CHINESE CULTURE DAYS RETURNS TO MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN MAY 18 & 19
Festival celebrates Chinese history and culture with performances, art, food and merchandise
WHAT: Two-day festival celebrating Chinese culture
WHEN: May 18–19 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (opening ceremony Saturday 10 a.m.)
WHERE: Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd.
COST: $16 Adults, $8 Children (3-12), $8 Members (Free for Member Children)
INFO: mobot.org/chineseculturedays
(ST. LOUIS) – The Missouri Botanical Garden welcomes guests to experience the history, art, and pageantry of Chinese culture during its annual Chinese Culture Days festival on May 18–19.
The festival will take place across the entire Garden campus, showcasing jaw-dropping live performances, interactive demonstrations, authentic regional cuisine and a Chinese marketplace.
The weekend-long celebration will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. with a performance by a 70-foot dancing dragon outside the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center, after which guests are invited to join a parade to the Cohen Amphitheater for the festival’s opening ceremony.
This event is a collaborative effort between the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Board of Chinese Culture Education and Services to celebrate Chinese culture and highlight its history in the St. Louis community.
“The Chinese Culture Days program at the Missouri Botanical Garden started in 1996, and as a community member I began my involvement in 1998,” said Yimin Zhu, Chairman of the 2024 Chinese Culture Days Committee. “I am profoundly proud of our community’s legacy with this festival and look forward to celebrating yet another wonderful weekend of performances and festivities with everyone.”
During Asian-American and Pacific Islander Awareness Month, the Missouri Botanical Garden is proud to host this annual celebration and invite guests of all backgrounds to enjoy and explore Chinese culture.
New this year
Embodied Charm: The Artistry of Chinese Opera Acting: The unique stylized acting of Chinese opera is demonstrated in this lecture on the four basic skills of “singing, speaking, performing, and combating”. The audience can enjoy the unique charm of Chinese opera on stage only possible in a live performance while learning more about the art form.
Sugar Arts Demonstration: In a captivating sugar art demonstration inspired by the Chinese zodiac signs, a skilled artisan deftly manipulates molten sugar into intricate sculptures embodying each zodiac symbol’s essence. Audience members can purchase their favorite figurine and bring home a sweet memory.
History of Chinese Food in St. Louis: Food historian Magdalene Linck will highlight iconic Chinese restaurants and foods in St. Louis dating back to the late 1800s by exploring narratives and historical records, including menus from iconic Chinese restaurants. Findings from the Missouri Historical Society’s Chinese Collection Initiative related to food and restaurants will be included.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit mobot.org/events.
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The Missouri Botanical Garden’s mission is “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.” Today, 165 years after opening, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark and a center for science, conservation, education and horticultural display.
