Lan Su Chinese Garden: One Word Sunday

Near the shores of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, you’ll find a small gem of a garden. Lan Su Chinese Garden is the result of a collaboration between Portland, Oregon, and Suzhou, in the Jiangsu province of China.

The Lan Su Chinese Garden mission is to “cultivate an oasis of tranquil beauty and harmony to inspire, and educate our global community in the appreciation of a richly authentic Chinese culture.”

Kuang Zhen designed the 1.03-acre garden with the help of 65 artisans. The garden opened to the public in September 2000.

Over 400 species of plants can be found here. More than 100 plants grow near Lake Zither, a feature created for the garden.

This Ming Dynasty-style garden incorporates traditional features including covered bridges, a pond, pavilions, winding paths, and landscaping highlighting a perfect harmony of design and nature. Besides these features, Lan Su offers an opportunity to taste tea at the Yun Shui Teahouse. Visitors might also want to purchase unique mementos at the garden’s small gift shop.

Classical Chinese gardens are supposed to present visitors with a series of beautifully framed glimpses of scenery. It’s almost like every way you turn; you’ll see another Instagram-worthy scene.

I featured one of the dragon rooftop decorations in a previous post that describes their purpose. I’m showing the image in black and white again to emphasize its artistry.

Scholars’ rocks

One of my favorite features in the garden was the Chinese Scholars’ rocks. These limestone rocks, molded by nature, often have pores, holes, and strange shapes.

Some, known as Taihu rocks, come from the foot of Dongting Mountain in Suzhou.

The strangest looking rocks are the most highly valued. The Garden of Surging Waves in Astoria, Oregon also features Scholars’ rocks.

Moon gates

Another feature I liked in this garden was the Moon Gates. According to popular belief, these passageways in garden walls connect the heavens to earth.

They bring auspicious energy to those who pass through them.

Visiting Lan Su Garden in the rain

I visited the garden on May 4, 2024, during a downpour. Little did I know that frequent visitors, members, and staff often say their favorite time to visit is when it’s raining.

Their website devotes a whole page to “pluviophiles”, those who love the rain and find peace and joy in its presence. It lists eight reasons to visit Lan Su in the rain.

Lan Su offers over 500 cultural and botanical programs every year. When I visited, they offered free admission as part of a city-wide Rise Above Hate event. This event calls people to action to support Asian, Asian American, Native Hawai’ian, and Pacific Islander communities. While I was there, Team Japonesque performed a dance that included elements of traditional and modern choreography.

For admission and pricing information, visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden website.

One Word Sunday – Framed