Fairfax, VA (March 25, 2010) – On Saturday April 3rd at 11 a.m., volunteers will help plant over 100 trees common to the Korean Peninsula at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia. This is one of the early steps in creating a KoreanGarden that will overlook scenic LakeCaroline at Meadowlark. When complete this garden will include a meandering trail, terraced stones, two ponds with a connecting water channel and in the center, a traditional Korean pavilion with a large cast iron bell.
Ambassador Han, from the Republic of Korea and Chairman Sharon Bulova from FairfaxCountyVirginia are expected to be on hand for the tree planting. The KoreanBellGarden is being funded by the Korean American Cultural Committee, with financial support from the Republic of Korea and many private donations. Plans are in high gear with hopes to complete the project within the next year.
“June of 2010 will mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, so we thought 2010 would be the perfect year to create this garden as a great symbol of the connection between Korea and the United States,” said Jeung-Hwa Elmejjad-Yi Chair of the Korean American Cultural Committee.
This will be the first KoreanBellGarden in North America, and the only traditional Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast. “With over 35,000 people of Korean ancestry living in Northern Virginia, the BellGarden will be an important cultural icon for many. We also plan to have features along the trail that explain elements of Korean culture and history, so it will be an educational experience as well as a beautiful place,” remarked Paul Gilbert, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
