Portland Chinese Gardens Hosts Chinese Ambassador For 60th Birthday Of The People's Republic | September 12
September 10, 2009 — PDXPIPELINEThis is the only event I know of this weekend with century old plants and diplomats. For a gigantic list of events this weekend, go here:
75+ Portland Weekend Events, Parties & Free Tickets | September 10-13
From our friend Jason Simms:
No, it wasn't the People's Republic of Portland gear that's been popping up all over town that inspired Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianmin to visit this weekend. Portland's connection to China runs deeper than parody t-shirts.
The VIP reception at the Chinese Gardens where Mr. Wu will speak on Saturday will actually honor a series of round numbered anniversaries: the Oregon-Fujian Sister State Association (25), the State of Oregon (150), US-China diplomatic relations (30) and Modern China (60). In numerology-obsessed Chinese style, it's called “Celebration 265.”
Mayor Sam Adams, who visited China last year, will also say a few words, in addition to numerous dance and music performances. But Mr. Wu, who was 10 years old at the start of Chinese Communism, worked with Mao Zedong, was a member of the first Chinese delegation to the UN and ambassador to France and Belgium, will be the main event.
The folks on hand will embody all the small ways Portland is tied to China. For instance, Mike and Jasmine Fullman, whose company, Naturally Knotty, produces handbags made of scraps left by Shanghai factories, share a little Portland greenness with China, something Mr. Wu told KINK today he's interested in learning more about while he's here.
Tickets for Saturday's event are $150 and can be obtained by calling 503-360-5582. Ambassador Wu is also speaking later this week at PSU.
From Press Release:
Wu will share anecdotes from his diplomatic life at a reception at the Classical Chinese Gardens in Downtown Portland on Saturday, September 12, from 7 – 9pm. It is a perfect setting-the gardens, which were built faithfully in the Ming Dynasty style (1368 – 1644 CE) are themselves a piece of Chinese history with plants brought over from China that are more than a century old.
Links:
- People's Republic of Portland: http://www.etsy.com
- Sam Adams in China: www.oregonlive.com
- Knotty Scrap Clutch: http://www.naturallyknotty.com
- Wu on KINK: http://www.kink.fm/Celebrating-China-in-Portland-
- Wu at PSU: http://oia.pdx.edu/events/details/
