Press Release:
The Knowing the Spring courtyard, the first major structure to be completed at the Seattle Chinese Garden will be dedicated in an invitation only event (due to space limitations) on May 15.

The dedication ceremony will be led by Jonathan Geiger, president of the Seattle Chinese Garden, and LING Yueming, vice mayor of Seattle’s sister city Chongqing,

Officials expected to speak include Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Consul General GAO Zhansheng of the People’s Republic of China Consulate in San Francisco, and a representative of Governor Christine Gregoire.

Among the 200 guests at the event will be a 16-member delegation from Chongqing and 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.

An open house for the public from 3:00 to 5:00 pm with lion dancing and Chinese cultural activities will follow the dedication ceremony.

Yueming Ling, vice mayor of Seattle’s sister city Chongqing, along with Seattle city officials, will attend the May 15 festivities. A lion dance will open the celebration, which includes martial arts and traditional Chinese dance performances, painting and calligraphy demonstrations.
 
“The strong partnership between Chongqing and Seattle inspired the dream to build a Chinese garden in your beautiful city,” said Vice Mayor Yueming Ling. “Sharing cultural traditions is an important way to further mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of our two cities. Completing the first courtyard is exciting progress. Together we will fulfill our goal to build the entire garden.”

Knowing the Spring Courtyard was designed by architects in Chongqing, located in southwest China, and built in collaboration with Chinese artisans, local 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.
 
“We are pleased to welcome the public to the garden site and Knowing the Spring Courtyard,” said Seattle Chinese Garden president Jon Geiger. “Its completion is a meaningful step toward strengthening our city’s appreciation for Chinese culture, and we are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with the community.”
 
The Seattle Chinese Garden is located at the north end of the South Seattle Community College campus at 6000 16th Avenue SW, in West Seattle. The Open House is May 15, 2011, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.
  
About Seattle Chinese Garden Society
The Seattle Chinese Garden Society is a private nonprofit organization responsible for the creation and operation of the Seattle Chinese Garden. The organization’s mission is to inspire global understanding by immersing visitors in the richness and beauty of Chinese culture, and to create a traditional Sichuan-style Chinese garden as a means of celebrating Seattle's rich Chinese heritage and supporting the region’s future business and cultural relationships with China. For more information, call (206) 934-5219 or visit www.seattlechinesegarden.org.