Details
Cultural Attraction: Cultural Site & Botanical Garden
Region: Portland Metro
Location: 239 NW Everett St, Portland, OR 97209
Summer Hours: open daily 10AM – 6PM
Winter Hours: open daily 10AM – 4PM (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day)
Admission:
- Adults – $14.00
- Seniors/Students – $13.00
- Children – $11.00 (kids 5 & under FREE)
- SNAP/EBT: $3 w/ card (up to four people per card)
- Members – free
Pet friendly: No (service animals only)
Handicapped accessible: Yes
Restrooms: flush toilets
DEN Rating: 10/10
Website: www.lansugarden.org
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The “Garden of Awakening Orchid” is a true masterpiece. This garden, the result of a cultural exchange program between Portland, OR and Suzhou, China, transports visitors to the faithfully imagined formal garden of a wealthy businessman in 1600’s Suzhou. The majority of the building materials and plants used in this beautiful space were brought here from Suzhou, as were several of the weirdly-shaped and highly eroded boulders that make Lake Suzhou such a dramatic place. Strict adherance to specific period style was paid to both the design and construction of this gorgeous garden. The result is something truly astounding.
Nestled in the heart of Portland’s Old Town, Lan Su Chinese Garden occupies one full block of the old Chinatown area and is certainly the cultural anchor here. Lake Zither occupies the center of the garden, surrounded by pavillions and pathways. The garden is divided into multiple walled rooms, each one featuring unique plants and Suzhou rocks arranged with purpose and imparting their own scenes for contemplation. The divided space lends a sense of discovery to exploring the garden and masks its small size.
“How can you tell if a fish is happy?” is the question on everyone’s mind while contemplating the koi that swim in the pool next to Knowing The Fish Pavilion in Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland, Oregon.
Knowing The Fish
“How can you tell if a fish is happy?” Knowing The Fish Pavilion inside Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon is the place to contemplate that question. The beautiful and authentic-feeling garden was just waking up and coming into first bloom when I visited in late March 2023 on a quiet weekday morning. To … Read more
Intentional and harmonious are the two words that best describe Lan Su Chinese Garden. Visitors see and experience exactly what they are supposed to in each space. Every stone, branch, leaf, and blossom are there because they were intended to be there. The attention to detail in this garden is of the highest caliber. The feeling is a highly-crafted sense of authenticity. The way that the water, plants, stones, and structures work together yield a sense of harmony, balance, and serenity. One could easily spend 20 minutes in the same spot in the garden just contemplating that specific scene. Move a few feet, or even just turn around, and find yourself enveloped in an entirely different yet equally compelling view.
I was surprised how many blossoms burst open in early spring in this garden. While most parks still have a winter sense in March, Lan Su is very much awake and alive. Many of it’s plants are evergreen, and a big array of plants bloom or leaf out early here – in part due to the shelter that the garden walls provide. Certain covered walkways in the garden feature roofs that turn heavy rains into a beaded curtain of silvery drips. In summer months the gigantic lotus leaves fill the lake, and in fall the maples and magnolias put on a show of gold.
Lan Su is also a showplace for traditional Chinese woodworking, furniture, and calligraphy. Several of the pavilions feature gorgeous antique furniture and objects. Every building and pavilion served a specific purpose in classical Suzhou-style gardens, and Lan Su faithfully recreates that here. Visitors discover not only the utter beauty of the garden but also the purposes behind every space.
In addition to strolling the garden, be sure to sit down at the Teahouse located in The Tower Of Cosmic Reflection for traditional Chinese-style tea (by Tao of Tea) and snacks, check out the cultural and historical information at Painted Boat In Misty Rain, and browse for momentos at the Hall of Brocade Clouds garden shop adjacent to the main terrace.
In a nutshell, do not miss Lan Su Chinese Garden. It is considered to be the most authentic Suzhou-style garden outside of China for very good reason. It’s sheer beauty, incredible level of detail, and absolute authenticity make it one of my favorite places in the Pacific Northwest.
If You Go
An audio tour of the garden plus a scavenger hunt are accessible by scanning a QR code found on the garden guide you will be given at the admission gate (it’s also on a sign found in the entry courtyard) or by visiting www.lansugarden.org. Laminated cards with pictures of what is currently blooming are also available at the entry courtyard, just be sure to return it when you leave. Last entry to the garden is one hour prior to closing. While one could easily rush through and see everything in 15 minutes, this garden invites a slow pace of peaceful contemplation; plan at least two hours to really enjoy and appreciate Lan Su Chinese Garden.
Cross through this magical portal from the entry courtyard and become awakened within the gorgeous Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland’s Old Town.
The Portal To Awakening
This incredible portal in Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon leads into the main gardens from the walled-in entry courtyard. What a spellbinding way to cross into the lush and intricate surroundings of this gorgeous and authentic-feeling urban paradise. The stark white of the wall and purposeful minimalism of the entry courtyard provides a … Read more
Photographer’s Tip
Keep your lens pointed down in the garden to avoid disrupting the sense of place. Be the first one in (or the last to leave) to avoid people in your photos. Use a neutral density filter to enhance or eliminate reflections on the lake surface, and bring a macro lens for capturing the details. Deep shadows and backlighting can be problems here on sunny days. When I visited in late March 2023 it was a day when the clouds were clearing – the lighting was perfect as the clouds rose & thinned but became more difficult as the clouds disappeared and the sun got bright.
