Linda Mealey-Lohmann (R), president of the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society, is interviewed with Xinhua in the China garden in St. Paul, the United States, on Aug. 6, 2019. Located at Phalen Park in St. Paul, capital of U.S. state of Minnesota, the 1.2-acre China garden, or Liu Ming Yuan, has become a symbol of Minnesota's longstanding friendship with China and a recognition of sister-city relationship started in 1988 between St. Paul and Changsha, a central Chinese city. (Xinhua/Zhang Mocheng)
SAINT PAUL, the United States, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Linda Mealey-Lohmann has been delighted and hopeful these days as her ambitious project of building a China garden in her hometown is making headway.
"We have engraved the naming stone and we hope to get that installed before it gets too cold," the Minnesota native and president of the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society told Xinhua, referring to the recent progress in the construction of the St. Paul-Changsha China Friendship Garden.
Located at Phalen Park in St. Paul, capital of U.S. state of Minnesota, the 1.2-acre China garden, or Liu Ming Yuan, has become a symbol of Minnesota's longstanding friendship with China and a recognition of sister-city relationship started in 1988 between St. Paul and Changsha, a central Chinese city.
Noting "the 31-year sister city relationship that has afforded St. Paul and Changsha incredible opportunities for exchange and enrichment," Melvin Carter, mayor of St. Paul, said that the building of the garden marked "another milestone" in the partnership.
Featuring an entrance arch, a Hmong Heritage Wall and an open air pavilion, which is a replica of the famed Aiwan Pavilion in Changsha, the garden is the result of enormous efforts by Mealey-Lohmann, a fervent fan of Chinese culture who has been committed to promoting U.S.-China cultural exchanges for decades.
Mealey-Lohmann developed an interest in China when she studied at the University of Minnesota about 40 years ago.
Having fostered a deep love of China, she shifted her major from music to obtain an undergraduate degree in East Asian studies and a graduate degree in Chinese language and literature.
"Over that long history of having connections with China and traveling to China, I really have come to love Chinese culture, Chinese architecture, and Chinese art. And I really wanted to bring that to Minnesota," said Mealey-Lohmann, who has traveled to China 23 times so far.
Speaking Mandarin fluently, she has also adopted many authentic Chinese habits, such as practicing Tai Chi, drinking Chinese tea daily and studying Chinese brush calligraphy.
About two decades ago, she and C.C. Hsiao, both board members at the time for the Minnesota Chapter of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association, came up with the bold idea to build a China garden in Minnesota.
Since then, Mealey-Lohmann created a non-profit organization and led a team to start doing research on Chinese gardens and other China gardens in the United States. Meanwhile, she has shuttled between China and the United States, touring numerous Chinese cities and taking thousands of photos.
In 2018, following a lengthy design and construction phase, the ambitious project managed to make a landing. The garden opened to the public this summer after the first-phase construction was nearly completed.
"To actually sit here today under this incredible large structure, a replica of a world famous architecture in Changsha, words fail me," said Mealey-Lohmann, adding the sister-city relationship between Changsha and St. Paul also helped facilitate the project, which is expected to finish by the end of this year.
"Up above here we have an image of a peony, and that is the king of flowers, which represents virtue and beauty ... There is also a six petal lotus, right up here. And of course, that represents nobility and how it rises out of the mud and muck into this beautiful flower," she said, expounding the Chinese cultural elements in the complex while walking around the garden.
"I really think it's important for visitors that come here to learn about these symbols and to learn about those shared values that we have with the Chinese culture," she added.
Mealey-Lohmann, who believes in the significance of cultural exchanges and mutual understanding, was gratified as the spot "has been really well received by the community and by tourists."
Furthermore, she hopes the garden will continue to build bridges between the people of Minnesota and the people of China to help improve bilateral communication, friendship and cultural understanding.
"It is a lifetime dream to be able to sit here and think that all future generations can enjoy this and can learn about Chinese culture and can love Chinese culture the way I do," she said.
