The Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
I've visited the Classical Chinese Garden before, but (amazingly, given Vancouver's climate) this is the first time it's been raining, and the garden is designed at least as much for rain as for sunshine.
The garden was built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou (which is famous for its gardens), using materials imported from China (though the plants had to be sourced locally). It sits at the heart of an imaginary house, such as would have belonged to a scholar/civil servant of the Ming dynasty -- and if you've read the Judge Dee stories, it will probably look familiar :-)
We're standing at the far end of the garden, in the most private area. The building in the background is the 'China Maple Hall', a large reception room, close to the entrance, where the scholar and his family would have received visitors, and where the scholar might have conducted some of his business.
The building on the right is the 'Water Pavillion', which sits over the pool like a bridge, and would have been the coolest, airiest part of the house, where the family would have spent the hot summer afternoons.
Despite the poor light, I managed to get a couple of shots of the interior of the China Maple Hall:
Everything about the garden is balanced: the plants represent Yin, and the stones Yang. The stones are Chinese limestone, and have been naturally sculpted by acidic water.
Each courtyard is paved in a different pattern -- in this one, the brownish stones form the shapes of bats, which are a symbol of good luck, and the white flowers are made from sherds of porcelain:
Barriers are made from woven plants:
And natural stones are used as steps:
The roof, which covers the walkways, is designed to channel the rain over special bat-shaped tiles, so that it falls in a 'curtain of pearls' (though, sadly, my camera couldn't capture the effect):
And there are vessels to collect the water, just because it looks and sounds so beautiful...
The water in the pool is treated with clay, which makes it dark jade-green and (although you can't see it when it's raining) more reflective.
In a real house, the women's quarters would have been tucked away, beyond the (circular) moon gate:
Past the women's quarters, the path leads to the scholar's private garden and study:
This is the men's part of the house, and there does seem to be a greater emphasis on Yang here -- the decoration is simpler and more geometric.
Here is the scholar's study. Everything in the garden is designed to provide varied and unexpected views. The trees are carefully pruned so that you can see through them:
The paths wind, and rise and fall, and the walls are pierced with decorative windows (called 'leak windows'), which offer picturesque glimpses of what's beyond:
The little building (on top of the artificial mountain at the centre of the pool) is called a 'Ting'. To reach it, the family would have had to cross one of the bridges over the water. It all reminded me of a willow pattern plate:
Here's the Water Pavillion seen through the trees:
And this is the view from the far side of the Water Pavillion. The rail is designed so that you can sit sideways on the wall, with one arm trailing over the side:
This is what you might be contemplating -- an Andy Goldsworthy:
Or this -- my favourite of all the pictures -- a wise, old tree in the rain:
The garden was built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou (which is famous for its gardens), using materials imported from China (though the plants had to be sourced locally). It sits at the heart of an imaginary house, such as would have belonged to a scholar/civil servant of the Ming dynasty -- and if you've read the Judge Dee stories, it will probably look familiar :-)
We're standing at the far end of the garden, in the most private area. The building in the background is the 'China Maple Hall', a large reception room, close to the entrance, where the scholar and his family would have received visitors, and where the scholar might have conducted some of his business.
The building on the right is the 'Water Pavillion', which sits over the pool like a bridge, and would have been the coolest, airiest part of the house, where the family would have spent the hot summer afternoons.
Despite the poor light, I managed to get a couple of shots of the interior of the China Maple Hall:
Everything about the garden is balanced: the plants represent Yin, and the stones Yang. The stones are Chinese limestone, and have been naturally sculpted by acidic water.
Each courtyard is paved in a different pattern -- in this one, the brownish stones form the shapes of bats, which are a symbol of good luck, and the white flowers are made from sherds of porcelain:
Barriers are made from woven plants:
And natural stones are used as steps:
The roof, which covers the walkways, is designed to channel the rain over special bat-shaped tiles, so that it falls in a 'curtain of pearls' (though, sadly, my camera couldn't capture the effect):
And there are vessels to collect the water, just because it looks and sounds so beautiful...
The water in the pool is treated with clay, which makes it dark jade-green and (although you can't see it when it's raining) more reflective.
In a real house, the women's quarters would have been tucked away, beyond the (circular) moon gate:
Past the women's quarters, the path leads to the scholar's private garden and study:
This is the men's part of the house, and there does seem to be a greater emphasis on Yang here -- the decoration is simpler and more geometric.
Here is the scholar's study. Everything in the garden is designed to provide varied and unexpected views. The trees are carefully pruned so that you can see through them:
The paths wind, and rise and fall, and the walls are pierced with decorative windows (called 'leak windows'), which offer picturesque glimpses of what's beyond:
The little building (on top of the artificial mountain at the centre of the pool) is called a 'Ting'. To reach it, the family would have had to cross one of the bridges over the water. It all reminded me of a willow pattern plate:
Here's the Water Pavillion seen through the trees:
And this is the view from the far side of the Water Pavillion. The rail is designed so that you can sit sideways on the wall, with one arm trailing over the side:
This is what you might be contemplating -- an Andy Goldsworthy:
Or this -- my favourite of all the pictures -- a wise, old tree in the rain: