Can a flower connect to a culture? For Lily Kwong, the answer is easy. She is a landscape designer. “Plants are rich carriers of culture,” she said. Kwong connects her Chinese heritage to her work. She did that with the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. Kwong told News-O-Matic (NOM) how her family history inspired her show. It was called Natural Heritage.
NOM: You are from California. How did you learn about your heritage?
Kwong: I grew up around my grandparents. They are from Shanghai. So, I’m second generation with Chinese roots. We spent a lot of time in Chinatown. There was always a big Chinese New Year celebration. There were family reunions. And many
were passed down to my parents and then to me. That includes four scrolls — beautiful paintings from Shanghai. They helped me explore my family history.
NOM: Tell us more about those scrolls.
Kwong: They are huge. I remember staring at them when I was a kid. I would get lost in these paintings. Growing up in a different country than your parents or grandparents, sometimes it feels like where your family comes from is this mysterious place. So, it felt special to build these mountain forms that I grew up staring at.
NOM: How can kids learn about their own heritage?
Kwong: There’s inspiration all around us. I’m sure there are things in your homes — whether it’s objects or stories your parents told. They get stuck in your memory.
NOM: How can plants connect to a culture?
Kwong: Plants are associated with different energies, myths, or stories. For example, orchids were mentioned by Confucius. He was a Chinese philosopher from thousands of years ago. Orchids are found in the mountain valleys of China.
NOM: Can plants be symbols of Asian cultures?
Kwong: Orchids became a symbol of the gentleman or the scholar. And we should all be like that. So, there are associations between plants and the culture. You see that in Chinese gardens with cherry blossoms or bamboo or orchids. These all symbolize what the culture values.
NOM: What plants were in your orchid show?
Kwong: All the plants were endemic to Asia. That means they are found naturally across the Asian continent. There were 5,500 to 6,500 orchids in the show. Some come from Vietnam or Taiwan.
NOM: Are orchids used in traditional Chinese medicine?
Kwong: There used to be a belief that plants gave you clues to their healing properties based on how they grew. Dendrobiums were found on the sides of rocks. The stems are boiled in a tea. And it was thought that these orchids would give you strength — because rocks are strong. It turns out, that is what they’re used for. Dendrobiums increase your strength. They’re still used today.
NOM: Did you grow up with traditional Chinese medicine?
Kwong: Oh, definitely. My dad was always growing this pot that stunk up the whole house. He’d drink this mucky brown goop to help his lungs. When we got sick, he would give us ginseng or ginger. Many plants have healing properties. That has been a part of Chinese medicine for
.
NOM: You were the first Asian woman to be a guest designer at the New York Botanical Garden. What did that mean to you?
Kwong: It inspired me to dig into my heritage and share the most beautiful parts of my culture. The past few years have been challenging for a lot of people in the Asian community. So, I wanted to celebrate the beautiful traditions in Asian culture. It felt important. I looked and sounded very, very different. I wanted to celebrate that. And I hope kids embrace the differences that make you beautiful.
NOM: Do you have advice for AAPI Heritage Month?
Kwong: If you have elders around you — grandparents or aunts or uncles — ask them questions. I am lucky to still have my 92-year-old grandmother. But my grandfather is no longer with me. I wish I’d asked him more about his childhood — about growing up in Shanghai, about his parents, about what his house smelled like. All those little details made him who he was.
Updated May 1, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
