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LIU FANG YUAN, The Huntington's Chinese Garden
Open Feb. 23, 2008

Some 10 years in the making, The Garden of Flowing Fragrance, or Liu Fang Yuan is now open to the public at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. A remarkable and ambitious undertaking for the Los Angeles-area institution, the garden reflects traditional Suzhou-style scholar gardens and features a 1.5-acre lake, a complex of pavilions, a tea house and tea shop, and five stone bridges, set against a wooded backdrop of mature oaks and pines. This initial phase of the garden covers about 3.5 acres of a planned 12-acre site. Development of future phases of the Chinese Garden will proceed over a period of years.

A dedication ceremony for donors and dignitaries is planned for Feb. 16, followed by a week of previews for Huntington members. As the opening approaches, the garden’s look and feel continue to evolve as several dozen Chinese artisans spend the summer and fall assembling the “cloud wall,” pavilions, and other structures. The garden’s formal name, Liu Fang Yuan, was announced in June. more...

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Bridge and Pavilion	View of the Jade Ribbon Bridge and the Pavilion of the Three Friends. © The Huntington
Terrace of the Jade Mirror	The tile roof of the Terrace of the Jade Mirror sweeps upward in the foreground, beyond which can be seen Jade Ribbon Bridge across the lake. © The Huntington
Lattice	Hand-crafted lattice windows, each one bearing a different pattern, frame artfully composed views. © The Huntington
Fish Bridge	Hand-carved granite fish frolic on the Bridge of the Joyful Fish, beneath which real koi glide through the water of the lake. The name of the bridge is an allusion to the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi (4th century BC) and a well-known tale of his debate with a fellow philosopher about how one could know what fish enjoy. © The Huntington
Courtyard	The Plantain Court features intricate mosaic paving in a begonia motif. © The Huntington
Lotus View	Carved latticework in the Love for the Lotus Pavilion frames a view of the lake and the Jade Ribbon Bridge. © The Huntington
Thatched Pavilion	The rustic Pavilion for Washing Away Thoughts is a quiet spot for contemplation. It sits alongside a brook under the waterfall, above which can be seen the walls of the Chinese Garden. © The Huntington
Mosaic Paving	Chinese artisans create intricate paving mosaics with thousands of white and gray stones. © The Huntington
Pavilion and Lantern	Pavilion of the Three Friends. © The Huntington
Magnolias	A winter-blooming Magnolia x soulangiana opens its delicate pink petals near the Listening to the Pines Bridge. © The Huntington
Three Friends	Pavilion of the Three Friends refers to the traditional “three friends of winter” in Chinese culture: bamboo, pine, and plum blossoms. © The Huntington
Lotus Carving	Intricately carved panels adorn the Love for the Lotus Pavilion. © The Huntington
Jade Ribbon Bridge	View of the Jade Ribbon Bridge, with limestone rocks from China’s Lake Tai lining the water’s edge. © The Huntington
Love for Lotus	Delicate carved latticework adorn the Love for the Lotus Pavilion. © The Huntington
Teahouse	View of the teahouse, called the Hall of the Jade Camellia. The name alludes to the source of tea: the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are the source of all black and green teas. © The Huntington
Pinus thunbergii	Resembling the brushstrokes of calligraphy on a painted scroll, a black pine (Pinus thunbergii) is artfully positioned against the blank “canvas” of a white wall. The latticework in the window is hand-made, as are the clay roof tiles. © The Huntington