A milestone in the construction of the Seattle Chinese Garden was reached on Aug 6 with the arrival of specially trained artisans from China. The Garden, located on 4.6 acres just north of the campus at South Seattle Community College has been in the planning stages and beginning of construction for years now. The finished project is expected to take ten years to complete.

The organization sent this press release:

A team of 18 master artisans arrives on August 6–7 to transform the concrete shell of the Seattle Chinese Garden’s first major structure into an exquisite gathering place.

With traditional methods used for centuries and material shipped from China, these craftsmen will complete the formal gate, intricate leak windows, tile-roofed walkways, stone paving, rockery, and garden features of Knowing the Spring Courtyard.

“Our garden honors Chinese culture and enriches our own,” said Jon Geiger, president of the Seattle Chinese Garden Society. “We have been working extraordinarily hard to reach this milestone. It’s been a true grassroots effort among our long-time advocates and new supporters. Increasing recognition of the value of this project to the region spurred recent fundraising successes and enabled us to launch this next stage of construction.”

Perseverance and patience are paying off for the Seattle Chinese Garden Society. Despite several economic downturns in the past decade, the society has not only survived, but has raised close to 80 percent of the $4.5 million cost of building Knowing the Spring Courtyard. It has kept its eye firmly on the vision to create an exceptional confluence of nature and culture that will become a new landmark for the Puget Sound region and a cultural and educational resource for the entire community. Fundraising continues during the construction period, including a brick campaign to create a recognition wall to honor garden supporters.

Garden designers in Chongqing, Seattle’s sister city, created the master plan for the 4.6-acre garden adjacent to the South Seattle Community College campus and arboretum. Feng Dacheng, lead designer from Chongqing, and Song Weizhong, chief architect and project manager for the Changshu Ancient Style Garden Construction Company, will guide courtyard construction. Local partners are construction firm Krekow Jennings and Jones and Jones Architecture. Yangming Chu is the Garden Society’s project director. An expert on Chinese art history and architecture, Chu oversaw the first stage of courtyard construction in 2008, the building of the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden in 1998, and the Ming Courtyard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The public will have opportunities to watch the Chinese artisans at work during the four-month construction period, as can K-12 school classes in September and October.

Opening of Knowing the Spring Courtyard is anticipated in late fall, with a formal dedication in spring 2011.