection of the Yangtze River as well as a new probe for the bio-environmental protection of China's major rivers (Environment News Service).

This week in Seattle, the Chinese artisans planted trees inside the nearly finished courtyard where they've been working for the last three months. They were sent here by the city of Chongqing to help build the Seattle Chinese Garden.

And just like the placement of the Yangtze river rocks in the courtyard last month, turning the balled and burlapped trees - positioning them just so - involved a lot of discussion and intense pulling and grunting and heaving.

A tree that can fill

the span of a man's arms

Grows from a downy tip;

A terrace nine stories high

Rises from handfuls of earth;

A journey of a thousand miles

Starts from beneath one's feet.

Lao-Tzu

In the end, I couldn't help thinking about those trees being planted along the banks of the Yangtze river and how we've made such an incredible connection between two cultures by building this Sichuan-style garden.

Boeing Welcomes Artisans

2010-11-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Chinese Garden (SCG) artisans enjoyed a very rare VIP tour of the Everett Boeing plant as their last excursion before returning home to China next week. Boeing's Wesley Bare (standing front right in photo), who is in charge of Everett tours on the factory floor, led them throughout the building, allowing them to walk the final assembly lines for Boeing's 747, 777, and 787 airplanes.

The group in front of a 777 Boeing engine (photo by Gary Konop)

"The artisans were amazed by the complexity of our operations and the size of the airplanes. Getting an "up close and personal” tour of Boeing factories is a once in a lifetime opportunity and the group was ecstatic," said Jonathan Geiger, Boeing executive and SCG president (standing second from left).

Boeing senior structural analyst Dr. Kangmin Niu (front left) provided expert interpretation for the tour which was organized by Gary Konop, director in charge of VIP visitor relations for Boeing. Also joining the artisans from Boeing were Benjamin Liang and Jenny Guan (on the right).

"After working for months on the Garden, and seeing the artisan operations, it was a pleasure to show them our operations and projects. The drive for quality and perfection is common to all of our work. Carving stone and wood to create a beautiful garden takes the same attention to detail and craftsmanship as forming metals and composites into airplanes. The mission is similar as well...getting people of the world together to share experiences and culture," said Geiger.

SCG volunteers Lorraine Toly, Dewey Webster, and Steve Erickson as well as board treasurer Allan Chinn and project director Yangming Chu also joined the tour.

Boeing has donated over $1.8 million to the Seattle Chinese Garden.

Stone Mason Ji Jinxiang 吉金祥, 石匠

2010-11-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Jing Wang, who has been working with the Project Director for the Seattle Chinese Garden, interviewed one of the stone masons building Knowing the Spring Courtyard. Among the artisans, Mr. Ji is the one most interested in learning English, so the Seattle Chinese Garden staff gave him an English name, “Jimmy”.
(吉师傅非常热衷于学习英文，所以西华园的工作人员给他起了一个英文名字 Jimmy).

"I am very happy now." 吉师傅的快乐生活

Jimmy is a social butterfly always flitting around talking and enjoying life. Even though he has only known a few Americans, he has been deeply impressed with the warmth and welcoming spirit he has felt from them. Jimmy also mentioned that he feels a wonderful family-like relationship, a caring support from the many Americans he has met during his time here and wants to thank all those who have supported the artisans here in the Seattle Chinese Garden.

Mr. Ji with his stone lion carving. (Photo by Steven W. Plattner)

吉师傅善谈，喜好交往。美国人的热情好客给他留下了深刻的印象。在西华园施工的这段日子里，每天都能感受到来自当地华人和美国人亲人般的关心和照顾，使他倍感亲切。他非常感谢所有西华园的工作人员。

As a developed modern country, Jimmy said, everything in the USA is highly mechanical. In America we have a tool for everything, which is very helpful to efficiently complete tasks.

However, when comparing the traditional Chinese techniques and modern western technology, it is difficult to say which one is better since there are still a lot of things that cannot utilize machinery, especially the craftsmanship of the national Chinese style.
虽说来到美国才两个多月，吉师傅已明显感受到，美国作为一个发达国家最显著的体现，就是这里事事处处机械化的程度都很高。吉师傅非常喜欢那些先进的机械装置，因为这可以使他们的工作事半功倍。但提及中国传统工艺和西方现代工艺比较时，吉师傅觉得很多中国传统手艺和民族风格的体现，依然是机械所不能达到的。

Since he has arrived in America, Jimmy would like to go around and explore more things and see all the differences here in the USA. With the happiness and curiosity he feels, Jimmy almost forgets how much he is missing his home and family……
来到美国，吉师傅很想到处走走看看，开阔视野。来到美国的欣喜感几乎使吉师傅忘记了想家…..

(Interview by Jing Wang and translation by Jenny Guan for the Seattle Chinese Garden)

How Did The Chinese Artisans Get Here?

2010-11-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Before the Chinese artisans leave to go home, I thought I'd answer the question...

Three years ago, immigration attorney Gregg Rodgers and paralegal Verna Seal with the law firm Garvey Schubert Barer (just recognized by U.S. News and World Report’s inaugural edition of the Best Law Firms 2010), took on the pro bono job of securing Q-1 visas (temporary work visas as part of an international cultural exchange program) for the Chinese artisans coming to Seattle. When all the artisans did not get visas in 2008, the trip was canceled. Last spring, Gregg and Verna started up the process all over again, and on August 6th, 2010, the 21 Chinese artisans stepped off the plane to the warm and relieved welcome of the Seattle Chinese Garden Society. They were finally here.

With the courtyard nearly complete, SCG Board vice president Margaret Britton invited Gregg and Verna to meet the artisans and see their work.

From left, Verna Seal and Gregg Rodgers stand with Margaret Britton as Yangming Chu points to the Garden. Mr. Feng is clasping his documents on the left while on the right Mr. Jiang and Mr. Song look on.

The challenges for securing those visas were huge. The Q-1 visa is meant for the international cultural exchange visitor - one who will share the history, culture and traditions of their home country through practical training and temporary employment. Building Knowing the Spring Courtyard is a perfect example. Gregg and Verna filed all the documentation with the US Customs and Immigration Service for the Q-1 visas and got approval.

Mr. Feng is reassured one more time by Gregg Rodgers and Verna Seal that his documents are all in order. Yangming Chu takes notes while Margaret Britton keeps track of the documents.

Architect Feng Dacheng and manager Song Weizhong
with Gregg Rodgers and Verna Seal

The second part of the process involved an online visa application for each artisan, coordinated by Mr. Song Weizhong in Changshu, China.The work involved in submitting all the documents perfectly right would keep most of us up late into the wee hours for weeks. Gregg Rodgers and Verna Seal managed to secure all 21 of the visas under hair-pulling deadlines and copious restrictions - with a little help from our Volunteer Coordinator, Lorraine Toly!

And they did this so that the Seattle Chinese Garden could finally build their first courtyard...

Hear the Song

2010-10-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

The Chinese artisans took a break from construction (Knowing the Spring Courtyard is nearly complete!) for a weekend field trip and ventured into the gardens and studios of Seattle artists Nancy Mee and Dennis Evans on a blustery fall day. None of us knew what to expect.

Nancy Mee, whose sculptures incorporate glass, forged steel, stone and photography, focuses on fusing and slumping glass. Dennis Evans is a master of oil on wax encaustic with mixed media - very mixed, very eclectic, no other style quite like it. They both demonstrated their magic with a dramatic flair that entranced us all.

If mythology is the foundation of their work - evident in the stone works in the garden, the small engravings found at every step, the assemblages and collections and colors in their home - then the emotional power of their personalities was our transcendence. The artists were charming and gracious and utterly fascinating - Nancy's incredible spread of homemade delicacies clearly setting the stage, influenced by a past sojourn in France. Or maybe Italy - I'm craving one of her biscotti right now.

The studios - top and bottom of their house (an amazing experience in art itself) - were their stages. Dennis pulled out the torch and fired up the wax-covered canvas in his studio with a demonstration of his art. Jing Wang and Sherry Song, volunteers for the Seattle Chinese Garden, translated the idiosyncrasies of art-speak as fast as possible. Nancy cut the glass, opened the fired kilns, sand-blasted a design, and explained the process she goes through to attain her final sculpture.

What will stay with us always is the warmth and the spirit of Dennis and Nancy who gave up their Sunday to welcome the Chinese artisans into their home.

The recognition that the implements of their trade are not so far removed from the tools of the twenty one Chinese artisans was apparent to all.

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song...

Stone Lion 石獅 Guards the Garden

2010-10-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Mr. Ji Jinxiang, mason from Jiangsu, China, carved a beautiful small stone lion during his free time from masonry work on Knowing the Spring Courtyard - his talent evident in the fine detail and perfect proportions of the figure.

Chinese guardian lions (often incorrectly called "Foo Dogs" in the West), were a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China. They were believed to have powerful mythic protective powers that traditionally stood in front of Chinese Imperial palaces, tombs, temples and homes of the wealthy from the Han Dynasty.

Today, pairs of guardian lions are still common symbolic elements at the entrances to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and other structures in China, with one sitting on each side of the entrance.

The lions are always created in pairs, with the male playing with a ball and the female with a cub. The small stone lion carved by Mr. Ji will hopefully soon find its mate so that the Seattle Chinese Garden will have all the proper protection...

Mr. Ji Jinxiang (right) laughs with the artisans as he puts a Seattle Chinese Garden helmet on his stone lion.

How Strong is a Pebble? 卵石有多强？

2010-10-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Chinese artisans are currently filling in the stone paving squares inside Knowing the Spring Courtyard with black stone pebbles. One pebble at a time, each stone in the pebble mosaic is being laid with care.

Haste makes waste

欲速則不達

Jimmy Cooks for Steve

2010-10-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

From the left, Miao Jincai, Zhang Aming, Ding Shousheng, Chen Jianming, "Chef" Wu Jianfei, and Ji Jinxiang

Showing a high degree of skill and flair and warm hospitality, steadfast Garden supporters Steve Locke (Operations Director of the Seattle Chinese Garden) and Elaine Locke hosted both lunch and dinner for the Chinese artisans at their home on Sunday, combining a trip to the market with early morning forays into their pantry and back patio - setting up the giant propane wok outside on the deck for a fall feast of crustaceans and fish and tofu and delicious winter melon soup.

In the photo above, the Chinese artisans load up their plates with the incredible luncheon fare which Steve Locke described as "a simple lunch of ma po tofu, fried rice (by Mr. Qian), winter melon soup (by friend Lonnie), shrimp (by Mr. Wu), and barbecue pork..."

Steve and Elaine started their day very early and ended very late, but in no time flat, Steve had Mr. Ji (aka Jimmy) wearing the master chef hat. "I'm cooking, I'm cooking!" shouts Jimmy, forced into his chef's role by friend Steve. Under the watchful eye of Chef Wu, Jimmy is cooking shrimp and, on the right, tofu in the wok.

Chef Wu is checking the shrimp carefully, teaching Mr. Ji some expert cooking techniques. The wok, donated by King Wei from the House of Hong, has certainly come in handy these last two months.

(King Wei has been responsible for preparing the majority of the daily meals for the artisans while they are working on the construction site. Dedicated volunteers have been delivering the meals which the Garden gets at a discount.)

Chen Jianming, "Chef" Wu Jianfei, Tan Jiandong, with friend Lonnie who cooked a large pot of winter melon soup

Mr. Gu Jianpu and Mr. Wu put rubber bands around the crabs so that they stay curled up when cooked. The 6 crabs, 5 lobsters, many clams, lots of vegetables, pork, noodles, winter melon soup, almond cookies, and almond jello were enjoyed by all for dinner.

Companionship, camaraderie, crustaceans...who can beat that for Sunday dinner?

Seattle Chinese Garden 西华园

Garden in Snow

Donor Wall Reflects Knowing the Spring Courtyard

First Donor Wall Bricks Set Today

Thai Master Movie in the Courtyard

Total Eclipse of the Moon

Chinese Garden Inspires West Seattle Students

Seattle Deputy Mayor Smith Charms Chongqing

Garden Delegation Visits Chongqing 重庆 and EXPO

Chongqing Expo 第八届中国 国际园林博览会（重庆）

West Seattle Curiosities on the Way to the Garden

The Taller the Bamboo Grows, the Lower it Bends

Seattle Photography Meetup in the Garden

Chrysanthemum Tea

Mountain Songs 山之歌

West Seattle Field Trip: Rolling Terrain

Chrysanthemum 菊 Double Ninth Day 重阳日

Garden Salutes South Seattle Community College

Why Learn Chinese? 为什么学习中文？

An Expanse of Earth

Qigong 氣功 in the Garden

Main Gate in Moonlight 正門的月光

Master Chang Wu Na 張悟納 and Dr. Lu Mei-Hui 呂美惠 in the Courtyard

陳 國 就 Allan Chinn — Legacy Builder

Meditation in Motion

One Year in Two Minutes

Martial Arts in the Courtyard with Sifu Leong

The Entrance 入 口 What Does it Say?

Coming Together Place

A Peachy Parable...世外桃源!

Weekend Workers - Ants and Butterflies

Chinese Garden 西雅圖"西華園" on TV in China

So Long Sara

Honoring the Vision Builders, Part Three

Honoring the Vision Builders, Part Two

Honoring the Vision Builders, Part One

Mayors Meet in Stormy Weather, Open House Celebrations Prevail

Chongqing Delegation 重庆市 Visits Site

Two Chinese Delegations to Visit Seattle

Dig Big in the Garden

Mason Oleg Fast at Work on Donor Wall

Dewey the Docent

Bamboo Curtain House Man

Song Mei Ting

Discovery Center Drop Off

錢惕明 中國武術8段

Prepping the Pond

Shaping up the Garden

Grading the Site - Getting Ready for Open House May 15

西华园 Xi Hua Yuan - What's Happening Now?

Field Trip to Your Inner Heart

Winter Sky Opens Spring Window

Wintersweet 蜡梅属 - Poems and Memories

The New SCG Video

I Can Feel China

Opening Day Draws Huge Crowd

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit 新年快乐!

Sneak Preview

Seattle Delegation Hosted by Chongqing Officials

Delegation to Visit Chongqing

King5 Show Hosts Come to the Garden

The Upturned Roof

Building the Courtyard 2010

Thank you to our Vital Volunteers

The Mountain in Winter White

Knowing the Spring in Winter White

How to Turn a Tree

The View from On Top the Dutchmen

Life in the Garden

Boeing Welcomes Artisans

Stone Mason Ji Jinxiang 吉金祥, 石匠

How Did The Chinese Artisans Get Here?

Hear the Song

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song...

Stone Lion 石獅 Guards the Garden

How Strong is a Pebble? 卵石有多强？

Jimmy Cooks for Steve

Chongqing Expo 第八届中国国际园林博览会（重庆）

陳國就 Allan Chinn — Legacy Builder

The Entrance 入口 What Does it Say?

錢惕明中國武術8段