Lan Su Chinese Garden

Lan Su Chinese Garden, A. Courtyard of Tranquility. May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, D. Knowing the Fish Pavilion & E. Reflections in Clear Ripples (also known as the lounge house) May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, F. Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain (6 panels carved from Ginkgo wood) May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, Mahonia fortunei & Podophyllum pleianthum. May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, J. Tower of Cosmic Reflections (tea house) May 2011 

 Lan Su Chinese Garden, Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' May 2011

 Lan Su Chinese Garden, I. Moon Lacking Pavilion & L. Painted Boat in Misty Rain. May 2011

The Lan Su Chinese Garden occupies an entire city block in Chinatown, very near Downtown Portland, Oregon.  It is such an amazing place that it really feels as though you have stepped into a different world.  The brochure is a small book to guide your journey.  Let's take the tour, using the brochure to instruct us.  I have abbreviated it considerably.

A. Courtyard of Tranquility: It's 16th century China, & you're standing in the entry courtyard of the private home & garden of a wealthy government official & scholar.  The garden around you is his spiritual utopia, a peaceful & soothing place designed to help him escape the problems of everyday life & discover his true self by connecting with nature.

B. Hall of Brocade Clouds: This is where the host meets & entertains guests.  Take a moment to gaze through the beautifully-framed lattice doors & windows to the open view of the garden.

C. Terrace: Scholars aspired to be hermits in the mountains, surrounded by nature.  Since affairs of state & family required living in the city, nature was brought to them on a smaller scale.

D. Knowing the Fish Pavilion:  The name comes from a conversation between 2 ancient scholars.  Scholar #1, 'The fish look happy.'  Scholar #2, 'You aren't a fish.  How do you know they're happy?'  Scholar #1, 'You aren't me.  How do you know I don't know they're happy?'

E. Reflections in Clear Ripples: In this room, also known as the lounge house, the scholar's family would gather for music, painting or playing games such as mahjong.

F. Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain:  6 panels carved from Ginkgo wood illustrate actual ancient gardens in Portland's sister city of Suzhou.

G. Scholar's Courtyard: This is an extension of the scholar's study, a quiet place for reflection & inspiration.  Plum trees near the study's entrance blossom early, signaling the coming of spring & symbolizing endurance & hope.

H.  Scholar's Study:  The study was a refuge, a place of comfort where the men of the family wrote poetry, practiced calligraphy, read, entertained fellow scholars & took naps.

I.  Moon Locking Pavilion:  On a clear night, your can see the reflection of the moon in the center of the lake, locked in by the pavilion's shadow.

J.  Tower of Cosmic Reflections:  Women of the house spent the day in this 2-story building from which they could view the garden & surrounding city.  At Lan Su, tea & snacks are served here.

K.  Rock Mountain & Waterfall:  The rockery is designed to appear as rugged mountains in the distance, complete with waterfalls & cascading streams.

L.  Painted Boat in Misty Rain:  This pavilion represents the boat of friendship that departed from Suzhou, made its way across the ocean & eventually docked in Portland.  From inside, you're meant to feel as if you're anchored on shore, rocked gently by small waves.

The Lan Su Chinese Garden also features a botanical collection of over 400 species & cultivars found in China.  Most of them are labeled.  The garden feels very lush with plants. Altogether, it is a very charming experience.

Here is a slideshow of more photos from the Lan Su Chinese Garden.

 

 Map of the Lan Su Chinese Garden

The Seattle Chinese Garden: Phase 1

 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.  

Map of the Seattle Chinese Garden (when completed)

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

 Outside the 1. China Maple Hall.  Numbers correspond to the map below.

2. China Maple Hall Courtyard & moon gate in the 4. Double Corridor

Bridge between islands.  The pebbles used for paving were brought from China.

3. Ting.  'High on a pile of weathered rocks, emulating a mountain, sits an elegant pavilion representing humans in their natural setting.'

stools

 6. Jade Water Pavilion.  'Pitted & convoluted Tai Hu limestone rocks from Lake Tai near Suzhou are highly prized.  The pine symbolizes strength because it can grow in treacherous conditions.'

 Two arrangements from inside the 8. Scholar's Study.

8. Scholar's Courtyard

On 11-25-10, Rusty & I drove from Seattle to snowy Vancouver, British Columbia.  On the following rainy day, we found remnant patches of snow in the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.  I thought it was stunning.  Rusty likes plants, but isn't a great garden enthusiast.  He said, 'This doesn't look like a garden.  There are so few plants.'  I replied, 'Gardens can be about pavement & structures.  Ask any landscape architect.'  The classical Chinese scholar's garden consists of 4 main elements & represents the Daoist philosophy of yin & yang.  1. Architecture is Ming dynasty classical design.  A main hall is a tang (yin).  A pavilion or gazebo is a ting (yang).  2. Rocks reflect rugged landscapes.  3. Plants are selected for symbolic value: willow for feminine grace, winter-flowering plum for renewal, pine for strength, bamboo for quiet resilience.  4. Water creates a tranquil atmosphere.  The garden was constructed by a 52-member team of experts from Suzhou.  It opened in 1986.
 

Map of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden