Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden in Vancouver

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden lets you forget that you are in the middle of a modern city, it is a window back in time in to an ancient Chinese world.

This Garden is the first of its kind outside of China, an authentic representation of an age–old garden tradition from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

The water-worn limestone rocks were imported from Lake Tai near Suzhou. The Tai Hu rocks are thought to evoke supernatural powers and entice lucky spirits into a scholar’s garden.

The Garden and residence is of a Ming scholar, the elite of their time, where they lived, worked and shared this space with friends and family.

All buildings are constructed with precise joinery and without the use of nails, screws or glue.  All materials were imported from China, even the pebbles.

The jade green color of the water symbolizes tranquility

The plantings are a mix of native Chinese and local plants to represent the bridging of both cultures, the chief mandate of this garden.

Like every classical Chinese garden, the design of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden is based on the harmony of four main elements: rock, water, plants, and architecture. Together, these four elements combine to create a breathtaking experience of perfect balance, yin and yang.

We visited this garden in the morning, right when they opened, so we had it just about all to ourselves. Our knowledgeable  guide explained the garden and its elements in detail, we even received hot tea at the end of the tour.  For this post I picked the facts from the Garden’s website.