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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: $1.2 million gift for Seattle's Chinese Garden
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
6/14/2007 2:00:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dewey Potter, (206) 684-7241
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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$1.2 million gift for Seattle's Chinese Garden
Contribution by Chongqing will make Knowing the Spring Courtyard a reality
SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels announced today a gift valued at $1.2 million from Seattles sister city of Chongqing, China, for the next major project at Seattles Chinese Garden, Knowing the Spring Courtyard.
"This gift will allow us to move forward with one of the key exhibits planned for the Chinese Garden and will take us a long way toward realizing the vision for this unique sister city partnership," Nickels said. "I know I speak on behalf of the Chinese Garden staff and Board of Directors when I thank Chongqing Mayor Wang Hongju personally for this incredibly generous contribution."
The gift, which follows on President Hu Jintaos 2006 visit to Seattle and the Chinese Garden, will cover the costs of all labor and materials for the Knowing the Spring Courtyard exhibit, the centerpiece of the garden. The city of Chongqing will provide supplies and design information to Jones & Jones, the projects U.S. designer; fabricate garden elements and ship them to Seattle; and send artisans to install them using traditional tools and techniques.
The Chinese Garden, located near South Seattle Community College in West Seattle, brings together the elements of water, stone, plants, and architecture to emulate the opposing principles of yin (earth/receptive/dark) and yang (heaven, creative, bright) that represent qi, which in Chinese philosophy represent the rhythms of life. In this way, the Chinese Garden creates a microcosm of life in a single, meticulously designed setting.
The target date for completion is July 1, 2008, the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Sister City relationship between Seattle and Chongqing.
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Office of the Mayor
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