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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2008
CONTACT
Leeann Lavin: 718-623-7289, leeannlavin@bbg.org
Kate Blumm: 718-623-7241, kateblumm@bbg.org
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Counts Down To 2nd Annual Lunar New Year Celebration and Flower Market
Sunday, February 3, 2008 | 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
LEFT: Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera will dazzle visitors with a breathtaking performance (photo courtesy Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera). RIGHT: The apricot tree, and its fragrant blossoms (Prunus ameniaca 'Moorpark Improved'), symbolizes regeneration and longevity in Chinese culture, and is one of the many plants featured at BBG's Lunar New Year Celebration & Flower Market (photo courtesy BBG).
Brooklyn, NY—January 9, 2008—Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is counting down to its second annual Lunar New Year Celebration and Flower Market on Sunday, February 3, 2008. Because plants are such an important element of a traditional Lunar New Year celebration, the Garden is the ideal setting to welcome 4705. Plants native to China, Korea, and Vietnam in Brooklyn Botanic Garden's outstanding collections will be featured on Chinese- and English-language guided tours in the Steinhardt Conservatory. And examples of these plants, including peach blossoms, citrus trees, flowering quince, and other seasonal flowers, will be available for purchase at a traditional flower market.
Visitors will also experience the sensory delights of Asian cultures through music, dance, food, and fine art. And the stunning plants in BBG's collection will be the inspiration for kids' and adults' craft workshops. Kids will be able to create paper versions of New Year flowers, make citrus sachets using material from culturally significant plants, and pot up a lucky bamboo stalk while learning about its historical meaning in parts of Asia.
Adults can discover the ancient Chinese art of brush painting in a hands-on workshop or enjoy an enthralling slide lecture, "The Legend of Ginseng," that explores the plant's history and legendary curative powers.
The Year of the Rat will be welcomed with a full lineup of exciting entertainers, including spectacular music and dance performances for the whole family by some of the most renowned Asian performance groups in the world—including Red Silk Dancers, Korean Traditional Music and Dance Institute of New York, and Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera.
An extraordinary exhibition on loan from the Beijing Museum of Fine Arts, featuring contemporary paintings, papercuts, and textile art made by peasant women living in China, will be on display in the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery for families to enjoy, courtesy of the Asian-American Women Artists Alliance.
In honor of the holiday, the Gift Shop will offer a selection of Asian-inspired gifts for purchase, and the Zagat-rated Terrace Café will feature a special menu of culinary delights from China, Korea, and Vietnam, including Korean kimchi, a special soup, and celebratory sweets!
The Lunar New Year Celebration and Flower Market will feature the following performances, workshops, and events:
- Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera: Unparalleled martial arts, acrobatics, and music. The company's founder, Qi Shu Fang, a household name in China and winner of the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship, "fills the stage with magic that is inexpressibly enchanting," says the New York Times;
- Red Silk Dancers: A joyful and colorful performance of traditional dances from China. Be captivated as silk fans sway, fiery ribbons leap, and shiny metal clashes in "Silk and Sword";
- Korean Traditional Music and Dance Institute of New York: A breathtaking performance honoring Korea's musical heritage. Be inspired by the gliding grace of the women's "Floral Fan Dance," enchanted by the majesty of the men's fan dance "Hwa Sun Mu," and awed by the power of drums and other traditional instruments;
- The Legend of Ginseng: A striking visual presentation by David Taylor, the author of Ginseng, the Divine Root, an engaging cultural history of the legendary plant. A Q&A and book signing will follow;
- Hands-on Craft workshops: Kids can make paper flowers and other crafts; adults can learn Chinese brush painting;
- Special Lunar New Year Tours: in Chinese (2 p.m.) or English (11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.), and one in English especially for kids (3 p.m.) are will highlight BBG's impressive collection of plants native to China, Korea, and Vietnam;
- Plants: Culturally significant plants will be highlighted throughout the Steinhardt Conservatory;
- Traditional Asian flower market: The cut flower market will feature exquisite seasonal flowers in celebration of the upcoming Lunar New Year.
All Lunar New Year Celebration and Flower Market events are free with Garden admission.