Portland: Chinese Garden

Second day, second garden: Tuesday we visited the Lan Su Chinese Garden, whose name combines characters from the Mandarin for Portland and for its sister city, Suzhou. It means "Garden of the Awakening Orchids." We arrived early in order to be able to buy our tickets and join the free Kung Fu class that was held on the patio. (Every day they offer a different discipline to try; I suppose if you had a membership you could attend each week.) We spent a chilly hour learning how to move from our pelvises and how to roll a ball of qi with a woman visiting from California and another guy. The instructor, Andrea, is part of the Flying Tortoise studio.

Although we were very cold, the time we spent in the class had allowed the sun to rise over the building, improving the light. We followed the circuit of the compound, taking lots and lots of pictures. While Dear Husband favored the Japanese Garden for its spaciousness and greenery (click for post), I liked the Chinese Garden better, because of the constant juxtaposition of architecture and nature.

It is set up as a wealthy family's villa. One architectural technique they use is the “view within a view,” windows or doors that (re)frame dioramas. This not only simulates infinite space but allows for the artful display of conspicuous consumption.

According to the guidebook, there is more than 600 tons of the statuesque rock from Lake Tai in China in the garden (left image). The rock has been eroded under the surface of the lake, creating shapes that catch light and shadow and invite contemplation. Looking from bottom to top is supposed to simulate climbing a mountain.

There were of course a large koi and lily pond, bridges, a waterfall, and a couple of buildings with exhibits about a home altar (above), botanical illustration, women’s work, and the study of a Chinese scholar. We treated ourselves to a satisfying lunch (steamed dumplings for him, noodles with tofu for me, tea and moon cakes for each of us) while someone played a kind of lute. As a rare souvenir to hang when we get home, we bought a crane embroidery from Shouzou.

Below is the scholar's study. I took the second photo through an opening in a wooden screen, and the repeating window effect continues with the window and the decorated porch beyond it. How could you not love all that latticework?

Above left is the "moonlocking pavilion," so named because it seems to capture the moon (reflected in the pond) in its arms. Below you can see how close the rest of the city was.

This was a very filling lunch, I think because the moon cakes may be meant to be shared. You can see half of my red bean cake on top; it has a sort of dark, earthy taste. DH prefered his lotus seed cake, which was lighter and sweeter ("the vanilla of mooncakes").

This is a backlit photo of the two of us on a covered bridge overlooking the koi pond. Afterwards we walked over to Powell's City of Books, where DH patiently waited for me to scan the spine of every book published on Nazi Germany, and many of the books published on World War I. We also ogled the rare books--some of which are very old, some of which are oversized comics, and some of which are worth thousands of dollars--and did some Christmas shopping. Then we took the tram home for a quiet restaurant dinner and a soak in the jacuzzi tub.

Coming soon: posts about Washington Park and Multnomah Falls!