The Missouri Botanical Garden, in cooperation with the St. Louis Chinese community, will celebrate the cultural hertiage of China on Saturday, June 5th and Sunday, June 6th, 1999, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. By popular demand, Chinese Culture Days has been extended to two full days this year, and there will be many fun activities for all ages.

The Opening Ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday in the Milles Sculpture Garden. This festive ceremony will conclude with the colorful Lion Dance, which will lure visitors to join a parade which will lead to a Chinese Village. The village, complete with a wide variety of merchants, craft masters, and performers, will be a re-enactment of typical street life in China throughout the centuries.

The renowned Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, recently featured in the New York Times, will perform five shows throughout the weekend. Performances will take place in the Shoenberg Auditorium at 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Due to the popularity of this group, there will be a separate $5.00 ticket required to attend. Tickets will only be available on June 5th and 6th at the door to the Auditorium, on a first come, first served basis. All proceeds from ticket sales to these performances benefit the Chinese Cultural Foundation.

Visitors will enjoy everything from children's games and Kung Fu shows to Chinese opera and cooking demonstrations. Tours of the fabulous Margaret Grigg Nanjing Friendship Garden, tea ceremonies, and Tai-Chi demonstrations will round out the day's festivities.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard in St. Louis, just off I-44 and Vandeventer. The Garden is easily accessible via public transportation by taking the MetroLink to the Central West End station and picking up the Garden Express shuttle bus. All Chinese Culture Days festivities are free with regular Garden admission or Garden membership, except performances by the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe, which require a separate $5.00 ticket. St. Louis City and County residents enjoy free Garden admission every Saturday morning before noon. Free parking is available on the premises. For more information about Garden events, call the Garden Line at (314) 577-9400 or (800) 642-8842.