By James Tabafunda
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Making progress is one thing, but significant advances in developing one of Seattle’s enduring cultural landmarks energize its strongest supporters.
More than 300 community members and civic leaders gathered at Diamond Bay Restaurant in the Chinatown-International District on June 5 for the annual Seattle Chinese Garden (SCG) banquet, gala, and auction, celebrating major fundraising milestones and announcing a new, phased construction plan for the hub of cross-Pacific friendship at South Seattle College.
Over 300 people attended the second annual Seattle Chinese Garden banquet, gala, and auction (Photo by James Tabafunda)
Photo by James Tabafunda
The event marked the most significant public report since the SCG’s board of directors unveiled its Central Garden capital campaign in 2025. Total contributions to date have reached approximately $12.3 million toward a revised $16.2 million construction budget—leaving roughly $3.9 million still needed to begin the next phase.
Evening features performance
Emcee Dennis Eng, vice president of corporate affairs for the SCG, opened the evening with a welcome message. He said, “Thank all of you for joining us in our second annual Seattle Chinese Garden banquet and auction. We are pleased to welcome so many friends, old and new.”
Emcee Dennis Eng, vice president of corporate affairs for the Seattle Chinese Garden (Photo by James Tabafunda)
“Critical to our success are the table captains and the organizations who encouraged all of you to come out and support us this evening.”
Wei Dai then performed Chinese ribbon dancing—swinging a long colorful fabric in continuous patterns to mimic the movement of a dragon in flight. He later presented a video highlighting Chongqing and was joined on stage by Crystal Chen.
Campaign clears key city threshold
Robert Pong, secretary of the SCG and co-chair of the capital campaign, gave the anticipated progress report that drew applause from the crowd.
From left: Robert Pong, secretary of the Seattle Chinese Garden and co-chair of the capital campaign, Paige Miller, vice president of fundraising of the Seattle Chinese Garden and co-chair of the capital campaign (Photo by James Tabafunda)
“Last June, we met right here to celebrate the Seattle Chinese Garden and to unveil our plans for future construction,” he said. “Former Governor Locke gave a passionate speech about how important it is to finish the garden as a way to celebrate Chinese heritage culture and to push back against Asian hate. We are taking these words to heart and made major progress this year.” Pong cited a $2.5 million grant from Washington state—the largest community projects grant in this year’s state budget—secured with the support of Gov. Bob Ferguson, state Rep. Brianna Thomas, Senate Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, and state Sen. Emily Alvarado. Combined with $5 million from the city, $3.7 million in pledged in-kind construction materials and skilled labor from Chongqing, $353,000 from the SCG Board, and $722,647 from other supporters, the organization has met the city’s matching requirement for its $5 million contribution.
New phase prioritizes Chongqing Tower
Capital campaign co-chair Paige Miller, vice president of fundraising for the SCG and a former Seattle Port Commissioner, described a revised construction scope developed after 11 board and staff members traveled to Chongqing last month to negotiate with a Chinese design team.
“We came up with an agreement on the next phase of construction,” she said. “It’s a smaller budget from what we proposed to you last year. So that will include the Chongqing Tower, the Scholar’s Studio, the Lotus Pond, the Zigzag Bridge. We will relocate the little Song Mei Pavilion and build a covered walkway to it. And of course, after all these years, it’s time to have permanent restrooms.”
The revised first phase carries a total cost of approximately $16.2 million. The team is also exploring a large-scale lantern installation in the shape of the Chongqing Tower—a structure Miller said could be visible from downtown Seattle.
“I think even you guys who live in Bellevue might be able to see it.”
She called on the crowd to help close the remaining gap. “We have $3.94 million needed to implement the next phase of our garden’s vision,” Miller said. “And, hey, for just $1 million more while we’re staged and on site, we could make the Tea House happen, too. Now is the time to make this happen.”
Evening features auction
A live auction featured six items, with Jeff Daley, president of the West Seattle Garden Tour, serving as auctioneer. Auction items included a whiskey tasting for 10 at Elk Heights Distillery in Ellensburg, Wash., valued at $3,000, which sold for $900; two West Seattle Garden Tour tickets, listed at $35 each, which sold for $125; and two main-cabin round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, both gold sponsors of the event. A Seattle Mariners package—featuring a signed Bryan Woo jersey and four premium seats for the Aug. 9 home game against the Tampa Bay Rays—was also auctioned.
City council champion urges action
Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss, who in 2024 led a Seattle delegation to Chongqing to mark the 41st anniversary of the sister city relationship, told the crowd that the dream of completing the garden after more than two decades was finally within reach.
“This is only possible because of you,” he said. “We have right before us a dream that has been sitting, waiting to be realized for more than 20 years.”
Strauss acknowledged one remaining funding gap. “We have not yet gotten county money,” he said. “So if anyone knows a county council member, let’s give them a call this afternoon.” He also encouraged attendees to consider naming rights opportunities, noting that the Chongqing Tower alone carries a $10 million naming opportunity. A pre-application meeting with the city’s permitting department is scheduled for June 10 to begin the environmental review process.
Honorees recognized for decades of service
Lincoln Ferris, president of the SCG, introduced three honorees whose long-standing contributions to the Asian American community and to the garden were recognized at the banquet.
Lincoln Ferris, president of the Seattle Chinese Garden (Photo by James Tabafunda)
Dennis Su and his wife, Millie Su, were honored for decades of community leadership. Ferris said that Dennis Su was among a small group of architects who, roughly 40 years ago, recommended South Seattle College as the site for the garden, and that he subsequently joined its founding board.
“Like me, he was president of the International District Rotary Club here in Chinatown,” Ferris said. Su is also president emeritus of the China Tomorrow Education Foundation, an organization aimed at helping children in rural China grow up to become useful citizens.
Millie Su has served as 2009-2010 president of the Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce and led its Youth Leadership Program and Miss Chinese Seattle scholarship program.
Tony Au, president of the Washington State Sino-U.S. Trade Alliance and a longtime Central District community leader, was the second individual honoree. The Boeing Company received the evening’s institutional honor for its decades-long relationship with the SCG, which dates to the organization’s founding volunteers and includes the securing of a $1.5 million corporate gift—described by Ferris as “the largest gift we have received.”
From left: Dennis Eng, vice president of information technology and data analytics and chief information officer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and 2026 banquet emcee, Tony Au, president of the Washington State Sin-U.S. Trade Alliance, Millie Su, former president of the Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and Dennis Su, owner principal of Dennis T. Su, AIA Architects + Consultants (Photo by James Tabafunda)
Garden grows, grounds manager explains
Cynthia Welte, who joined the SCG three months ago as grounds manager, described the experience of stewarding the site daily.
“It’s been really wonderful. I love it. It’s such a beautiful place. It’s quiet, but you sort of feel the city all around you … Just being out in the garden is a really wonderful experience,” she said. “We have a wonderful peony collection. And so the peonies are blooming right now. They smell great.”
Welte, a horticulturist, said the garden’s plant palette draws from a foundational plant list compiled by an early founding visionary, with bamboo, pines, peonies, plums, cherries, and chrysanthemums serving as the primary species. “We try to focus on Chinese plants,” she said. “It’s kind of a unique space here in Seattle, which I really like.”
Upcoming events and call to community
Eng announced a series of upcoming public programs at the SCG. The Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Concert Truck, a mobile chamber music venue, will perform a free, public concert on July 1. A Chinese Cultural Open House is scheduled for July 25, followed by the SCG’s annual Bamboo Circle Celebration on Aug. 6.
Miller urges Seattle’s Chinese American community, many of whom she said have never visited the SCG, to make the trip to West Seattle. “Come visit,” she said. “Bring your family. The garden is about transmitting Chinese culture from generation to generation and keeping the culture alive, keeping it relevant.”
The SCG is open to the public at 6000 16th Avenue Southwest and is located directly adjacent to the South Seattle College Arboretum at the north end of the campus.
For more information on the Central Garden Capital Campaign, naming opportunities, or upcoming events, go to www.seattlechinesegarden.org.
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