Monday, March 22, 2010

Window to Another World

Window to China

A couple of weeks ago, you may remember I drove down to Pasadena with Mom and Daughter in tow. We had a chance to visit the Huntington Library Botanical Gardens. Time was short, but one of the things we wanted to see was the new Chinese Garden area. It is simply stunning. Absolutely transportive.

Bie You Dong Tian

The garden has been named Liu Fang Yuan, which means Garden of Flowing Fragrance, referring to the large numbers of scented flowers and trees. One enters through the Main Gate, or Bie You Dong Tian, Another World Lies Beyond.....and truly, it does.

Here are just a few of the photos I captured that day.

Jing Yun Bi, The Wall of Colorful Clouds

Tea House: Yu Ming Tang, Hall of the Jade Camellia


Plantain Court: Ba Jiao Yuan


Paving Detail in Plantain Court. So Beautiful!


Fretwork Detail at the Tea House


Bridge of Verdant Mist, Cui Xia Qiao

Paving Detail of path leading to the Bridge

Pavilion of the Three Friends (Very appropriate for the three of us!)

Detail of the ceiling in the Pavilion of Three Friends

Terrace of the Jade Mirror, Yu Jing Tai

Love for the Lotus Pavilion, Ai Lian Xie
We wished we could have spent a full day here, but the park was closing, and we had to go.
I encourage anyone planning a trip to Southern California to make a full day plan to visit the Huntington Botanical Gardens. There is so much to see, and it is truly one of the treasures in the area.
For more information about the Chinese Garden click HERE. To learn more about the next phase, click HERE.

20 comments:

  1. Oh goodness, I need to copy that tile pattern on the pathway!

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  2. Hello my dear!
    I admire the unusual exotic gardens and buildings, so no other culture, and so very beautiful indeed a fairytale ...
    I greet warmly (:
    Patricia

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  3. so beautiful - thanks for that look...

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  4. Lovely - the stone work and the wood carvings are incredible.
    xx-Gina

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  5. The paving details are so involved and intricate. Unbelievably beautiful!

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  6. Gorgeous pictures, I would love to visit. Thanks for the tour. It's on my SoCal list!

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  7. Gorgeous pictures of the Chinese gardens, we have similar gardens in Vancouver!

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  8. Hi Katie, It's been a few years since I last visited the Huntington; the new Chinese Garden is glorious. Thanks so much for showing it ..I definitely need to make time to visit soon. Mary

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  9. Gorgeous! Love the Wall of Clouds.

    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  10. These photos are just stunning. Now I want to drive up there the 1st chance I get.

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  11. Stunning! So perfect...each thing your eyes lay on has so much thought behind it. The cloud wall...the beautiful use of stone in their paver design. Gorgeous!

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  12. Thanks for the post K. The garden looks very similar to `The Humble Administrator's Garden' near Shanghai in China. Only nothing is humble about this extraordinary peice of landscaping.

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  13. Oh Katie...thanks for posting this! They were working on the Chinese Garden last time I was there and I haven't been able to see the finished product yet, I'm speechless.
    Mom - I'm coming for a visit and we're going to the Huntington the minute I touch down!!!

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  14. Gorgeous images... I'm particularly smitten with that top image. Thanks for sharing. :)

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  15. We love the attention to detail, the celebration of tradition, and the idea of landscape design transporting us to a faraway place.

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  16. Pretty pics! At first glance, I thought these were the Chinese Gardens from Portland, OR. I love all of the pretty scroll window work designs. :)

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  17. so beautiful-I grew up going to the Huntington Gardens and have not been since I was a little girl. It was so lovely briefly meeting you at Almont.

    Take care,
    Michal

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  18. wow, look at that, very creative and inspiring, I wish I could design something like that

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