Chinese Cultural Center of America's Riverfront Gardens

Situated on the east bank of the Des Moines River on a 1.7 acre site provided by the City of Des Moines, south of the Botanical Center, across the river from the Iowa Events Center, the CCCA Gardens will offer a vibrant and diverse quality of life for the people of Iowa, serve as a climactic destination attraction for the Principal Riverwalk, and supply a natural linkage between the Principal Center Street Pedestrian Bridge and the Des Moines Botanical Center.

The development of the Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens and the Character Gardens will mark the first phase of the CCCA Riverfront Project. These gardens will not only highlight the importance of diversity in our community and acknowledge the significant contributions that Asian Americans have made to Iowa, but will also serve as lasting monuments honoring Governor Ray's visionary moral leadership and humanitarian outreach.

The Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens features a 38' x 20' Asian pavilion atop an undulating bridge spanning a pond that cascades into the Des Moines River with a series of waterfalls. Accented by stone pagodas, lanterns and sculptural rock formations, the Asian garden's flowing lyrical ambiance will transport the strolling visitor to a picturesque Far Eastern paradise.