Liu Fang Yuan (The Garden of Flowing Fragrance) at the Huntington

The Huntington's Chinese Garden, known as Liu Fang Yuan (Garden of Flowing Fragrance), is located within the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. Opened in 2008 and expanded in later phases, it is one of the largest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China.

Website: https://www.huntington.org/botanical-gardens/themed-gardens/chinese-garden

Inspired by the renowned private gardens of Suzhou, the 15-acre garden features tranquil lakes, pavilions, bridges, scholar's rocks, and carefully composed plantings that celebrate the art, architecture, literature, and philosophy of traditional Chinese garden design. It is also home to an impressive Penjing collection.

The Flowery Brush Library is an impressive hip-and-gable-roofed structure fronted by a spacious courtyard known as the Courtyard of the Assembled Worthies. Details such as the roof ridge and its open-mouth dragon-fish ornaments were inspired by the Hall of Distant Fragrance in the Garden of the Humble Administrator in Suzhou, China.

The Clear and Transparent Pavilion features moon gate-style screens decorated with the traditional "cracked ice and plum blossom" pattern. 

Nearby, the hexagonal Pavilion of the Three Friends, also inspired by a structure in the Garden of the Humble Administrator, is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy views across the pond.

Another favorite of mine was the Terrace of the Jade Mirror, whose circular doorways symbolize the full moon, a recurring image in Chinese poetry.

Traditional limestone scholar's rocks appear throughout the garden. One particularly large example, pictured below, resembles a seahorse when viewed from certain angles.

The Waveless Boat is another classic feature commonly found in traditional Chinese scholar gardens, both in China and in North America (see Dream Lake Garden in Montreal, Canada).

Perched on a hillside overlooking the garden, the Stargazing Tower offers sweeping views of the surrounding landscape and the Chinese garden below.

Five beautifully carved stone bridges span the waterways throughout the garden, including elegant segmental arch bridges whose reflections form graceful circles on the water. 

These railing posts are topped with decorative carvings resembling lotus flowers.

The elaborate zigzag bridge is both beautiful and symbolic. According to Chinese tradition, "hungry ghosts" can travel only in straight lines, so the bridge's winding path prevents these spirits and, their negative energy, from crossing the water into a sacred space.

Overall, the Huntington Chinese Garden is an extraordinary landscape and one of the highlights of the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. No review can fully capture the richness of its architecture, symbolism, and carefully composed scenery, and I have only touched on a small portion of what there is to experience. Every pathway, pavilion, and garden view offers something new to discover, including the occasional human surprise. 

It is a place well worth exploring.