This weekend, visit China without traveling any further than Shaw. Chinese Culture Days return to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The event runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
“The opening ceremony is always a favorite,” says Jessika Eidson, public information officer for the Garden. The party starts with a 70-foot-long dancing dragon that delights kids of all ages, especially in this Year of the Dragon. The striking and energetic dragon dance starts in the gardens south of the Taylor Visitor Center at about 10 a.m. on Saturday and makes its way into the Cohen Auditorium, where there will be brief opening remarks.
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The Acrobatic and Cultural Heritage Show is indoors this year, which will allow performers to do more stunts. Take in a demonstration of face-changing, the magical blink-and-you’ll-miss-it art of super-fast mask switches rooted in traditional Sichuan opera performance. The show also includes traditional folk dancing and a visit from The Umbrella Queen, a Guinness Book of World Records holder from New York City who’ll balance a truly staggering number of bumbershoots.
See demonstrations of art forms such as calligraphy, opera acting, drumming, and tai chi. Listen to historical Chinese musical instruments. Sample tea, and learn proper techniques for preparing and serving the brew. New this year is a sugar art demonstration, in which an artisan makes objects from hot liquid sugar, which can be admired and taken home or eaten at the festival.
Come hungry, too. “We have a whole market of authentic Chinese food,” Eidson says. There will be cooking demos as well, and food historian Magdalene Linck will present research on the history of Chinese food in St. Louis from the Missouri Historical Society’s Chinese Collection Initiative.
The festival is always a big draw, so Eidson encourages visitors to buy their tickets ahead of time. (Tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for kids ages 3–12.)
“It’s the biggest Chinese cultural festival in the Midwest—that’s really impressive. It’s a tradition for the people of St. Louis, the Chinese American community that we have,” Eidson says. “If you’re not part of the community, it’s always fun to learn about other peoples’ cultures, especially in such visual ways.”
