SHANGHAI ACROBAT - Cohen Amphitheater
The New Shanghai Circus Troupe from Shanghai, China has created a series of excellent magic and acrobatic productions and also acquired a group of young artistic personnel who have won the Gold and Silver Prizes for best creativeness in many major national and international contests. The Troupe has been performing in Branson, Missouri since 1998, and began their generous support to St. Louis Chinese Culture Days in 1999.
This year the Troupe expanded their performance not only in size but also in quality as well.
CHILDREN FOLK DANCES - Cohen Amphitheater
The three local Chinese language schools, St. Louis Chinese Language School, St. Louis Modern Language School, and St. Louis Chinese Academy jointly presented their folk dance programs at the Amphitheater. Modern Language School gave their hour-long performance on Saturday morning with a variety of folk dances, lion dance and some acrobatic actions. The Chinese Academy presented their popular feather fan dance in the afternoon. Chinese Language School presented folk dances performed by all four folk dance classes on Sunday.
MARTIAL ARTS - Cohen Amphitheater
Members of the St. Louis Ci-Tong Martial Arts Association led by master Yingxia Cai gave three performances on both Saturday and Sunday. Their performances ranged from bare-hand martial art to weapon (e.g., sword, knife, spears, etc.) martial arts, and showed not only the elegance of the body movement but also the practical use of self-defense techniques.
TAI-JI DEMONSTRATION - Cohen Amphitheater
Chinese Tai-ji is not only good physical exercise, but also a self-defense art and a mind/body meditation. It can be practiced almost in anywhere, at anytime, and at any age. There are many styles and forms throughout the history of Tai-ji. Many local Tai-ji masters will demonstrate Yang Short form, Chen Style form push hands and sword, Hun Yuan T'ai Ji, and Qi Gong during the two-day festivity.
GRAND PARADE - 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18
 
The Grand Parade was one of the important signatures of the 2002 Chinese Culture Days. The most auspicious being with incomparable strength in Chinese folklore, the Dragon, whose 24-legged dance can dispel bad luck and ward off evils, led the Grand Parade. The colorful parade consists the Grand Marshall, Mr. & Mrs. Matt Yu, Families with Children from China, Worldways Children's Museum, St. Louis Chinese Academy, St. Louis Chinese Language School, Shanghai acrobat, Modern Language School, and tailed by St. Louis Chinese Language School's lion dance team. The parade team started 2:30 p.m. at the Spinkle Pavilion, to Cohen Amphitheater, and ended at Spoehrer Plaza.
CHINESE GARDEN TOUR - Grigg-Nanjing Friendship Garden
The Organization of Chinese American (OCA) St. Louis Chapter sponsored the Chinese garden tours and tea ceremony as well as several free tai-ji lessons. The tour gave answers for the following questions:
- The difference between a Scholar's garden and the Imperial garden of the North
- How a Chinese Garden is built
- What the key elements in a Chinese Garden are
- How many plants can be found in the Chinese Garden inside the Botanical Garden that came from China
- Which celebrity wrote the poem by the entrance of the Chinese Garden
VENDOR BOOTH - Spoehrer Plaza
Eight booths were provided to seven non-profit organizations and one commercial vendor to display their merchandises for Garden visitors to collect as souvenirs for 2002 Chinese Culture Days. The Chinese Language School, OCA-St. Louis, Modern Language School, St. Louis Chinese Association, Children's Hope International, Washington University, Shanghai acrobat and Chinese Culture Days all presented their best souvenirs for visitors to remember this exciting and commemorating event!
FOOD COURT - Linnean Ground
 
 
 
A variety of Chinese regional cookings including the vegetarian food were organized under the giant tent on Linnean Ground. Visitors had the choice of authentic Chinese foods from local restaurants.
INDOOR PROGRAMS
SHOENBERG AUDITORIUM
The Wonder World of Chinese Opera - Monkey King
A lively seminar and demonstration of the ancient art of Chinese Opera was given by The Washington Chu Shan Chinese Opera Institute at the Shoenberg Auditorium, Missouri Botanical Garden. This program was designed to take the audience from pre-performance preparations to on-stage action.
The "Monkey King" is a popular mythological character in China and a popular and well-known Chinese story. The workshop featured the make-up, stage movements and costume of the Monkey. The workshop began with a demonstration of Chinese Opera face painting and costuming, the meaning and significance of the design. This was followed by a demonstration of the unique gestures and facial expressions of the Monkey King. The program was concluded with a short episode of the opera, "Stirring up the Heavenly Palace." In this scene, the Monkey King disrupts a room set for the Peach Garden Immortals party in the Heavenly Palace and then engages in a fierce fight with the Big Giant. Mr. Chu Shan Zhu played the Monkey King, Mr. Zheng Qin Huang played the Big Giant, and Ms. Laurice Chou was the narrater.
The Chinese Genesis Presentation
The students from St. Louis Chinese Language School, St. Louis Modern Chinese Language School, and Washington University jointly produced a commemorating presentation on Chinese version of the Genesis. The presentation consisted of one introductory slide show and three musical and acting plays.
A. The Legend of PanGu - The Beginning of Universe
The two-minute slide show conveys the Chinese version of the Big Bang: The Universe began with the awakening of the sleeping giant PanGu, followed by his expansion, his death, and his transformation. After the universe was created, there came three Emperors: the Emperor of Heaven, the Emperor of Earth, and the Emperor of Mankind, governing the Heaven, the Earth and the People respectively.
B. The Legend of the Ten Suns of Heaven
The Jade Emperor of Heaven had ten sons. They received this order from their father: Each son was to travel, in turns, for one Earth day across the sky as the Sun to give light to the people on Earth. This routine schedule and the lonely travel bored the boys. So instead, one day, they all traveled together and had lots of fun. Ten Suns shining from the sky caused catastrophes on Earth! In response to prayers from the Emperor of Mankind, Jade Emperor ordered one of his great archers, Yi, to force the Suns to resume their schedule. Yi simply shot down nine of them, leaving only one Sun to carry his job and those of his brothers. Deeply sad at losing nine sons, Jade Emperor of Heaven banished Yi to Earth. Yi was warmly welcomed as a hero there.
C. Legend of Mountain Hua - The People and the Spirits
The ordinary people on Earth used to pray to Jade Emperor and the Holy Spirit in Heaven for blessings. When a brave young scholar met Jade Princess, the sister of Jade Emperor, fell in love with her, and married her. The couple had a handsome boy, named MuLian. This marriage violated the law of the Heaven, however, hence the Jade Princess was seized by soldiers sent by Jade Emperor, and was imprisoned beneath Hua Mountain for punishment.
After he grew up, MuLian decided to look for his mother in Hua Mountain and to save her. He learned the art of fighting and gained magic power with the help of a spirit from Heaven. After many fierce fights, MuLian won the battles against the soldiers of the Heaven. He hacked open the Hua Mountain, and rescued his mother.
D. The Legend of Great Lion - The Monsters
The Great Lion was a brave general in the royal army of the Jade Emperor in Heaven. He was also a mischievous character and created a great deal of troubles. One day, Jade Emperor became so furious at the antics of Great Lion that he ordered Great Lion's head be cut off, and he had both the head and the body thrown down to Earth to rot. The Goddess of Mercy, QuanYin Buddha, felt sorry for the poor Great Lion. Using an enchanted red ribbon, she tied Great Lion's head onto his body, and brought him back to life again. Nevertheless, for having violated the Laws of Heaven, Great Lion had to remain on Earth to help the people. Each year on New Year's Eve, Great Lion battles the evil monster Nien sent up by the Emperor of Earth. Great Lion's defense of the people enables them to pass safely into the New Year. Ever since the first battle between Great Lion and the Nien, the Chinese people have performed the Lion Dance to celebrate Chinese New Year.
CHILDREN PROGRAM - Beaumont Room
Families with Children from China (FCC) and Worldway Children's Museum jointly sponsored this year's children's program with exciting hands-on experiences. Children of all ages can enjoy the Chinese culture through arts and crafts, learning to speak the language, singing traditional children's songs and participating in a dragon dance. Both groups also participated the Grand Parade to encourage children learning the true meaning of global unity.
CHINESE EXHIBITION - Monsanto Hall
The exhibition presented the "Glimpse of China Today" with many pictures of past and present China to show the progress of modern China. In addition, calligraphy demonstration, potteries, and flower arrangement are also a part of the cultural exhibition. Essay contest winner papers will be displayed as well. |
