狮子林 - The Lion Forest Garden

Situated in the northeastern corner of Suzhou, next to the the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园), the Lion Forest Garden (狮子林), is known for its expansive labyrinth of limestone rock formations said to resemble lions. Covering 1.1 hectares (or just under 2 4/5 acres), the current garden was constructed during the Yuan Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Zhizheng (至正) in A.D. 1342 by the disciples of the highly respected Zen Buddhist Abbot Weize. In addition to the rock formations themselves, the garden’s name is derived from the story of Abbot Weize’s teacher, Zhong Feng, who reportedly received enlightenment on the Lion Rock at Mt. Tianmu.

One of the many beautiful moon gates

Several Qing emperors frequented this garden in particular and created gardens inspired by it at several royal properties, including the Imperial Mountain Resort of Chengde (避暑山庄). Though the abstract images of the lions may not be obvious to all visitors, one cannot walk away from the garden without an intense wonder for the incredible maze of pathways meandering their way through the man-made mountains. Moreover, I was amazed at the incredible handiwork and beautiful design elements throughout the garden, including intricate mosaic walkways – created from smooth river stones, but the skill with which they were set, created an amazingly flat surface. In addition, the incredible sculptures and artistic elements on the roof ridgelines and pediments inspire thoughts of fantasy and whimsy – yet it was interesting to note that only a few visitors took the fortunate time to look up and chance a glance at them. Other details to awe visitors included ornate windows – each incredibly detailed and no two alike – not to mention the treasure trove of fanciful doorways and moon gates. I could go on forever, but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words . . . so with that said, please enjoy “reading” the slideshow below.

**Some information from The Classical Gardens of Suzhou by Xu Wentao, trans. by Dong Xiaomin

苏州市园林和绿化管理局 - Suzhou Gardens and Landscaping Administration Bureau

Public horticulture is a term that is often hard to define - it often varies depending on who you ask. However, in the U.S. and many other countries more and more types of horticulture are being recognized as part of the public horticulture profession. For example, in addition to the traditional institutions such as botanical gardens and parks, places such as cemeteries, zoos, golf courses, hotels, and even amusement parks are increasingly considered to be important sites of public horticulture, due to their quality of display, seasonal changes, and visitation resulting from their horticultural efforts. Therefore, in addition to the many botanical gardens I visited in China, I wanted to be sure to meet with those responsible for the preservation and care of the beautiful and highly visited gardens in Suzhou.


My contacts in Shanghai graciously helped to arrange a meeting for me at the Suzhou Gardens and Landscaping Administration Bureau. I had the opportunity to meet with the Deputy Director, Mr. YANG Hui, and several members of his staff regarding the exchange program I am proposing. I was also able to learn more about the incredible work the bureau does in preserving not merely the physical spaces of the gardens, but specifically in preserving the intended aesthetic of the gardens. Mr. Yang believed that the type of exchange program I am proposing would prove beneficial to his staff and had several important suggestions regarding its structure. He explained that they already have received individuals from abroad to study at the gardens under his jurisdiction and those experiences could definitely yield additional insights regarding this matter.



As you can see from the slide show above, the headquarters for the bureau was quite beautiful on its own right.

网师园 - The Master-of-Nets Garden

Nestled into the southeastern corner of Suzhou, the Master-of-Nets Garden (网师园) is quite small compared to the other classical gardens at only 0.6 Hectares (or 1 1/2 acres). A garden known as the Fisherman's Retreat was originally built on the property in 1140 A.D. during the Southern Song Dynasty. The current garden was constructed over 200 years ago during the Qing Dynasty by a retired government official who borrowed the fisherman theme from the earlier garden and named the new creation the Master-of-Nets Garden.



Though quite small, the Master-of-Nets Garden is known for its mastery of design principles such as depth, scale and relative dimension, and "borrowed scenery." The last concept is when a smaller space is made to feel larger by "borrowing" the view sheds (trees, mountains, architectural features, etc.) of neighboring properties in order to deceive the mind into believing the property continues into the borrowed spaces. This concept exists today as a testament to the foresight and planning of the Suzhou officials, since the planners early-on banned the construction of new, modern buildings in the old city areas. Thus, a new portion of the city outside the traditional city wall has been developed with modern skyscrapers and office buildings, while the traditional view sheds in the old city have remained intact and uncompromised. Compare this with the views of Liang's Garden in Foshan in which modern highrises can be seen eclipsing the traditional views of the historic garden.

留园 - The Lingering Garden

The Lingering Garden (留园), encompassing 2.3 hectares (or a little less than 6 acres) is my favorite garden in Suzhou. I had the opportunity to first visit this garden 2 1/2 years ago during a winter session study abroad trip, but was delighted to have the occasion during the growing season to return to this wonderful garden.



The Lingering Garden, or Liu Yuan, is considered to be the finest example of a traditional scholar's garden in Suzhou and is one of the four most famous gardens in all of China. Originally built in 1593 A.D. by a Ming official named Xu Taishi (徐泰时), it was then called the East Garden (东园). Later falling into disrepair, during the Qing Dynasty the garden was rebuilt by the Liu (刘) family and was commonly known as Liu Yuan, referencing the surname of the family. During the 19th century, when the garden was restored, its name was changed to Liu Yuan (留园) - meaning "The Lingering Garden" which is homophonous to its earlier name. The garden today is famous for its use and successful exploitation of space - garden rooms, flowing transitions between inside and outside, and contrasting scale make the garden feel much larger than it is in reality. I think that the accompanying photographs will convey to you the timeless quality of these concepts as fittingly exhibited at the Lingering Garden.

虎丘 - Tiger Hill

A popular scenic spot in Suzhou, Tiger Hill (虎丘) is also a remarkable destination to discover some of the vast history and architectural diversity of the city. There are several suppositions as to the origin of this hillock's name. The first is that the hill resembles a crouching tiger, though this attribute is much less evident when compared to the nearby Lion Hill in Suzhou, which more clearly resembles a crouching lion. However, the more fanciful legend states that the spot was so named following the death and burial of King Helu (阖闾) on the mount . . . at that time a white tiger purportedly appeared to guard the tomb. I am a fan of this story myself - how about all of you?

The above slide show shows a bit of the architectural diversity evident on the hill - collected over a long history indeed!

Regarding King Helu . . . His tomb reportedly does reside somewhere within the imposing mound. However, over the years, the size of the hill expanded as more tombs were added, and at the pinnacle of this peak there now exists a large seven-story pagoda, known as Yunyansi Pagoda (云岩寺塔). It was built approximately 1,100 years ago in the later part of the Five Dynasties Period. The foundation of the tower was built partially on the hill's rock and partially on the landfill covering over the monarchical tombs. As a result of the different densities of the substrate, over the years and as the fill compressed, the pagoda began tilting towards the backfill. This has caused many to dub the pagoda China's Leaning Tower - though it predates Pisa's famous landmark by about 200 years!

This picture is not crooked - the tower is!

Interestingly, the government recently had to suspend an archaeological dig into one of the tombs for fear of further destabilizing the foundation of the tower. Yet to the disappointment of many, they were within several yards of a chamber believed to hold a legendary stash of ornate swords - of priceless value. Perhaps one day the swords will be able to be unearthed without compromising the structure of the tower . . . At least the legend lives on for the time being.

拙政园 - The Humble Administrator's Garden

Located in northeastern Suzhou, the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园) covers 5.2 hectares (approximately 13 acres) and is considered one of the four finest gardens in all of Suzhou. In 1997, it was listed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

Bearing witness to the fame of the garden, there were quite a few people visiting it the same day as I - but I think the garden's beauty still shines through . . .

This garden was created in the year 1509 A.D. on the grounds of an earlier Tang Dynasty garden by Wang Xianchen (王献臣), a powerful official in the Ming Imperial Court, when he withdrew from government service. He took inspiration for his garden from an essay entitled "Staying at Home Idle" by the Jin writer Pan Yue. This essay concerned the humble luxury of cultivating one's vegetable garden, hence the derivation of the name (from The Classical Gardens of Suzhou by Xu Wentao, trans. by Dong Xiaoming). However, the beautiful garden is not merely a relic of the past for the garden regularly hosts several flower festivals including the spring Rhododendron Show and summer Lotus (Nelumbo) Festival.

苏州市 - The City of Suzhou

Following my time in Nanjing, my next stop was the beautiful city of Suzhou (苏州). Strategically located in the southern part of Jiangsu Province (江苏省) in the Yangtze River Delta region, Suzhou has long been the center of China's silk industry. However, Suzhou's most wide acclaim draws forth from its fabled natural beauty, incredible landscaped spaces, and mild climate, which have all long positioned Suzhou as the subject for artists and poets alike.

Suzhou has many canals coursing their way throughout the city.

Suzhou, originally known as Helu (阖闾), was founded approximately 2,500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn period as the capital of the State of Wu (吴国). Just as Hubei Province comprises much of the territory of the ancient State of Chu (discussed earlier at Wuhan), Jiangsu Province comprises a large portion of the former State of Wu. As a result, the people of Shanghai, Suzhou, and surrounding areas speak a dialect of Chinese known as Wuhua (吴话). Wuhua, however, is mutually unintelligible with other dialects of Chinese, so local residents are also required to learn Mandarin Chinese as well (which is the language of business and governance throughout China). The form of Wuhua in Shanghai, commonly referred to as Shanghainese, is the most widely spoken form of Wuhua, but I was told on several occasions (in and outside of Suzhou) that the form spoken in Suzhou (known as Suzhouhua, 苏州话) is considered to be the most beautiful of all Chinese dialects due to its softness and accent (similar in the U.S. to the romanticized perception of the American Southern accents - think Gone with the Wind, etc.).

One of the plethora of bridges in Suzhou traversing the network of canals and natural water bodies - each conveying a unique charm

Suzhou has many traditional scholars gardens created over several dynasties which cause the city to be a major draw for tourists, both domestic and foreign. These gardens are incredible examples of traditional Chinese landscape design undergirded by philosophy. I had the great opportunity to visit quite a few of these gardens during my time in Suzhou - as you will see from the next series of posts. As you compare these gardens to Liang's Garden in Foshan (post from July 23rd), notice the aesthetic differences between the two styles.

南京市 - Nanjing City

For those of you who do not know, the name of Nanjing (南京) literally means "southern capital," just as Beijing (北京) means "northern capital." True to its name, through various periods of Chinese history, the city of Nanjing served as the capital for all China . . . most recently, during the time of the Chinese Republic (1912-1949). Prior to that, during the Ming Dynasty, Nanjing was the world's largest city for about 200 years in the 14-15th centuries and was surrounded by what remains today as the world's longest, intact city wall.



As you can see from the slide-show above, I had the opportunity to visit the impressive Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum (the building complex with blue roofs); the Zhonghua Gate (中华门), the largest gate in the city wall; the Zhonghua Gate penjing collections; and old-town Nanjing. It was incredibly powerful to see the huge city wall in person. Looking closely at the large bricks forming the wall, one can see Chinese characters stamped into them. Upon inquiry, one learns that each brick-maker had to carve or stamp their name and home city into the bricks they made in order to assure the highest quality. If, for any reason, the bricks prematurely crumbled or broke, the brick maker and his entire family would be killed (as a means of assuring quality control). Considering the fact that the wall has survived for six centuries, it is clear to see that the bricks were certainly of the highest quality.

Some of the characters denoting the name and home town of this brick's maker - a treasure trove delight for historians and anthropologists alike

However, as I was on the city wall, I saw portions of the wall that were currently being reconstructed by the government. Later in the day, I was to visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum (http://www.nj1937.org/english/default.asp), and I learned that much of the wall had been severely damaged by the Japanese forces during WWII. The damaged wall had long testified to the siege of the city, but the Chinese government has recently begun restoring the grand wall back to its pre-WWII condition. The horrible atrocities depicted in the museum brought to life the horrible history that has since been called the "Rape of Nanjing." Walking through the exhibits of the museum, one comes away with a heavy somberness nearly identical to what one experiences at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

A portion of the damaged wall under reconstruction

The famous exterior of the original Nanjing Massacre Memorial - the new museum is off to the right

南京中山植物园 - Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden

I arrived at the Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden, CAS on the morning of July 18^th and was met by Dr. TANG Shijie, Assistant Director. I then had the wonderful opportunity to speak with him and several other members of management from various departments including Horticulture, Education, and Living Collections regarding my project and the operation and organization of the botanical garden. At this time, I was met by a friend of mine (a former Chinese tutor at the University of Delaware) named GAO Lulu and her friend from Nanjing, ZHAO Qi. Lulu agreed to attend the meetings with me in Jiangsu Province and Shanghai in order to help translate for me. Following the discussion, Mr. LI Naiwei, a Master’s student at the institution, gave a tour of the grounds and gardens.

Mr. Li, Me, Lulu, and Qi in front of the main entrance to the botanical garden

Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden (南京中山植物园) was the first national botanical garden in China and was originally established in 1929. At that time it was named in honor of the recently deceased Chinese leader, Dr. SUN Yat-sen, whose efforts helped to topple the Qing Dynasty and found the Republic of China in 1912. Dr. Sun (孙逸仙), SUN Yixian in Mandarin, was also called SUN Zhongshan (孙中山) and as a result many parks, roads, institutions and universities across China were named Zhongshan in memoriam of Dr. Sun. Therefore, the Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden’s English name is often translated as Nanjing Botanical Garden, Memorial Sun Yat-sen.



The botanical garden comprises 186 hectares (just under 500 acres) in a picturesque setting adjacent to the Qian Lake with the ancient city wall of Nanjing bordering a large portion of the property (built during the Ming Dynasty – it is the longest city wall in the world). It is divided into two gardens on either side of the main road running through the property. The new portion of the garden, bordering the Qian Lake and boasting an incredible view of the city wall, has a huge new conservatory complex and seasonal display areas.

A view from the botanical garden of the ancient city wall across Lake Qian

Update - More to Come

As many of you are probably already aware, I have now returned to the United States safe and sound. However, due to poor internet connection during the last week of my travels, I was unable to finish my blog from the trip. I will therefore continue to post updates in the forthcoming days regarding my adventures and the incredible places I had the opportunity to visit. As many of you have asked: yes, I was quite tired at this point in the trip. However, this picture, taken at the Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden, indicates my determination to bring the rest of the trip to a successful completion despite my fatigue.

Stay tuned for more updates - there are still quite a few incredible places to come!!

深圳仙湖植物园 - Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden

Just a short train ride to the south of Guangzhou is the incredible metropolis of Shenzhen (深圳). This was the first area in China to benefit from the reforms of the late Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s, and the incredible modern city that has arisen from what was formerly a rural fishing village a mere twenty or so years ago is truly incredible. The city itself lies adjacent to Hong Kong in the extreme south of Guangdong Province and the two cities have recently begun preliminary discussions to eventually merge and become a single megalopolis.



When I arrived at the Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden (深圳仙湖植物园) on Thursday morning, I was met by Ms. ZHANG Huafen, a PhD student studying cycad reproduction under the garden's Director, Dr. LI Yong. It was a beautiful day, and was the first garden-visit of nearly the whole trip that was not threatened by rain. Ms. Zhang first led me to meet the director and together they toured me around the vast gardens. Not only consisting of huge collections, including cycad, crepe myrtle, succulent, palm, and penjing, among many others, the gardens were also beautifully laid out and very well-maintained.

Me and Dr. Li standing in front of a specimen of Cycas elonga that is more than a thousand years old!

My favorite areas of the garden were the penjing and cycad collections. Penjing (盆景), the Chinese precursor to the Japanese art of bonsai, literally means potted landscape - as this ancient art-form skillfully recreates scenic and traditional landscapes on the miniature scale. The botanical garden's extensive penjing collection is broken up into several areas, but the majority is housed in a vast network of traditional Chinese pavilions and structures built around a large pond and waterfall.

Some of the penjing and a glimpse of the structures embracing the hill which house many of them

Due to Ms. Zhang's passion for cycads, she was quite thrilled to show me around the botanical garden's cycad collection. In addition to the impressive collections and propagation areas, I was quite amazed by the extensive cycad penjing collection. Not only is the garden doing important conservation work on rare and endangered cycads, the tasteful application of the timeless art of penjing to this unique genus of plants helps to raise its status and that of the collection as well.

One of the many cycads grown as a penjing

The many visitors on the day I visited attested to the fact that the botanical garden not only plays an important role for recreation and relaxation for the city, but also as a large draw for tourism. The visitors were from all over China, but for such an incredibly beautiful garden, I thought it somewhat unusual that I did not see a single foreign visitor during my time in the garden. However, I think that this botanical garden is sure to rise in prestige and renown for foreign visitors as well in the coming years.

Me in front of the Fairy Lake - which lent its name to the garden

梁园 - Liang's Garden

Prior to departing Guangzhou, I made a short day trip to the neighboring city of Foshan (佛山) - literally meaning Buddhist Mountain. A friend from the area recommended that I visit Liang Yuan (梁园), or Liang's Garden. The former residence of the wealthy Liang family, this beautiful garden was heavily damaged during various periods of recent history, but was later restored. Though the gardens and building complex have many similarities to the traditional scholars gardens in and around the city of Suzhou there are distinct characteristics that differentiate the two aesthetics (stay tuned to read more about my experiences in Suzhou shortly). Liang Yuan remains today an excellent example of the distinctive design and feel of traditional manor homes in the southern provinces of China.



While I was exploring the gardens, I was approached by several local students who were working with Liang Yuan for a school project. They asked me several questions regarding my perception of the gardens and the status of its preservation. Later, their classmates, who were working on the same project with them, arrived and together completed the survey with me. They were all freshmen majoring in landscape architecture at the nearby Foshan University (www.fosu.edu.cn). They were excited to include the perspective of a foreigner in their research and wanted to take a group picture with me (as you will see below). It was nice to see their excitement for the garden preservation as well.

Me and the group of college students from Foshan University

华南植物园 - South China Botanical Garden

Last Tuesday, I visited the South China Botanical Garden, CAS, in Guangzhou. This city, formerly known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong Province (广东省) in the south of China.


The South China Botanical Garden is 329 hectares (more than 800 acres) and has numerous collections in its more than 30 special collections gardens, including Magnolia, Zingiber (Gingers), bamboo, palms, and orchids. I met with Dr. XIA Nianhe, a bamboo expert; Prof. HU Qiming, Professor of Plant Taxonomy; and Mr. LIN Qiaosheng, Manager of Grounds. They stressed that any program of collaboration or exchange needs to be first and foremost mutually beneficial. They therefore welcomed my proposed exchange program as a good way of ensuring mutual benefit, and provided several important comments as to its possible structure and function in order to ensure its success.

Left to Right: Me, Dr. Xia, Prof. Hu, and Mr. Lin

Interestingly, it was noted that members of their staff who have exchanged with, or studied at, foreign institutions in the past return to work in the research institute of the botanical garden and that their newly acquired practical knowledge is left untapped. They mentioned the need for lower to middle-level horticultural staff to be exchanged in order to acquire this practical knowledge and to raise the level of horticultural display in the garden upon their return.

桂林植物园 - Guilin Botanical Garden

Last Monday, I had the great opportunity to visit the Guilin Botanical Garden. This relatively small botanical garden, loosely affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is nestled in the historic city of Guilin. Though small, this garden has had many notable achievements. For example, I was told that botanists at the botanical garden were instrumental in discovering and introducing the living fossil Cathaya argyrophylla into cultivation. I was met at the botanical garden by Ms. QIN Xiang of the Foreign Affair Section, Prof. TANG Hui, and Dep. Director HE Cheng-xin. Prior to receiving a tour by Ms. Qin, we were able to speak about my project. The botanical garden is quite interested in staff exchange and thinks this project would greatly help with staff development and information exchange. Several important insights regarding the structure of the program, among other things, were also provided.

Several specimens of Cathaya argyrophylla

Though one might think that the incredible natural beauty of the area would diminish the need for display areas at the botanical garden, as you will see from the slide show to follow, the gardens at the Guilin Botanical Garden were nonetheless quite charming.

桂林市 - The City of Guilin

Click to see a larger version

The enchanting city of Guilin straddles the banks of the Li River (漓江) in Guangxi Province (广西省) in southwestern China. Guilin literally means "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus" (桂 = Sweet Osmanthus, 林 = forest) due to the abundance of this fragrant tree in and around the city. With a population of about one million people, this city is small by Chinese standards, and yet its history dates back to approximately the fourth century B.C. The fabled Li River is known as one of the cleanest rivers in all of China, and tourists flock to it to swim.

The city and surrounding natural landscapes have long influenced China's poetic and artistic minds, such that classical Chinese paintings and poetry were greatly inspired by this otherworldly setting. A vast network of underground caverns below the mountain peaks, and the streams traversing them, have helped to shape this distinctive landscape. The incredibly steep mountain peaks covered by lush green vegetation were originally much larger mountains, but due to their limestone composition, the undeground currents would carve out caves. As these caves were formed and enlarged through the coursing water, the mountains would eventually collapse into themselves, leaving two or more jagged peaks in the wake.

It is hard to describe the beauty of this area, but I hope these pictures help. The first several photographs in the slide show below are from the Reed Flute Cave (芦笛洞), the rest are of the city and surrounding landscapes.

Update

Just so everyone is aware . . . No, I have not gone AWOL, and yes, I am ok. I have been without internet for several days now (for various reasons). However, I now have a good connection and will try to post all of my adventures shortly. I have done a lot during the interim between my last post and now - so stay tuned.


As for this picture - I took it of one of the amazing limestone mountains in the city of Guilin just as sunset was beginning. Guilin was the next city that I visited and more postings will soon follow, highlighting the amazing beauty of this fabled city.

在云南的云彩 - Clouds Over Yunnan

As I was touring the grounds of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), I was once again caught in a rain storm. It is understandable here though, since this is Yunnan's rainy season and June and July account for 60% or so of the total annual rainfall (though the same could not be said of Beijing and Wuhan . . .). Following my visit to XTBG, I had to fly back to Kunming. One of the garden's employees, Pu (普), was not only in my welcoming party upon arrival, but was also charged with driving me back to the airport. However, as a result of the heavy rains, it was quite an adventure due the mudslides in the roadway. Luckily, Pu, who is about the same age as me, was also quite an experienced driver, and was able to navigate the treacherous conditions. While we rode, I was able to hear quite a sampling of his favorite music on his MP3 player. In addition to popular Chinese singers, it was interesting to find out that one of his favorite, all-time, bands is Queen. Though he doesn't understand the words, his favorite songs are Killer Queen and We Are the Champions - I guess it proves the timeless and universal quality of these songs.

Notice the precarious location of this mudslide right above the tunnel entrance.

However, the ride back to the airport was quite spectacular in terms of scenery. As you can see from these photos, the scenery in Yunnan is breathtaking . . . but the low-lying clouds further imbue a mystifying aura, creating a truly magical ambiance. The photos in the slide show that follows were taken on the plane from Xishuangbanna to Kunming. The thick blanket of clouds enveloping the province shows the applicability of the name Yunnan Province (云南省）- "the province of the southern cloud."

西双版纳热带植物园 - Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

On Saturday, I had the wonderful opportunity to take a quick plane ride to the extreme south of Yunnan Province in order to visit the highly renowned Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). This vast garden is one of the few gardens in the Chinese Academy of Sciences that is not in an urban center but is instead in a remote rural area. The garden is located in the Xishuangbanna region of Yunnan Province, bordering Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. This area, like the rest of the province is rich in minority culture, but in Xishuangbanna the most prevalent is that of the Dai people (closely related to the Thai people who predominate in nearby Thailand). The strong Thai influence can be seen in the architecture as well as cultural traditions in the area, and it is also reflected throughout the garden.



Of all of the gardens I have been able to visit so far on this trip, it was most similar to Beijing Botanical Garden (north) in terms of the level of horticultural display, and yet it is still quite different since it is in a tropical climate. Due to a change in flight number and a delay due to weather, I ended up arriving nearly 3 hours after my original arrival time. However, I was warmly met at the airport by several staff members from the botanical garden who kindly treated me to lunch (a warm respite from the adventure in the morning). Upon arriving at the botanical garden, I was met by one of the garden's many researchers, working on her doctorate, who gave me a tour highlighting the garden's collections and displays. After the excellent tour, I met with the director, Dr. CHEN Jin, who welcomed the exchange program I am proposing and provided some insightful comments as to how best to structure it. I think that you will be able to tell from the included pictures that XTBG is an amazing place!

云南省的少数民族 - The Minority Peoples of Yunnan

What a lot of people do not realize is that China’s population is not as homogenized as one might think. The majority of the population is Han Chinese, but there are 55 minority peoples throughout the country, each with unique cultures, customs, language, and dress. There are the Uighur people in the northwestern province of Xinjiang who speak a Turkic language, are European or Middle Eastern in appearance and who live lives similar to those of other central Asians. In addition, there are the famous cases of the Mongols and Manchu (in the north and northeast, respectively). The Mongols were from whom the Han Chinese built the Great Wall in order to defend against, but this no longer became an issue when the Mongols ruled all of China during the Yuan Dynasty. Similarly, the Manchu people ruled China during the Qing Dynasty, at which time they became quite sinicized (adopted customs and practices of the majority Chinese culture). Sure, the Han people account for nearly 90% of the total population, but in a country with over 1.3 Billion people, the sheer numbers of China’s minorities dwarf the populations of nearly all but a handful o f nations. Of the 55 minority peoples, Yunnan Province is home to 25 of them – another testament to the incredible diversity of this amazing province.

Minority Women in traditional dress gather along the side of the road

昆明植物园 - Kunming Botanical Garden

Finally arriving at the Kunming Botanical Garden, a division of the Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, I was met by Prof. WANG Zhonglang. He is an expert in Camellias and Rhododendrons and was quite happy to talk with me about my project. China's flora is one of the most diverse and expansive in the world, and is truly unique since it is the only place on earth with an unbroken continuum from boreal, to temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical forests. However, Prof. Wang explained that of China's vast flora, Yunnan Province alone accounts for nearly half of all taxa. Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) is at the forefront of research on Yunnan's flora, and Kunming Botanical Garden KBG has a strong focus on educating the public. Though the rain prevented a more thorough exploration of the botanical garden, Prof. Wang and I had a great conversation.

The Rock Garden - designed by Terry Smyth of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne - a product of international collaboration

According to Prof. Wang, the KBG has sister-garden relationships with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in the UK and the Botanic Gardens of Toyama in Japan. He explained that though the KIB does collaborate with US universities, the KBG does not have very strong relationships with any US Botanical Garden. He said that the botanic garden does specifically wish for this to change, and expressed interest in partnering with US botanical gardens with large Camellia and/or Rhododendron collections. He also specifically would like to engage the American Camellia Society on a more formal basis since he sees that society as greatly influential in international Camellia forums.

Left to Right: Prof. Wang Zhonglang and me

Regarding the exchange program, besides collaboration regarding research, Prof. Wang noted a strong need for staff at his botanic garden to learn how to better take the "science acquired through research" and translate that to the masses - i.e. the KBG would be keenly interested in sending staff to US gardens to learn how to conduct effective educational programming, since this is incredibly important, especially moving into the future.

昆明的大雨 - Kunming's Big Rain

I finally arrived in the beautiful city of Kunming (昆明) late Friday evening amidst yet more rain. This city is the capital and largest city of the extremely diverse Yunnan Province (both in terms of people and geography, as well as flora). Yunnan Province (云南省） literally means "the Province of the Southern Cloud." Although this adds to the incredible enchantment of the area and encourages the tremendous diversity of flora, it did not bode well for me, in a city taxi, trying to make it to the Kunming Botanical Garden in the northern suburbs . . .

In case you are wondering, no - we did not attempt to ford this gully!

As you can see, the road in the picture above was completely washed out. This was one of 4 attempts (i.e. four washed out roads) to make it to the Botanical Garden on the other side of this valley. The picture below (taken later the same day in downtown Kunming) shows how many of the streets became rivers as the water frantically searched for an escape . . .

Believe it or not, this wasn't even as bad as some of the roads

湖北省博物馆 - Hubei Provincial Museum

Following the activities at the Wuhan Botanical Garden, Prof. Xie and Ms. Pan asked if I had been able to visit any of the cultural or historic sites while in Wuhan. Their garden did not want me to leave Wuhan without taking away an understanding of the rich history of the region. After explaining where I had already visited, Ms. Pan suggested that I also go to the Hubei Provincial Museum, and explained that her whole afternoon was scheduled to show me around if I wanted a guide (Prof. Xie had other work to attend to and was unable to join us). I could hardly refuse such a generous offer, so to the museum it was!

The main building in the museum complex

As I mentioned in my previous post, Hubei province comprises much of what was formerly the ancient State of Chu (during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period). Thus the museum was full of artifacts from this period - unearthed from ancient tombs - including bronze wares, Jade objects, and musical instruments.

A set of ancient bronze Ding - a type of cooking/serving vessel

A set of bronze wine vessels - this is only one of four pairs ever discovered in all of China

Though the wooden frame is a reconstruction, this set of bronze bells are original - dating back approximately 2,400 years

I had hoped to leave you with a short video clip so you could hear replicas of the ancient instruments being played. However, due to a slow connection speed it did not work. I will keep trying to upload it though so stay tuned!

武汉植物园 - Wuhan Botanical Garden

Upon arrival at the Wuhan Botanical Garden, CAS, on Thursday morning, I was met by Prof. XIE Kaije, the Assistant Majordomo of the Horticulture Center, and Ms. PAN Shan, Planning Manager. I think we, together, proved to be the perfect match for one another, since their proficiency in English and mine in Chinese complemented each others strengths quite well. We toured the incredible gardens, collections, and facilities of the botanical garden during most of the morning, and though the conversation was partly in Chinese and partly in English, I don't think a single point went misunderstood.

Left to Right: Prof. Xie, Me, and Ms. Pan

As you will see from the slide show below, the gardens and collections were truly incredible. The new conservatory (behind the fountains in the picture above) was designed by the Dep. Director of the Horticulture Center, Dr. LIU Hong-tao, who, unfortunately, was unable to join us since he was away on business. In addition, there were delightful fountains, a huge new lotus garden under construction, and an intriguing submerged aquatic-plant garden. This garden was built with the planting basins above grade with walls of plexi-glass, surrounded by a viewing platform, constructed to showcase the diversity of wonders in the plant world that rarely ever meet the gaze of the human eye. While touring the gardens, another heavy rain storm came upon us, which did not have even the slightest effect on our willingness to continue. Following the tour, we talked about the exchange program I am proposing and how it might benefit Wuhan BG. Both Prof. Xie, and Ms. Pan are excited to report their conversation to their superiors and believe that the Wuhan Botanical Garden would be quite interested in participating in the program should it come to fruition.



Following the tour and discussion, we all went to lunch at a nearby restaurant. This restaurant is owned by a single family who grow much of the produce used in the dishes in garden plots located on-sight. I have to say, that it was without a doubt some of the best food I have had so far on this trip.

The charming family restaurant on the left with a beautiful view of a lake - the garden plots are on the right . . .

旅行支票的事情 - the Traveler's Check Affair

A view of Wuhan's famous East Lake - the largest city lake in the country - a lake that I had the opportunity to get to know quite well as I traversed the city in search of the ellusive Bank of China=-)

Thursday was the much anticipated visit and meeting at the renowned Wuhan Botanical Garden. This was the first garden I planned to visit without the help of a translator, so I was not sure how it would go. However, prior to visiting the garden, I had to cash a traveler's check or two - this, I think ended up reassuring me in my Chinese ability . . . The night before, I learned my hotel did not offer that service, but I had to cash a traveler's check, since the ATMs in the immediate vicinity had a knack for eating my ATM card (luckily the hotel was very helpful and called the bank to come release it . . . haha). So after an hour or so of waiting for the bank representative and a few other unsuccessful attempts in the area, I decided my only option was to go to the bank right as it opened, prior to visiting the botanical garden. I knew, from previous experience, that the only bank in China authorized to deal in foreign currency exchange was the Bank of China. This was confirmed after an inquiry to the hotel, so I was then directed to a local branch that was easily accessible by taxi. Upon arrival, and some nice small talk with the taxi driver (出租车司机), while waiting for the bank to open, I was informed by the bank representative that there was only one branch of the Bank of China in the city that was equipped to exchange foreign currency. Luckily my taxi driver and I had formed quite a close bond, so he was still waiting outside for me, and we proceeded yonder. I finally was able to make it to the correct bank, cash the checks, and make it to the botanical garden in relatively short order due to the incredible navigation and keen maneuvering skills of my taxi driver. Alas, patience is key, as well as a sense of humor, but this is all testament to the amazing adventures one can have in a foreign country - I wouldn't change a thing!

Posting Comments

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Thanks for the feedback and stay tuned=-)

武汉市 (Wuhan City)

An excellent Penjing (Bonsai) specimen from the Wuhan National Stone Museum and Penjing Collection (Click to Enlarge)

I arrived in the city of Wuhan on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 9th. Due to visit the botanical garden the entire day on Thursday, I wanted to make the most of the afternoon and explore some of the most notable landmarks of this ancient city. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is the largest city in central China at just under 10 million people. Wuhan is strategically positioned at the intersection of the mighty Yangtze River (长江) and one of its major tributaries - the Han River (汉江). This intersection trisects the city into three large districts, which were actually separate cities until 1927, Wuchang (武昌区), Hankou (汉口区), and Hanyang (汉阳区). These districts function much like the Burroughs of New York City, and each has its own unique culture and idiosyncratic flavor.

The city teems with history, as it lies at the heart of what comprised the ancient State of Chu (楚国) prior to the unification of the Chinese people under one empire in 221 BC. Interestingly, Wuhan's strategic location has long made it a military stronghold for nearly every subsequent imperial dynasty - Wu (武) literally means military, while Han (汉) refers to the Han or Chinese people (i.e. military stronghold city of the Han). I had the opportunity to visit several of the historic landmarks, including the famous Guiyuan Temple (归元寺) and the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼). Pictures can be found below.

颐和园 (Summer Palace, Beijing)

Following my meeting/visit to the Institute of Botany, and prior to my departing Beijing, I made sure to visit the famous Summer Palace. This vast garden and palace complex was built around a man-made lake and man-made mountain and served as the official retreat for the Imperial families of China for centuries prior to the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.

Since I only had one afternoon/evening to visit the palace, I was not deterred by the, at times, torrential downpours. It was a rather dreary day, but the timeless beauty of the palace evoked an enchanting feel nonetheless.

中国科学院植物研究所 - Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing

你们好！Tuesday also yielded important data regarding my thesis. Dr. Maria Tu, a professor at the University of Delaware and a member of my thesis committee, was also in Beijing as an instuctor for the Governor's School. She went with me to the Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing (i.e. the southern Beijing Botanical Garden) and assisted with translation during the meetings. We were welcomed to the Institute by Dr. SHI Lei, the Assistant Director, who toured us through the gardens and facilities. During the formal discussion regarding my thesis project, he had many valuable insights and suggestions regarding the structure and administration of the proposed exchange program and indicated that the Chinese Academy of Sciences would be keenly interested in supporting this program as it would be mutually beneficial to both countries.

The National Herbarium, Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing

During the tour of the facilities, Dr. Shi brought us to the huge National Herbarium - the largest in Asia - where we met Dr. LIN Qi, the Deputy Curator. The herbarium has over 2.4 million specimens and over 10,000 type-specimens. The building in which the collections are housed has recently been remodeled and now boasts state of the art facilities. During our time in the herbarium, workers were digitizing herbarium specimens and incorporating the data into the new Chinese Virtual Herbarium (http://www.cvh.org.cn/) - a huge undertaking indeed! The picture to the right is of Dr. Lin proudly holding an American oak specimen (Quercus prinoides), sent to the herbarium by the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

A path beckoning visitors to explore what lies ahead

This building was originally built for a movie filmed at the garden, but rather than being torn down afterwards, it was later turned into a restaurant for visitors to the garden.

北京植物园 - Beijing Botanical Garden

Hello all! I am happy to report that my meeting at Beijing Botanical Garden went exceptionally well on Monday. For those of you who do not know, there are two Beijing Botanical Gardens. These gardens, often called Beijing Botanical Garden North (北植北植）and South (南植北植), were originally a single institution. However, today, the larger, northern garden is supported by the Beijing municipal government and is primarily focused on education, display, and collections. The southern garden, also known as the Institute of Botany, Beijing, is supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is primarily focused on research (though there are some overlapping functions between the two institutions).

While I was visiting the northern garden, the employees were busily preparing for the Olympic flower show and related activities. Throughout the gardens, there were elaborate topiaries and wire-framed figures created to represent different sporting events in the summer games, as well as various other Olympic-related figures and motifs. As you can see from the intricate work of the Beijing 2008 logo above, as well as the fascinating bicyclists and fish (in front of the conservatory) below, these were quite labor-intensive displays.

The mayor and other important dignitaries were due to arrive the next day to view the gardens and Olympic displays, so it was truly a privilege and an honor that several individuals took time out of their day to meet with me and discuss the exchange program I am proposing. Most notably, I spoke with Dr. ZHAO Shi-wei, who is both Deputy Director of the botanical garden and the Secretary General of the Botanical Garden Association of the Chinese Botanical Society (the counterpart to the American Public Gardens Association in China).

One of my Chinese professors at the University of Delaware, Dr. Chen, was also in Beijing at this time as a result of his position as Director of the Delaware Governor's School for Excellence in China. He attended the morning meetings with me to aid in translating. In addition to speaking with Dr. Zhao, we had the opportunity to tour part of the gardens and facilities with Ms. PAN Gui-ping, including the garden's large tissue-culture facility. Ms. CHEN Chun-ling, of the tissue culture lab showed us around that facility. We were later joined by Mr. WANG Kang, the institution's Research Horticulturist who provided valuable insights regarding establishing the exchange program I am proposing.

I must say, that each person I talk with regarding my project makes me even more excited to continue the work I am doing!!

One of the many beautiful scenic spots at Beijing Botanical Garden

The Peony Collection

Left to Right: Ms. Pan Gui-ping, Ms. Chen Chun-ling, and Dr. Chen