Knowing The Spring Courtyard

April 12, 2008 6:42 PM

Nearly 20 years later, after several major delays, Seattle Chinese Garden is nearing a milestone: the completion of the Knowing The Spring Courtyard. Free guided tours are offered at 10AM on the second Saturday of each month until October. According to the tour guide, 22 artisans from Chongqing, Seattle's sister city, are working on the project, which will open on August 8th. (To be clear, there is also a construction company involved.) If you can't make it in person, you can pay a virtual visit anytime (PST daylight recommended).

Other examples of North American Chinese gardens can be seen in Portland OR, Vancouver BC, San Marino CA, San Jose CA, Montreal QC, and Staten Island NY. Previously.

posted by owhydididoit (5 comments total)

I went this morning. There was a slide show/lecture to get us prepared, followed by the walking tour. The construction company apparently changes the padlock on the fence all the time, so we had to sneak around the back, per Margaret, the docent. Big fun. :)
posted by owhydididoit at 6:44 PM on April 12, 2008

What a delight!
Why can't we get cool stuff like that over on this coast?
posted by Dizzy at 6:57 PM on April 12, 2008

The Met in NYC has a nice one but it's a small courtyard garden, originally suited for urban areas (and thus perfect for New York I guess).
posted by sudasana at 7:18 PM on April 12, 2008

This is great, I'll have to go back now! I've was there several times about a year and a half ago. Lots of interesting botanical exhibits on display.

My friend Dana and I sat in one of the pagodas one night drinking hot 7-11 cocoa and trying to creep each other out with Bigfoot stories.

Being that it's adjacent to South Seattle Community College, I wonder if Jessamyn might have been there as well.
posted by Tube at 10:37 PM on April 12, 2008

At first I thought this post was going to be about the community garden in Chinatown, and I had all kinds of stories lined up about unsavory characters I've met in that garden.
I'll have to check this out. Thanks!
posted by P.o.B. at 11:32 AM on April 13, 2008