Seattle Chinese Garden
Encyclopedia
The Seattle Chinese Garden is located on 4.6 acres (18615.5 m2) at the north end of the South Seattle Community College
campus at 6000 16th Avenue SW, in West Seattle. The site features a panoramic view of downtown Seattle, Washington
, Elliott Bay
and the Cascade Mountains, including Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier.
When built, the garden will be one of the largest Chinese gardens outside of China
. Designed and built in conjunction with architects and artisans from Seattle and its sister city, Chongqing
, the garden will be the first in the United States to authentically represent the Sichuan
style . The Garden will feature Sichuan horticulture
and the massive rock formations inspired by China’s Yangtze River
gorges. Where possible, its formal halls and pavilions
will be fabricated in Chongqing using traditional materials and methods, and skilled artisans from China will supervise their installation in Seattle.
The Garden is being constructed in phases. The "Knowing the Spring Courtyard," the second traditional structure in the Garden, is currently under construction. Components for this courtyard will be fabricated in Chongqing, and assembly performed by Chinese artisans from Chongqing and local contractors. The entire project is expected to be complete within 10 years.
The Garden will provide a range of Chinese plants and horticultural elements. Visitors will experience a palette of Chinese plants placed in an authentic Sichuan landscape design, encounter a collection of Sichuan-style penjing
(Chinese bonsai), and take classes in horticultural subjects.
The Garden will also feature 12 buildings, including an education center and a banquet hall with special event seating for up to 200 people. The Garden’s 85 feet (25.9 m) "Floating Clouds Pavilion" will soar over the Garden, placed on an axis with the Space Needle
.
South Seattle Community College
South Seattle Community College is a community college located in West Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1970, it is one of three colleges which make up the Seattle Community College District. Its programs include nursing , aviation, culinary arts, health care, horticulture, the construction trades...
campus at 6000 16th Avenue SW, in West Seattle. The site features a panoramic view of downtown Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
and the Cascade Mountains, including Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier.
When built, the garden will be one of the largest Chinese gardens outside of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Designed and built in conjunction with architects and artisans from Seattle and its sister city, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, the garden will be the first in the United States to authentically represent the Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
style . The Garden will feature Sichuan horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
and the massive rock formations inspired by China’s Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
gorges. Where possible, its formal halls and pavilions
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
will be fabricated in Chongqing using traditional materials and methods, and skilled artisans from China will supervise their installation in Seattle.
The Garden is being constructed in phases. The "Knowing the Spring Courtyard," the second traditional structure in the Garden, is currently under construction. Components for this courtyard will be fabricated in Chongqing, and assembly performed by Chinese artisans from Chongqing and local contractors. The entire project is expected to be complete within 10 years.
The Garden will provide a range of Chinese plants and horticultural elements. Visitors will experience a palette of Chinese plants placed in an authentic Sichuan landscape design, encounter a collection of Sichuan-style penjing
Penjing
Penjing , also known as penzai , tray landscape, potted scenery, potted landscape, and miniature trees and rockery is the ancient Chinese art of growing trees and plants, kept small by skilled pruning and formed to create an aesthetic shape and the complex illusion of age...
(Chinese bonsai), and take classes in horticultural subjects.
The Garden will also feature 12 buildings, including an education center and a banquet hall with special event seating for up to 200 people. The Garden’s 85 feet (25.9 m) "Floating Clouds Pavilion" will soar over the Garden, placed on an axis with the Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
.