Just on the opposite side of Gas Town is China Town. It’s anything, but hard to miss. Think of any typical China Town that welcomes people with a giant red archway with dragons. My time here was all to short, not only was I short on time, but I choose not to stay there long because in just a few short weeks I was going to China and felt that there were other things that I wanted to see in Vancouver instead.

My one reason for going to China Town was to see Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Classical Chinese Garden…it didn’t disappoint. The garden was build solely from items sent from China with the intention of showing visitors the Taoist philosophy of harmony in nature. It is the first full-scale classical Chinese garden built outside of China and covers one hectare of land.

Built to the designs of the Ming- dynasty; the garden offers beautiful ponds and walkways that twist past waterfalls. I truly had the sense that I left Canada and was transported to China.

Free tour guides only enhance the experience. They turn a beautiful lake into a meaningful work of art and harmony and explain how the garden was built to flow from one sight to the other and the symbolism of it all.

Admission is $8 for adults for more information visit their site. The garden is one of the most popular sights in Chinatown and possibly in all of Vancouver. Early mornings and late night, just before closing, are the best time to stop by in order to miss the crowds.

Amid all this is a place of quiet serenity, the first classical Chinese garden constructed outside China and modeled on private gardens developed in the city of Suzhou during the Ming dynasty. The materials for the garden were imported from China and were assembled using traditional methods at a cost of $5.3 million (1986); the garden facilities were expanded in 2004 at a further cost of $1.9 million. The garden reflects the philosophy of yin and yang, life in balance; soft is juxtaposed with hard, darkness with light.

Your journey through this small, delightful space takes you past the China Maple Hall to the Hall of One Hundred Rivers. Always on your left are the elements of the garden itself, Tai Hu limestone rocks from China are next to flowering plum, stands of bamboo, and pine. The garden’s focal point is a ting, a graceful pavilion. It will strike you eventually that all this hardscape, as well as the soil and the plants around it, was brought here, that it is not natural to the site. A remarkable enterprise.

The visit is self-guiding with a brochure that explains the complexity of the garden’s symbolism as well as the nature and texture of the materials that were used in its construction. Next to the garden is a public park, accessible at no cost, which provides a continuation of the water features, flowers, and bamboo stands that make the garden so delightful. For information: Sun Yat Sen

May 1-June 14, September, 10am-6pm

June 15-August 31, 9:30am-7pm

October 1-April 30, 10am-4:30pm

Phone: (604) 662-3207

Email: sunyatsen@telus.net

Harry Potter and I needed refreshment Friday morning; her flight had been delayed for 3 hours in Chicago due to mechanical problems, whereas my flight from San Diego had involved a 4-hour layover in L.A. The food on my first-class passage on Alaska Airlines was turkey pastrami on hard-as-rocks Kaiser roll and brown-edged coleslaw so unappetizing, my seatmate, a Vancouver businessman, took one bite and pushed the concoction away. I ate "it," as not having eaten breakfast, at 2 in the afternoon, I was famished. Such are the tensions of modern-day hub-to-hub travel and airline budget-cutting that basic amenities are disappearing even when you upgrade to first-class. I shuddered to think what "food" economy class got.

When you enter this garden, you forget all of this modern jazz and jumble. You enter spaces of calculated order and serenity. We were most fortunate to have as our docent a man who stood straight and tall. He wore a leather jacket sporting many patches, including one,I think (romantic wishful thinking),was that of the "Flying Tigers" of World War II fame. As he explained the philosophic principles embodied in this garden that was cooperatively planned and constructed by the governments of the People’s Republic of China and Canada and the communities of Vancouver, he noted he had followed these principles to enjoy a healthy 84 years of life. Spry and mentally sharp, he was IMPRESSIVE.

These gardens, opened in time for the ’86 Expo, are modeled after similar gardens constructed in the Garden City of Suzhou during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Symbolism prevails throughout along with practical considerations of how natural materials can be manipulated to enhance appreciation of nature. For example, cloudy jade water in special clay-lined pools enhances the quality of reflections cast by objects surrounding them. Willows symbolize graceful women; bamboo signifies the strength and endurance that bends but doesn’t break before adverse conditions. In each area, the courtyard pebbles change in type and structure to convey changing seasons.

You don’t need to understand all of the complex calculation underlying these gardens, although it helps to learn their overall aim is to emphasize man’s place within nature. Throughout the garden, opposites deliberately play off each other: light, dark; soft, hard; small, large. Our docent explained how the garden embodies feng-shui principles and how some constructions were designed to avert evil spirits or slow walkers down so they would notice details. The message to two tired travelers was to harmonize with these tranquil surroundings. And we did.