Entrance to the Knowing the Spring Courtyard March 2011
Knowing the Spring Courtyard from outside. March 2011
Knowing the Spring Courtyard March 2011
Knowing the Spring Courtyard March 2011
Knowing the Spring Courtyard March 2011
Knowing the Spring Courtyard March 2011
Knowing the Spring Courtyard March 2011
Corridor outside the Knowing the Spring Courtyard March 2011
Song Mei (Pine & Plum) Pavilion March 2011
When I read that the Seattle Chinese Garden had completed the first phase of construction, the Knowing the Spring Courtyard, I expected to be unimpressed. I had seen only one Chinese garden, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver, British Columbia. Each of the courtyards there is fairly small. I was amazed to find that the entire Vancouver garden would seem to fit inside the Knowing the Spring Courtyard in Seattle. Aside from a vast expanse of undistinguished paving, the courtyard is quite pleasing. You may find that viewing it through the windows of the corridor that runs outside the east wall is more charming. While very clearly Chinese, the architecture has, to some extent, a modern American feel. However, the official website states that ‘the garden will be the first in the United States to authentically represent the Sichuan style.’ The nearby Song Mei (Pine & Plum) Pavilion is very nice. Artisans from the Chang Shu Ancient Style Garden Design Construction Company with lead garden designer Feng Dacheng from the Chongqing Bureau of Parks & Greenery finished this phase in November 2010. It opened in February 2011. Chongqing & Seattle are sister cities. The plan for the remainder of the garden is quite ambitious. ‘The 4.6-acre Seattle Chinese Garden will be one of the largest Chinese gardens outside of China, showcasing not only plants, but also stone, architecture and water elements that are customary to Chinese gardens. Dense and complex, it will change dramatically with each season.’ Visit the Seattle Chinese Garden website for more details. You might also enjoy the Seattle Chinese Garden blog. The garden is located adjacent to the South Seattle Community College Arboretum. Below is a map of the future garden.
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1 comment:
I enjoyed seeing your pictures of the garden. I'm hoping we'll get a chance to see it soon. We visited the Chinese gardens in Portland last year and I really liked it.
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