<p> Spirit of China celebrated</p><p>Fragile lanterns, exotic lion dances and colourful fireworks will be the order of the day when figures from Scotland’s political, business, artistic and academic sectors – along with strong representation from the Chinese community - turn out at the Botanics on Thursday, February 21, to mark the launch of China Now in Scotland, a year-long national celebration of the connections between the two countries. </p><p>Conceived by the business community and coordinated by the Confucius Institute, China Now in Scotland has won political support at the highest level, including First Minister Alex Salmond and Chinese Premier Wen Jia Bao.</p><p>At the heart of the official launch is Spirit, a Chinese spring lantern festival in the Glasshouses by leading environmental arts charity NVA, commissioned by RBGE and sponsored by the Scottish Government. The breathtaking result of this collaboration is a celebration of the Garden’s long association with China, using a lantern festival as the visual starting point for an evocative and intimate introduction to the rich indoor plant collection. </p><p>Spirit will be open to the public 18:30 to 20:30 Thursday to Sunday from February 22 until March 9. Admission prices apply and tickets are available from The Hub ticket office and on the door, subject to availability.</p><p>ENDS (195 words)</p>