VegasDeluxe by Robin Leach

Bellagio Conservatory celebrates Chinese Year of the Tiger

by Robin Leach

An early Happy New Year to all of our Chinese friends! The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens began its celebration of the 2010 Chinese New Year with a display rich in history and meaning (designed by Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions). Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 14 this year, so it’s a double celebration!.
2010 is the Year of the Tiger, and the conservatory’s design is guided by the ancient practice of Feng Shui, the art of using surroundings to attract harmony, balance and positive life energy. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a majestic tiger, whose coat is comprised of dried botanicals. The tiger stands among a garden of Taihu rocks and overlooks a tranquil pond of Koi, a symbol of abundance and fortune.
Rocks and water are viewed as essential features of any traditional Chinese garden and symbolize the larger world around us. After spending decades forming underwater, Taihu stones were chosen because they are believed to encourage circulation of ch’i, or natural energy.
Legend has it that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year, and 12 came. The third animal in the Chinese zodiac, the tiger serves as a symbol of luck and bravery. Those born in the Year of the Tiger tend to be natural leaders, competitive and self-reliant.
Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens celebrates Chinese New Year and the Year of the Tiger.
Just steps away from Bellagio’s courageous feline ambassador, an 18-foot-tall Chinese God of Prosperity stands amid gold-leafed I-Ching coins, a traditional Chinese money symbol. Widely recognized as the strongest symbol of good fortune and great luck in the New Year, the God of Prosperity is flanked by two Ming Dynasty-styled dings, ancestral vessels that protect against bad fortune.
Nearby, a trio of 6-foot-tall giant pandas, made of more than 9,000 living plants, frolic in a lush garden filled with towering bamboo. Considered a national treasure in China and listed as an endangered species, pandas spend at least 12 hours each day eating as much as 84 pounds of bamboo.
Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens celebrates Chinese New Year and the Year of the Tiger.
A zigzag bridge leads to a wing-tipped Ming Dynasty-styled gazebo painted a deep red lacquer with gold trim and green-tiled roofs. Red signifies happiness, while the upturned roofline wards off evil spirits. The sharp pattern of the bridge protects against negative energy and bad spirits, and a majestic mountain, seen as a pillar between heaven and Earth, serves as a backdrop.
Feng Shui was used to position the flow of water into the conservatory, and not away, ensuring the flow of positive energy. Silk Chinese lanterns add to the auspicious nature of the exhibit on display through Feb. 28.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground,

Vegas News: Celebrate Chinese New Year 2010

Celebrate Chinese New Year 2010 At Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
January 7, 2010 by VegasNews
Beginning January 10, Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens will celebrate the 2010 Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger, with a unique display filled with hidden meaning. The Conservatory's design (created by Stephen Stefanou of Design Solutions in Dallas, TX) will be guided by the ancient practice of Feng Shui -- the art of using surroundings to attract harmony, balance and positive life energy.
The dramatic centerpiece of this exhibit will be a majestic tiger. His 'fur' coat will be comprised of dried botanicals. The tiger will stand among a garden of Taihu rocks and overlook a tranquil pond of Koi, a symbol of abundance and fortune. Rocks and water are viewed as essential features of any traditional Chinese garden and symbolize the larger world around us. After spending decades forming underwater, Taihu stones were chosen because they are believed to encourage circulation of ch'i, or natural energy.
Legend has it that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came. The third animal in the Asian zodiac, the tiger serves as a symbol of luck and bravery. Those born in the Year of the Tiger tend to be natural leaders, competitive and self-reliant.
Just steps away from Bellagio's courageous feline ambassador, an 18-foot-tall Chinese God of Prosperity will be found amidst gold leafed I-Ching coins, a traditional Chinese money symbol. Widely recognized as the strongest symbol of good fortune and great luck in the New Year, the God of Prosperity will be flanked by two Ming Dynasty-styled dings, ancestral vessels that protect against bad fortunes.
Nearby, a trio of charming, 6-foot-tall giant pandas, made of more than 9,000 living plants, will frolic in a lush garden filled with towering bamboo. Considered a national treasure in China and listed as an endangered species, pandas spend at least 12 hours each day eating up to 84 pounds of bamboo.
Within Bellagio's Conservatory, visitors also will find a zigzag bridge leading to a beautiful, wing-tipped Ming Dynasty-styled gazebo painted a deep red lacquer with shimmering gold trim and green-tiled roofs. The color red signifies happiness while the upturned roofline will ward off evil spirits. The sharp pattern of the bridge will protect against negative energy and bad spirits. A majestic mountain, seen as a pillar between heaven and earth, will serve as a dramatic backdrop.
The teachings of Feng Shui also will be used to purposely position the flow of water into Bellagio's Conservatory, and not away, ensuring the flow of positive energy. Oversized brilliant-red, silk Chinese lanterns throughout the conservatory will add to the auspicious nature of this spectacular exhibit.
Visitors are invited to celebrate Chinese New Year in Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens January 10 through February 28.
Chinese New Year Facts:
The Year of the Tiger is February 14, 2010 - February 3, 2011
People born in the Year of the Tiger tend to be competitive and love to stand-out
Chinese New Year Conservatory Facts:
Three 6-foot-tall giant pandas comprised of Helichrysum Icicles and Hemigraphis Erect
18-foot-tall God of Prosperity
I-Ching coins are traditional money symbol
Zigzag bridges, water and the color red protect against evil and ensure positive energy

Design Solutions designs the 2010 Winter Olympics in British Columbia

13 Million Cranberries to Reveal Richmond to the World!

RICHMOND, BC, Dec. 2
Thirteen million floating cranberries, weighing about 13,600 kilograms (30,000 pounds), will form a spectacular tribute to the Olympic Games on the Fraser River next February. (This display was designed and created by Stephen Stefanou of DESIGN SOLUTIONS of Dallas, TX)

A massive depiction of the Canadian Olympic Committee's logo will float in the Middle Arm of the Fraser River, just offshore from the Richmond Olympic Oval throughout the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The stunning, never-before-seen tribute to the Games will be 62 metres long by 70 metres wide (200 by 230 feet) or more than 3,200 square metres (34,000 square feet) in total area. The logo, which consists of a maple leaf and Olympic torch sitting overtop of the five interlocking Olympic rings, will be constructed from cranberries contained in a specially-constructed floating form.

Richmond is Canada's largest producer of cranberries with more than 60 family-owned farms. The cranberry installation is part of a new program entitled Richmond Revealed, a series of visual spectacles that will celebrate the diverse commerce, culture and heritage of Richmond and showcase it to the world during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

"We are extremely proud to be an official Venue City of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games," said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. "The eyes of the world will be on us during the Games and Richmond Revealed will tell the stories of our past, present and future."

Richmond Revealed will showcase other leading local industries such as aerospace, aviation, technology and transportation. Other highlights of Richmond Revealed include:
- A giant inukshuk, up to seven stories in height, constructed out of
stacked shipping containers.
- A room-sized model of the Canadarm, Canada's internationally-famous
contribution to the International Space Station and US Space Shuttle,
along with models of the Mars Rover and other aerospace projects
contributed to by Richmond's aerospace leaders.
- A spectacular double dragon dance accompanied by mass tai-chi
performance on Chinese New Year on February 14, 2010. The dragons are
150 metres and 75 metres in length.

In addition to the large cranberry installation in the Fraser River, the water feature at Richmond City Hall will also be filled with cranberries. To celebrate Richmond's agriculture industry, visitors will be able to meet with local cranberry growers, as they demonstrate how cranberries are harvested.

"Our family has been growing cranberries in Richmond for four generations, and we're proud to continue the tradition of farming my great grandfather began in the 1880s," said Richmond grower-owner Todd May. "It's incredibly gratifying to grow a fruit that's versatile, good for you, and is enjoyed by people in different countries all over the world."

The City of Richmond is home to the Richmond Olympic Oval, the signature venue of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which will host 12 days of long-track speed skating competition. The City will also be home to the Richmond O Zone (www.richmondozone.ca), the largest official celebration site of the 2010 Games, featuring 17 days of free world-class live entertainment, sports and culture.