Another successful Margaret Grigg Nanjing Chinese Friendship Garden Tour and Celebration was held this past Sunday, April 29, 2007 at the Mo. Botanical Garden (MBG) as part of its educational offerings and adult education program. The class registration was overflowing and has a long waiting list for the next offering. For the second time in a row, the weather was wonderful. Participants were treated to an hour of interesting lectures by Chinese Friendship Garden (CFG) presenters including MBG Taiji/Qigong Instructor Shirfu/Sifu J. Justin Meehan who is the organizer of this class, assisted by Jackie Mitchell who conducts Garden tours for the MBG. Sifu Justin, who is also President of the Taoist Research and Resource Forum of St. Louis, lectured on the Taoist origins of Chinese Gardens and the problems facing the CFG today. Jackie Mitrchell presented a slide show comparing the CFG with other Chinese Gardens in China today. Also presenting was Douglas Wagganer, a construction supervisor who shared original drawings and his knowledge of CFG.
After the lecture portion of the program, participants strolled out to the CFG to tour the Garden and enjoy the CFG experience. There waiting for them were Ms. Li Zhi Lu a Chinese student studying at Webster University who played the Chinese stringed instrument known as the Guzheng creating a musical environment transporting visitors back to another time and place in China's past. Alongside the musical atmosphere, Madam Goretti Lim created a moving masterpiece of Chinese Hun Yuan Taiji and Qigong. Madam Lim is also getting ready to compete in an upcoming National Taijiquan Competition to be held this July in Houston, Texas where she will compete and demonstrate her mastery in Taiji form and Sword. Sifu Justin led participants in drawing energy from the natural environment in a series of Hun Yuan Qigong (chi gong) exercises designed to reduce stress and enhance vitality. Serving tea to participants were Donald Lee and other leading members of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple who practice the Humanistic Buddhism of Ven. Master Hsing Yun whose expression of enlightened Buddhism emphasizes joyful engagement with the community at large and service to others.
Ms. Mimi Huang of Taiwan Marcoview TV recorded the event for the purpose of creating a video documentary of the CFG which will be made available to the MBG, public television and local educational institutions upon completion. Also present reporting the event were Francis Yueh and Director May Wu of the St. Louis Chinese American News whose support of the CFG and assistance in providing volunteers and artists made the entire event possible. Their crusading advocacy on behalf of the CFG last year (see www.SCANews.com, Nov. 2, 2006) led to needed repairs on crumbling stone masonry by the MBG and the coming together of concerned citizens who later formed the Friends of the Chinese Garden, which is now being incorporated as a Not For Profit corporation thanks to the volunteer legal services of local attorney, Ms Yi Sun, a graduate of Washington University Law School, originally from Shandong Province, China, who also serves as Friends of Chinese Garden liaison with the St. Louis-Nanjing Sister City Program. To these volunteers and contributors we owe a great deal of gratitude for taking the time and showing the interest in preserving Chinese Culture in their support of the CFG.
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