Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland OR

A year-round wonder, the Lan Su Chinese Garden is an authentic Ming Dynasty-style garden built by Suzhou artisans that brings together art, architecture, design and nature in this 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition. The garden takes up an entire block of the city’s historic Chinatown district.

Since opening in 2000, its covered walkways, bridges, open colonnades, koi-filled ponds, pavilions and richly planted landscape framing the man-made Zither Lake have created an urban oasis of tranquility and harmony. A complete tea experience is offered in the authentic teahouse at the Tower of Cosmic Reflections where you can feel a bridge between the cultures of Portland Oregon and her Sister City, Suzhou China.

Winter

Traditional Chinese pavilion beside a pond, surrounded by trees with hanging yellow leaves and orange fruit, with reflections in the water.
Traditional Chinese courtyard garden with a white wall featuring a round moon gate mirror, potted plants, lush green banana and other foliage, a stone sidewalk, and ornate wooden structures in the background.
Close-up of a traditional Asian-style roof with curved, decorative tiles covered in moss, alongside a white wall and a tree with moss-covered branches, surrounded by green foliage.
Close-up of traditional Chinese roof tiles with green moss and leaves, showing intricate patterns, with a background of green leaves and sky.

Remembering ancestors and the virtues of respecting elders and ancestors is very central to Chinese culture and has been for thousands of years. This display in the Hall of Reflections in Clear Ripples, shows an altar and the family memorial shrine of a Lan Su staff member.

An Asian altar with a small statue, framed photographs, incense, and candles on a wooden table, with a window and wooden lattice behind it. In front of the altar is a small wooden table with peaches, a plate of sliced fruit, and two cups.
Traditional Asian interior with wooden furniture and decorative elements, including a framed photograph, a small statue, a vase with yellow flowers, and a bowl of fruit on a wooden table and shelf.
Interior of a traditional Asian altar room with a wooden altar, a Buddha statue, candles, incense, and a window with decorative patterns. On the table, there's a bowl of apples, a small dish of snacks, and two teacups.
A small, rocky waterfall or stream surrounded by colorful flowering plants and green foliage.
Japanese garden featuring a stone arch bridge over a pond, a waterfall in a rocky landscape, red flowers, and Japanese calligraphy on rocks.