Students from the Josiah Quincy School performed for the opening of the Chinatown Park. Guest speakers included:

- Bernard Cohen, Secretary of Transportation and Chair of the Mass Turnpike Authority

- Tim Murray, Lieutenant Governor and speaking for Governor Deval Patrick

- Sal DiMasi, MA Speaker of the House and Chinatown’s State Representative

- An assistant of Mayor Tom Menino (who is on a trip to Latin America)

- An assistant to U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (who is in D.C.)

- Peter Meade, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

- Stephanie Fan and Dave Seeley, Chinatown Park Citizens Advisory Committee

- Michael Wong, President of Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Ribbon-cutting ceremony. Then a walk with everyone through the park. Stephanie Fan, Co-Chair of the Chinatown Park Citizens Advisory Committee talked about the history of the area. The site of the park used to be a parking lot and on Sundays, residents would come and utilize the parking lot. She also pointed out the many different symbols of the park from the Essex St. boat sail, which represents the movement of people into the community and “moving into the future”. Mass Speaker of the House and Chinatown State Rep. Sal DiMasi talked about how the community worked to preserve this space many years ago when a highway extension called the DD Ramp was proposed.