Tiny Chinese Trees

Tiny, relatively speaking that is.  But more on that later.

The Garden's entryway

Went to the Lan Su Chinese Gardens recently for their “Landscapes in Miniature” exhibit.  First off, the gardens were very different than the Japanese Gardens.  Whereas the Japanese Gardens were all about perfectly grooming and shaping nature, the Chinese Gardens were more about the delicate balance of blending nature with man-made structures. I really enjoy the shot below, which I could see actually being taken in present day China due to the blending the old and new architecture.  You can also see some examples of the miniatures along the railing by the pond.

Beijing, Shanghai or Portland?

The garden is definitely quite interesting and full of beauty. And from my zero knowledge about Chinese Gardens in China, very authentic, as it looks hundreds of years old.  It also has a tea house serving… tea, in which traditional musicians play… music.

As for the miniatures, pretty cool stuff.  Not Bonsai’s (that’s Japanese), but similar.  Some were a few inches tall, others many feet.  There were several that were 300+ years old.  Amazing.

Azalea, forest, and a lone tree.

The one below was one of my favorites.  Very interesting stuff, almost made me want to try my hand at it.  Almost.

Cool eh?