by Alan K. Lee
The Lan Su Chinese Garden, an urban oasis in the middle of downtown Portland, Oregon, is regarded as one of the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China itself. It is also one of the most beautiful places in the city, and one of my favorite places in the city.
The garden came about through Portland’s sister city relationship with Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province, China. Suzhuo is noted for its Ming Dynasty gardens, and Lan Su Garden was created by artisans from Suzhou following a 2000 year old tradition that melds art, architecture, and nature into a harmonious and serene whole.
Entering the garden, you come first to the Courtyard of Tranquility. The courtyard (and the whole garden, for that matter) is designed to be a peaceful and soothing place to escape the problems of everyday life, and it succeeds in that remarkably well. It’s surprisingly quiet, and once inside it’s easy to forget that you are in the middle of a busy city.
From the courtyard, you pass through the Hall of Brocade Clouds, traditionally the place where a family entertains guests, and then onto the Terrace. This is a great place to just sit and take in the view. Most of the garden can be seen from the Terrace. The various pavilions and the Tea House (the “Tower of Cosmic Reflections”) are beautifully reflected in the central pond known as Lake Zither.
From the Terrace, wander at will through the Painted Boat In Misty Rain pavilion, past the Rock Mountain and Waterfall, across the boardwalk to the Moon Locking Pavilion, Scholar’s Study and Scholar’s Courtyard, and the Knowing the Fish Pavilion. Take some time to visit the Tower of Cosmic Reflections teahouse where you can enjoy a cup of tea and learn a little about the Chinese social art and culture of tea.
Throughout the garden you will see Lake Tai Rocks. These large, fantastically shaped rocks were imported from China – 600 tons of them. The rocks were formed underwater through the erosive action of Lake Tai’s acidic waters, and are highly prized by landscape architects.
The garden exhibits more than 100 species of trees, shrubs, and plants native to China, including the Pacific Northwest’s largest collection of lotus. The plants found in the garden were not imported from China due to import restrictions, but were found in botanical gardens and nurseries in the United States and transplanted to the garden.
Part of the mission of the Lan Su Chinese Garden is to promote better understanding of Chinese art, history, tradition, and culture. Classes and demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy, brush painting, paper folding, poetry, music, horticulture, wood carving, and other arts such as kite making, are held throughout the year at the garden. And public tours of the garden led by trained docents are held several times a day.
The Lan Su Garden is small, taking up only one city block, but it is one of Portland’s premier gardens (along with the Portland Japanese Garden, the International Rose Test Garden, and Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, among others). You can tour the garden in an hour, but the longer you linger, and the more times you visit, the more you come to appreciate the beauty, tranquility, and harmony of the garden, and understand the philosophy and outlook on life that led to its creation.
Lan Su Chinese Garden is open from 10:00 to 4:00 daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors (62+), and $9.95 for children 6-18 and college students. Children five and under are free. There are currently no Covid-19 restrictions. You can find more information about the garden at the Lan Su website.
Posted March 12, 2020. Updated April 8, 2022
All photos © Alan K. Lee