the MoongateWinter 2008–2009

“We enter the entire culture

of China through the moongate of the garden.”

Edwin T. Morris

Chongqing TV crew films garden for Chinese New Year documentary

SCG executive director Yangming Chu describes plans for Knowing the Spring Courtyard for a film crew from Chongqing Broadcast Group. The station is featuring the Seattle Chinese Garden in a TV documentary on connections between China and the United States. To be broadcast throughout China during Chinese New Year, the documentary celebrates the 30th anniversary of the normalizaiton of U.S.–China relations. The film crew spent nearly six weeks in the U.S. and filmed in Seattle, New York, San Diego, and Los Angeles. See pages 2–3 for more photos.

Knowing the Spring Courtyard

The foundation is in, the walls are up, and we are ready for the Chinese artisans“It’s huge!” First-time visitors are struck by the size of Knowing the Spring Court-yard, the garden’s first permanent structure. Gray cement and bare steel support pillars and beams show only the sturdy bones of the space that will evolve into a traditional, Sichuan-style scholar’s courtyard with a small pond amid greenery, beautiful leak windows, tile-roofed covered walkways, and an impressive gate.

“Our local contractor, Krekow Jennings, did a terrific job on this first stage of construction,” said Yangming Chu, garden executive director. “The Chinese-side project managers who visited the site in early September were impressed with the quality of their work. Now we are preparing for the arrival this spring of the team of 30 Chinese artisans. They will complete all the traditional elements including woodwork, stonework, windows, roof tiling, courtyard paving, and painting.”

Several unexpected twists in the path, including delayed arrival of the shipping containers with materials from China, plus visa processing issues, necessitated rescheduling their arrival from summer 2008 to spring 2009. All the materials are now on site and we anticipate smooth approval of visas on the next application round this winter. The big challenge is to secure the funding needed to complete Knowing the Spring. Please see pages 2 and 3 for more photos of our progress.

Seattle Chinese Garden • Vol 3:1 • Winter 2008–2009 2

From vision, emerges form ... From plans, promise

Welcome to Xi Hua Yuan. A traditional tile-roofed gate with rich wood paneling will open to the main garden area beyond Knowing the Spring Courtyard.

Imagining leak windows. Intricate designs will give a glimpse of “borrowed views.”

Timber Bamboo (Phyllostachys vivax) will be planted near the courtyard. In our region it grows to 30 feet or taller. Thanks to Boxwood Farms in Duval for a generous discount and help transporting the plants.

Visitors attending special programs and the spring–summer public docent toursenjoyed an inside look at construction progress. The site is closed to drop-in visits, but guided tours are possible(see page 5).

Seattle Chinese Garden • Vol 3:1 • Winter 2008–2009 3

Courtyard Materials Await the ArtisansChongqing Broadcasting Group films the storage area for materials shipped last summer from China. The crates hold traditional, hand-made tiles for the roofs of the gates and covered walkways. The film crew stands on stone to be placed around the water feature and plantings. Song Mei Pavilion is in the background. The site offers a view of downtown.

They’ll Be Seen Across China.Garden Society president Jon Geiger and docent/volunteer Lorraine Toly are filmed in the Song Mei Pavilion garden.

Carved Wood, Intriguing StoneWood posts and beams sit in a shipping container on the site. Stone is one of the most prized elements of a Chinese Garden.

Xie Xie to COSCO!China Ocean Ship-ping Company has donated up to forty 40-foot containers to transport materials from China.

Chongqing Visitors Tour Site Garden executive director Yangming Chu explains construction of the gate’s columns to visitors from the Chongqing Cultural Bureau and the China Three Gorges Museum.

A community treasureWhat will the Chinese Garden offer our community and the Pacific Northwest region?

• One of the most culturally and artistically distinctive and beautiful gardens in the nation, a magnet for our citizens and visitors from afar.

• A gathering place for community groups, families, and people of diverse backgrounds and interests — drawn to vibrant seasonal festivals and enriching educational and cultural activities for all ages.

• Expression and celebration of our region’s strong people-to-people, institutional, and economic ties with China, with Seattle’s sister city of Chongqing, and our state’s affiliation with Sichuan Province.

• A jewel in our region’s network of parks and gardens — a place to draw inspiration from nature and the intertwining of nature, cultural traditions, and the arts.

It’s a great project for our community, and we need your help to complete the courtyard. To learn how you can contribute, please see page 4.

Seattle Chinese Garden • Vol 3:1 • Winter 2008–2009 4

President’sMessage

Jon Geiger

As 2008 draws to a close we look back on both great challenges and great rewards. On the rewarding side, we count significant progress on garden construction. The Honorable Judge Warren and Nobie Chan Education Center officially opened in January, and construction began for the first major courtyard. The foundations, walls, and steelwork for Knowing the Spring Courtyard are now complete, and more than 20 shipping containers of handcrafted stone, woodwork, tiles, and landscaping materials arrived from China. We purchased mobile homes and installed them on site to house the Chinese artisans when they arrive to construct the courtyard’s traditional elements. The progress on the site is remarkable and the courtyard’s size is impressive. If you haven't had a chance to see it, please call the office to arrange a visit.

On the challenging side, we still have about $1.5 million left to raise to complete Knowing the Spring Courtyard. Our fundraising team is working hard to close the gap by securing gifts from corporations, foundations, and friends. In fact, we await word on the status of several large foundation grants. In Chongqing, China, and here in Seattle, we feel a sense of urgency to get the job done and, after all these years of effort, open Knowing the Spring Courtyard to the public. We are so close to success, and yet still not there.

In the current economic climate, we face a higher mountain to climb to secure financial support. Yet, it is in times like this that our garden will bring even greater benefit to the community. Imagine a setting of beauty and tranquility that reflects the highest aesthetics of culture and nature. It will be a place to enjoy with friends and family, to reflect, learn, and also to celebrate the beauty and joy of each season through traditional Chinese festivals and special programs.

You can help us finish the courtyard. Please make a donation as one of your first actions of the New Year. Your enthusiasm and support is deeply appreciated and will have an immediate impact by keeping this wonderful project moving forward!

Thank you all — and best wishes for 2009!

Welcome to New Members of the Board of DirectorsXuedong Huang joined the board this fall, bringing great enthusiasm for the Garden’s mission. XD, as he is known to friends, manages the Communications Innovation Center at Microsoft, responsible for bringing new communications products and services to market. An expert in speech recognition technology, Microsoft recruited him in1993 from the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University. Born and raised in the Chinese province of Hunan, XD earned a BS in com-puter science from Hunan University, an MS in computer science from Tsinghua University, and his doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Edinburgh. He is now an affiliate professor of electical engineering at the University of Washington and honorary dean of the School of Software Engineering at Hunan University.

Emily Yeh, a good friend of the Garden, joined the board in early 2008. Emily Yeh is senior vice president and regional manager of United Commercial Bank NW Region. Emily has more than 25 years experience in both commercial and international banking and previously held executive positions with Pacifica Bank, Western Bank/Washington Mutual Bank, and First Interstate Bank (now Wells Fargo). Emily is dedicated to promoting both cultural and business development within the Asian community, and is a board member of the Washington State China Relations Council and the Pacific Rim Bankers Program (at UW). She is active in the World Affairs Council, Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, and The Chinese Chamber of Commerce. She received her BA in business administration from the University of Wisconsin and MBA from University of Houston. She was also the president of Global Federation of Chinese Business Women from 2002 to 2004.

CelebrateSpring Festivalwith a gift toKnowingthe SpringCourtyard

Your gift will bring us all a step closer to enjoying a place of harmony, beauty, and inspiration.

You may send a tax-deductibledonation with a check payable to SCGS, or call 206-282-8040to speak with a staff member.

Thank you ~ Xie Xie

Seattle Chinese Garden • Vol 3:1 • Winter 2008–2009 5

Tea is one of China’s greatest gifts to world civilization. On October 12, the Seattle Chinese Garden Society joined with Black Dragon Tea Bar to present the second annual Seattle Chinese Tea Appreciation Festival. Brett Boynton, sponsor of the event and the gracious and knowledgeable owner of Black Dragon, assembled almost 40 tea lovers at the Chan Education Center to sip a wonderful selection of oolong and pu-erh teas, sample delicious vegan treats, and enjoy each other’s company.

As part of the program, Society docents Jan Whitner and Lorraine Toly presented a slide show on Chinese gardens and led a tour of the of the Society’s current construction project, Knowing the Spring Courtyard. Participants left the event having enjoyed great tea, great conversation, and a peek at the foundations of the Seattle Chinese Garden.

The Society looks forward to the day tea lovers will savor “two leaves and a bud” in the Garden’s teahouse — a unique structure to be built in Sichuan architectural

The Chinese Garden WelcomesTea Appreciation Festival

style and sited on a lotus pond. For information on how to support fundraising efforts for the teahouse, please phone the Society office at 206-282-8040.

For more information on Black Dragon Tea Bar: http://blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/2008/11/teacups-new-spot.html

Tea expert Brett Boynton demonstrates how to prepare a perfect pot of fragrant Chinese tea.

Community or informal groups of ten or more may request a docent-led tour along with a slide-illustrated presentation on the significance of gardens in Chinese culture.

SCG leaders are delighted to offer hard-hat tours for individuals and small groups interested in exploring ways to support the construction of Knowing the Spring Courtyard.

For more information, please call 206-282-8040.

Arrange a Site Tour

Meet the SCG StaffMelanie Blommel ~ Finance / Membership A staff member for two years, Melanie handles accounting, bookkeeping, and membership stewardship. Melanie was a project manager for Schedulon, Inc. in Redmond. She also brings experience in market research analysis and research coordination. Melanie holds a BA in business administration from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Among her community volunteer activities, she manages a girls U16 select soccer team.

Xiaohui Luo ~ Administration Xiaohui joined the staff last spring and is managing the website, coordinating volunteers, assisting with communications, and serving as our liaison to staff at South Seattle Community College. Xiao earned her BS in finance and MS in E-learning technology and administration from Northern State University in South Dakota. At NSU she was president of the International Students Club. Before joining the SCG staff Xiao was a marketing research assistant intern with China Chongqing Cygnet Group (USA Branch). She is a native of Chongqing.

Rachel Sherman ~ Development Rached joined the staff in June and is assisting in the areas of public relations, grant research, donor stewardship, and event planning. In June she earned her MA in Japan Studies at the UW. She holds a BA in history and Japanese studies from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and a certificate in Asian stud-ies from Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. She has taught English in Japan, and while studying at the UW was a programs intern in the Global Education Services program.

1215 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1320Seattle, WA 98161

Phone: 206.282.8040 • Email: info@seattlechinesegarden.org • Web: www.seattlechinesegarden.org

SeATTle ChiNeSe GArDeN

Board of directors

President: Jonathan Geiger

Vice Presidents: David Buck Jim Dawson Peter Ku

Secretary: Jill Wakefield

Treasurer: Steve Elliott

Margaret BrittonTheola EngXuedong HuangJudy KoenigSandy MarvinneyJack Rafn

office staffExecutive Director: Yangming ChuFinance: Melanie BlommelAdministration: Xiaohui LuoDevelopment: Rachel Sherman

Catherine RoachDavid SkinnerSpafford RobbinsJan Whitner Emily Yeh

Newsletter committee:Chunman Gissing, Judy Koenig, Sandy Marvinney, Lorraine Toly,Dewey Webster, Jan Whitner

Editor: Sandy Marvinney

NONPROFIT ORG.

US POSTAGE

PAID

SEATTLE WA

PERMIT NO. 5024

City hallScenesRight: The Chongqing Broadcasting Group team interviewed Mayor Greg Nichols for a program to be broadcast across China.

Below: SCG president Jon Geiger meets with an official of the Chongqing Municipal government during his visit there in September.

Seattle City Councilmember Jan Dragoreceives a gift from the host of the CQTV documentary program.