Seattle Chinese Garden at 6000 16th Ave. SW just at the north side of South Seattle Community College held a site tour and presentation on chinese gardens on April, 10. These free docent-led tours of the Garden are held on the second Saturday of each month, March through October at 10 am. To arrange a special docent-led program or hardhat tour of the construction site for your group of eight or more or call the office (206-764-5219) . Check their website for updates on construction, events, tours, and other programs.

The 4.5-acre garden site, and Song Mei Pavilion are under construction now and progress is being made on the first major courtyard. Plants native to China are now in the SSCC Arboretum. The tour began with a slide presentation on the cultural significance of Chinese Gardens.

The project will be completed in several phases, likely over at least several years, as funding becomes available.

The Seattle Chinese Garden is a $30 million project and will be designed and built by approximately 20 architects and artisans from Seattle's sister city, Chongqing, as the first Sichuan-style garden in the United States. These workers will be coming to live on site in late June or early July "To complete the traditional elements of the garden including the traditional gate, the tiled roofs, the courtyard foundations and putting in all the plantings," said Sandy Marvinney who is a Seattle Chinese Garden board member. "They should complete their work by this fall, probably end of September or October and we will have a grand opening to welcome the public."

Sichuan gardens serve as settings for exuberant civic celebrations and quiet contemplation. They feature streams, ponds and falls flowing through valleys and rock formations in designs reflective of the natural landscape; plants are grouped in symbolic associations celebrated in traditional Chinese painting and poetry.

The garden when complete will be one of the largest Chinese gardens outside of China, showcasing not only plants, but also stone, architecture and water elements that are customary to Chinese gardens. Dense and complex, it will change dramatically with each season.

The Seattle Chinese Garden, located at South Seattle Community College, will reveal commanding views of downtown Seattle, Elliott Bay and the Cascade Mountains. The Garden will also feature 12 buildings, including an education center and a banquet hall with special event seating for up to 200 people. The 85-foot Floating Clouds Pavilion will soar over the Garden, placed on an axis with the Space Needle.