The second garden I visited at The Huntington was the Garden of Flowing Fragrance. Chinese gardens are a combination of elements including buildings, water, rocks, plants, and the arts. Calligraphy and poetry appear throughout the garden, evoking beautiful imagery and stirring the imagination. The garden at The Huntington was developed in collaboration with architects and artisans from Suzhou in Southern China. The garden is patterned after the scholar style, with space for study, contemplation, and the arts.
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| The arch of fragrant cherry blossoms softens the fierce lion sentries |
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| Round portal in the Wall of the Colorful Clouds leads to the Plantain Court |
The Pavilion for Washing Away Thoughts provides a small shelter between the Japanese and Chinese gardens at The Huntington. Here you can cleanse your mind from the rush of daily life, while protected from the elements in a beautiful natural location. The pavilion was recently
re-thatched using traditional Chinese methods.
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| The Pavillion for Washing Away Thoughts |
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| Detailed view of the new thatched roof |
The Garden of Flowing Fragrance is one of the largest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China, combining the southern Chinese garden style with the Huntington's love of plants. The garden was started in 1999 with a generous donor gift, and opened to the public in 2008. See the
map for a tour of the garden.
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| The Plantain Court |
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| Unique window with a view beyond the wall |
The garden has undergone an
expansion, adding a restaurant, scholar study, library, art gallery, and star gazing tower on the hill. The expansion increases the garden footprint from 3.5 to 12 acres. The grand opening is on track for May 2020.
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| Pond of Reflected Greenery |
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| The Jade Ribbon Bridge |
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| The Waveless Boat |
I was so glad for my whirlwind tour of the Chinese garden, and a chance to experience more examples of the classical style. Next time I hope to linger longer, and explore the new additions.
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| Pavilion with a rock from Lake Tai in China |
We've visited several Chinese gardens over the years including:
To learn more see
Garden History – Chinese Gardens, and
Elements of the Chinese Garden.
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