BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID;X-RICAL-TZSOURCE=TZINFO:-//com.denhaven2/NONSGML ri_cal gem//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:ST. LOUIS &mdash\; The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. \ ;Louis will host an international exhibition of 26 larger-than-life\, li ghted works of art from Zigong\, China in 2012. \;\n&ldquo\;Lantern Festival: Art by Day\, Magic by Night&rdquo\; \;will attract visitor s from throughout the country to experience one of China&rsquo\;s most t reasured events and ancient traditions &ndash\; the annual lantern festi val. Elaborate outdoor sets crafted of silk and steel will celebrate Chi nese culture through bold color\, dazzling light and striking design. Th e exhibition is the first of its kind and size in the United States\, of fering visitors a unique opportunity to witness a spectacle rarely stage d outside of Asia.\nLantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden wi ll be on outdoor display \;May \;26 through August \;19\,&nb sp\;2012. View the art by day from 9 \;a.m. to 5 \;p.m. daily\; experience the illuminated magic by night\, Thursday through Sunday even ings from 6 to 10 \;p.m. (last entry at 9 \;p.m.\; special eveni ng exhibition rates apply).\nFor more information\, visit \;www.mobo t.org/lanternfestival. Emerson\, a global manufacturing and technology c ompany based in St. \;Louis\, is the presenting sponsor of Lantern F estival.\n&ldquo\;As one of the region&rsquo\;s premier cultural attract ions\, the Missouri Botanical Garden is delighted to bring an internatio nal event of this caliber to the St. \;Louis area\,&rdquo\; said Dr.  \;Peter Wyse Jackson\, president of the Missouri Botanical Garden. &ldquo\;The Garden has a long-tenured tradition of botanical research an d collaboration with China through our Flora of China project\, a signif icant endeavor which we anticipate completing at the end of 2012. Couple d with the presence of our beautiful Chinese Garden\, the Grigg Nanjing Friendship Garden\, it seemed only fitting for the Garden to host the fi rst Lantern Festival in the country\, celebrating in what will be our &l squo\;Year of China.&rsquo\;&rdquo\;\n&ldquo\;Emerson is proud to be a p resenting sponsor of this magnificent international exhibit\,&rdquo\; sa id Robert \;M. \;Cox.\, \;Jr.\, senior vice president &ndash \; administration of Emerson. &ldquo\;These works of art will educate ou r community on Chinese history\, tradition and culture.&rdquo\;\nLantern festivals are deeply rooted in Chinese history and myth\, dating back t o the ancient dynasties of more than 2\,000 years ago. In modern times\, lantern festivals traditionally culminate the 15-day celebration of the Chinese New Year. Giant\, ornate lanterns of complex design fill cities with light in vivid\, festive spectacles.\nA team of 35 to 40 skilled a rtisans from Zigong in the western province of Sichuan\, the center of t he lantern-making industry in China\, will spend two months in residence at the Missouri Botanical Garden to construct 26 elaborate\, multi-piec e sets from scratch. Working from reference drawings\, sets begin as lar ge outlines on the ground. Steel rods are carefully placed and welded to gether to fashion the framework of each figure. Structures are draped wi th specially-treated Chinese silk\, designed to withstand outdoor displa y for several months. Silk is secured to frame edges with a gold trim. T he final creations are lit from within or adorned with an exterior pipin g of lights\, giving them a brilliant evening glow.\nEach lantern design is full of Chinese tradition\, symbolism and meaning. Greeting visitors at the Garden&rsquo\;s entrance is a welcoming gate of dragon pillars\,  \;Hua Biao\, modeled after a more than 500-year-old pair at the Tia nanmen Square in China. The original Chinese gates were built to activat e the good luck of the Ching dynasty\; similarly\, the Garden&rsquo\;s&n bsp\;Hua Biao \;represents good prospect and turns bad luck into goo d. Standing sentry at the Linnean Plaza entrance\, \;The Terracotta Warrior \;set features four ten-foot-tall figures depicting the armi es of Qin Shi Huang\, the first emperor of China. Chinese opera\, an art form rich in tradition that combines music\, dance and song\, is celebr ated with masks in \;The Faces of Chinese Opera\, the only indoor la ntern display.\nIn a nod to the 2012 Year of the Dragon in the Chinese z odiac\, several elaborate lantern sets prominently feature the dragon\, a mythical creature and cultural symbol of Chinese nationality that repr esents hopes and wishes for a better future. A swirling dragon embraces a pillar rising from the waters of the Garden&rsquo\;s Latzer Fountain. Intricate porcelain dragons\, created by stringing and stacking hundreds of porcelain dishes in long\, curving rows to form a scaled body\, stre tch the length of the reflecting pools located between the famed Climatr on®\; conservatory and the Garden&rsquo\;s original stone gate entran ce. The \;Nine-Dragon Mural \;uses color\, expression and emotio n to replicate the artistic architecture of a similar sculpture in Beiji ng.\nA huge\, color-changing vase spins in the center of the Gladney Ros e Garden\, surrounded by eight-foot-tall stems of lotus flowers\, a symb ol of aspirations to &ldquo\;rise towards the light.&rdquo\; The \;H eavenly \;Temple \;is a three-story-tall showpiece designed to m imic the beauty\, magnificence and majestic presence of the 15thcentury Beijing Heavenly Temple\, where emperors would pray for a fruitful harve st. A sail boat made from thousands of recycled plastic bottles glides t hrough the calm waters of a pond near the Dry Streambed Garden to repres ent &ldquo\;doing everything well.&rdquo\; A pathway sparkling with lit arches of crescent moons and stars symbolizes a happy and celebratory oc casion\, a rousing and iconic scene at any traditional lantern festival. \nIn keeping with the Garden&rsquo\;s commitment to sustainability\, Ame ren Missouri Pure Power will donate Missouri wind energy credits to offs et the electricity required to power the exhibit for nighttime viewing.\ nSpecial exhibition admission rates will apply during Lantern Festival e venings\, Thursdays through Sundays\, May 26 through August 19\, 2012. N ighttime viewing hours are 6 to 10 \;p.m. (last entry at 9 \;p.m .) Tickets will be available for advance purchase online at \;www.mo bot.org/lanternfestivalin the months preceding the exhibition. Advance g roup bookings of 15 or more receive discounted admission rates\; contact the Tourism Department at 1-800-332-1286 or \;tourism@mobot.org.\nT here is no extra charge to view the works of art by day from 9 \;a.m . to 5 p.m. daily. Missouri Botanical Garden general admission is $8\; S t. Louis City and County residents enjoy discounted admission of $4 and free admission on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until noon. Children a ges 12 and under and Garden members are free.\nThe Missouri Botanical Ga rden is located at 4344 Shaw Blvd. in south St. Louis\, Mo.\, accessible from Interstate 44 at the Vandeventer exit and from Interstate 64 at th e Kingshighway North &\; South exit. Free parking is available on-sit e and two blocks west at the corner of Shaw and Vandeventer.\nFor more i nformation about &ldquo\;Lantern Festival: Art by Day\, Magic by Night\, &rdquo\; visit \;www.mobot.org/lanternfestival. For general Missouri Botanical Garden information\, visit \;www.mobot.org \;or call (314) \;577‑5100 (toll-free\, 1‑800‑642‑8842). URL:http://wentzville.patch.com/events/lantern-festival-art-by-day-magic- by-night-2 SUMMARY:Lantern Festival: Art by Day\, Magic by Night LOCATION:4344 Shaw Blvd\, Saint Louis\, MO 63110: 4344 Shaw Blvd\, Saint Louis\, MO END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR