Chinese Garden Portland OR

Portland Oregon's sister city in China donated the materials, design and installation labor for this very special place near Portland's Chinatown section.

Built in the manner of a traditional Chinese garden for study and contemplation the facility consists of several rooms interconnected by walkways.  A central pond is visible from many places and each view is different.

As you can see from the tall building in the rear, the garden is in the city, but it is a world unto itself within the garden walls.

 

Miniaturized trees are used to create a scene where the observer may imagine himself as a tiny visitor to the forest looking upward at the towering trees.

Two miniature scenes used in a window to create a framed image.

A lot of feng shui goes into the design of such a place and there is much symbolism used everywhere.  The guide was knowledgeable, but I can remember, just a fraction of the information he provided.  The stones here are called bamboo rock and are used to contrast the tall slender trees in the scene.

Here the image is framed from a porch overlooking a portion of the pond and adjacent gardens.

Here is a single example of one of these special rocks.  To imagine that this was purposefully placed under water more than 100 years ago before anyone saw it again just boggles the mind.

Here is a single example of one of these special rocks.  To imagine that this was purposefully placed under water more than 100 years ago before anyone saw it again just boggles the mind.

Beautiful flowers were in bloom throughout the garden as the water lily here.