Portland Classical Chinese Garden

Description:

• This classically styled Chinese garden takes up an entire city block and is the largest of its type outside of China. The walls surrounding these gardens in Portland's Chinatown separate the urban 21st century from the timeless Chinese landscape within. The landscape is designed to evoke the wild mountains of China and to create a tranquil oasis within an urban setting. The gardens are centered around a small pond, which, at one end, has a rock wall meant to conjure up the sort of images often seen in Chinese scroll paintings. Numerous pavilions, a small bridge, and a winding pathway provide ever-changing views of the gardens. With its many paved paths and small viewing pavilions, this garden has a completely different feel from the Japanese Garden. Try to visit as soon as the gardens open in the morning; when the crowds descend and the guided tours start circulating -- well, so much for tranquillity. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about the garden, you can join a guided tour at noon or 1pm. Be sure to stop and have a cup of tea and maybe a snack in the garden's tearoom.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010