Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden, Vancouver

My pal, Leanne, along with her daughter, Marron, and her mom, Shirley, picked me up at the airport this afternoon.

We headed right away to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden in downtown Vancouver.

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society, incorporated in 1981, is a self-sustaining, not-for-profit organization with the mandate to maintain and enhance the bridge of understanding between Chinese and Western cultures, promote Chinese culture generally and be an integral part of the local community.

Funding for the Garden came from all levels of Canadian government, private individuals, corporations and the Chinese government. Vancouver’s Chinese Garden was built in 1985-1986 using the time honored principles and techniques of the original Ming dynasty garden. Fifty-two master craftsmen from Suzhou China, working with Canadian counterparts, completed this landscape masterpiece within a year. The intricate halls and walkways are constructed with precise joinery and without the use of nails, screws or glue. The Garden opened on April 24, 1986.

Based on the principle of collaborative design, the Garden compliments the adjacent public park; enhancing the view in both places. For the architect, the botanist, the student of history, the lover of beauty, the Garden provides insights into the subtle wonders to be found within the walls of this living treasure.

We got there just in time for the 1:30pm tour with Johnathan. The gardens are based on the principles of yin and yang.

Here are Leanne and Marron.

The walkways are cool.

Here are the grounds.

Here are me and Marron.

This archway was cool ... same archway, different views.

This is our guide, Johnathan. He was quite knowledgeble.

This is the Scholar's Study, which according to Johnathan, is "magical".

Rubbing these bats is supposed to be lucky ... so we rubbed 'em.

Here are the four of us in the gazebo ... Leanne, Shirley, Marron and I.



It's an interesting museum to check out. I learned a lot and found it to be a serene place.

Afterward, we took a little walk around Chinatown. Here are Marron, Shirley and Leanne.

And me, Leanne and Marron ...

It's an interesting museum to check out. I learned a lot and found it to be a serene place.