Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites - Chef & Hotel Profile

As an active member of Sister Cities International, I was thrilled to learn I would be visiting Lan Su Chinese Garden to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival, an annual celebration featuring hand-made lanterns, music, dance and tea with moon cakes during a visit with my cousin, who is a Portland resident and long-time member of the prestigious Lan Su Chinese Gardens. Portland has been a sister city of Suzhou, China for many years, and I’ve read about the history of this exquisite replica of a Jiangsu Province Ming Dynasty Garden in the center of Portland, Oregon.

The annual mid-Autumn festival features a lovely Moon Goddess, traditional lantern making class and parade, fire dancing performances and moon cakes with tea in the lovely tea house. It was an experience I will never forget, and I am grateful to the organizations board and volunteers for their hospitality, and hard work to make it a completely magical evening and unforgettable experience for all in attendance.

Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of Portland’s greatest treasures and most interesting sites to see while visiting the city. This treasure is the result of a collaboration between the cities of Portland and Suzhou, a sister city in China’s Jiangsu province that’s famous for its beautiful Ming Dynasty gardens, Lan Su was built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou and is one the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China.

Once inside the garden’s walls, you feel you’ve traveled through time to another era in an enchanting destination. Lan Su is a window into the Chinese culture, history and way of thinking. Ever

changing, Lan Su always has something new to offer with every minute, hour, and each new season. A visit here offers an opportunity to become one with the wonder of this true Chinese treasure.

Much more than just a beautiful botanical garden, Lan Su is a creative wonder and offers a powerfully inspiring experience based on a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition that melds art, architecture, design and nature in perfect harmony. It is truly an other world experience. The entire garden is a photographer’s dream, with color everywhere and intricate artistic designs in rich woods and stone sculptures, highlighted by bright lanterns romantically leading the way through plant filled paths made of hand placed stones from China.

The garden’s name represents sounds from both Portland and Suzhou to combine and form Lan Su. “Lan” (蘭) is also the Chinese word for “Orchid” and “Su” (蘇) is the word for “Arise” or “Awaken,” so the garden’s name can also be interpreted romantically as “Garden of Awakening Orchids.” (蘭蘇園)

Designed and built in 1988 in the Ming Dynasty style, the classic Chinese garden occupies a 40,000-square-foot block. More than 60 workers from the Chinese city of Suzhou designed and built the gardens to ensure a traditional design. They shipped all tools, huge pieces of wood, and 500 tons of various rocks from their homeland to create a fully authentic place in Portland's urban area.

The Lan Su Sister Cities Chinese Garden was originally an 80’s brainchild project of Bud Clark, a former Mayor of Portland, and was realized with the assistance of local lawyer and politician Donald Wu, along with an army of volunteers in Portland and in Suzhou. Built in 1988-2000, the garden mirrors a 16^th-century scholar’s residence and offers visitors an education and appreciation of true Chinese culture. All the materials in the construction were authentic and sent from China’s Jiangsu Provence. Portland’s Suzhou Sister Cities Association created many successful business partnerships with Suzhou over the years and they are quite active and continue to coordinate member visits to Jiangsu Provence.

Lan Su Chinese Garden is in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, where you will be charmed by Chinese street signs and will still find many Chinese businesses including the Golden Horse family style restaurant, located one block from Lan Su, where very authentic dishes are to be savored, some I had never seen before. Dinner or lunch tied to a visit at Lan Su can provide you with a very educational and entertaining afternoon or evening in Old China Town.

This tranquil garden is a peaceful and colorful break from the hectic day-to-day routine. The enchanting escape in the middle of a vibrant urban area is influenced by many famous classical gardens in Suzhou. Once inside the garden, the serenity and beauty transport visitors to another place that is free of the hustle of city life to become one with the historic oasis, while peacefully watching the golden koi fish in Lake Zither.

Most of the plants are indigenous to China and can be up to 100 years old. There are more than 100 types of trees, orchids, bamboo, perennials, and aquatic plants in this garden. Lake Zither is a dominant artificial feature in the center of the garden. The plants are carefully chosen and artistically placed to give a beautiful scenic view. At night, the lanterns all around the lake illuminate the water offering a great vision of light throughout the darkness.

Walkway bridges and prominent structures created in the ancient tradition were done by loving architects and builders who put

special skill into creating a piece of their cultural heritage inside the busy American city. They include the Celestial Hall of Permeating Fragrance, Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain, Painted Boat in the Misty Rain, Moon-Locking Pavilion, and the Tower of Cosmic Reflection, and much more. The architecture, ponds, plants, and art are uniquely beautiful in every detail. It is indeed a replica of an original Chinese strolling garden you can enjoy without traveling to China.

Numerous events and entertainment activities take place in the garden during the Lunar New Year, which is the most joyous and colorful Chinese annual festival. The Lion dance, cultural performances, martial arts, calligraphy, and family-friendly activities are all a part of the annual occasion.

The mid-Autumn festival is also very special and attracts many visitors. The creation and parade of the lanterns steal every child’s heart away, including this child’s heart. I was deeply touched by the beauty, tradition, and devotion shared by Lan Su members during this festival and look forward affectionately to my next visit.

Lan Su visitors are provided with a brochure, and guides are well informed to disseminate the information about the garden, including membership information. They offer over 500 cultural, horticultural, and artistic programs annually. Membership is reasonable and provides members with unique activities including Tai Chi, Chinese art, Chinese tea classes, author lectures and gardening classes. They also offer fun opportunities for members to volunteer to assist with their annual activities.

The gift shop is overflowing with a bevy of interesting Chinese commemorative items to celebrate your visit, and I loved the scented moon cake candle, and journal I purchased. Teahouse guests are welcomed to enjoy music, delicious Chinese bites and pastries, including moon cakes to enjoy with a cup of perfectly brewed green or jasmine tea to enhance your unique experience reliving the beauty of Ming Dynasty architecture and style in the Lan Su Chinese Gardens. For membership, donations and hours of operation and directions visit www.lansugarden.org.

Note: Bonnie Carroll has been a member of Sister Cities International City of Santa Barbara Sister Cities Committees for three years. She has served on the City of Santa Barbara Sister Cities SCI Admin Board of Directors and Puerto Vallarta Sister Cities Board of Directors for three years. In 2025 she was honored to win a Sister Cities International Annual Award for the City of Santa Barbara in Innovation in Business Trade and Professional Exchange.