Lucy, the indefatigable foil to Charlie Brown, is heading to China in an elaborate Hmong dress.
As part of its first gift exchange with Changsha, China — an ancestral home to the Hmong community — St. Paul is sending five “Peanuts” statues to the south central city of 7 million residents: Snoopy as Joe Cool, Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy on a doghouse decorated with Chinese brush-style painting, and Lucy in a Hmong dress.
Before being sent, however, Lucy will be on display Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Community School of Excellence, 270 W. Larpenteur Ave. in St. Paul.
St. Paul established its sister-city relationship with Changsha 30 years ago under Mayor George Latimer. St. Paul is home to the largest Hmong community in the U.S.
The “Peanuts” statues — inspired by the late cartoonist Charles Schulz, who grew up in St. Paul — will be placed in Yanghu Wetlands Park in Changsha, the sister park to Phalen Regional Park.
“These are brand new statues that the China Garden Society received special permission to create,” said Linda Mealey-Lohmann, president and co-founder of the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society.
Later this year, Changsha plans to donate a replica of its famed Aiwan Pavilion — one of the four most famous pavilions in China — to be installed at the future site of the China Friendship Garden by Lake Phalen.
Copyright 2018 Pioneer Press.