Linda Montgomery and Danielle Cheney, two koi experts who help the Garden take care of the beloved creatures, will give a talk about koi from 1:15 – 2:15pm in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center. The Garden is excited to offer this opportunity to learn more about koi as it approaches its festival celebration of Kodomo no Hi, or Children’s Day, on May 4.
Related: Learn more about koi, the living jewels of Portland Japanese Garden
Koi are an important symbol of Children’s Day, which is celebrated in Japan every May. There is a Chinese folktale, which came to Japan, of a koi that transformed into a dragon after swimming up a waterfall called the Dragon Gate on the Yellow River. Due to this tale, koi symbolize courage and determination for swimming upstream and through powerful waterfalls.
From April to early May, koinobori, or cloth carp streamers, are flown outside of homes and public buildings, creating a festive atmosphere. Portland Japanese Garden’s koinobori will be on display in the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation Courtyard and Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.
At the festival, Linda Montgomery and Danielle Cheney will be back answering your questions about our beloved koi, the living jewels of our garden, at the Zig-Zag Bridge next to the Heavenly Falls in the Strolling Pond Garden.
Related: Watch Montgomery and Cheney answer some questions about koi
Portland Japanese Garden would like to thank The Miller Foundation and Toshiba International Foundation for their support of arts and culture programming.
