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SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011

Obscura Day 2011 at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden

Obscura Day was celebrated across the world on April 9, 2011 - uncovering the odd, interesting and exciting! This year the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden hosted its first Obscura Day tour led by Claudette Martin, the Head of Education, Programs and Tours. The tour wove through the four main rooms found in the garden and uncovered some of the secrets of the construction of the Garden which are usually missed by those not looking for them. Be sure to visit the Garden (take a tour!) to experience Vancouver's spectacular Ming Dynasty Scholar Garden!

On April 6, 2011, the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Gardens in Vancouver hosted its first Obscura Day tour! We've visited the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden many times in the past, but for Obscura Day we had a chance to really enjoy the intricacies and hidden meaning behind the design of the Garden. From the dynamic interaction of yin and yang, the cohesion of four elements: rock, water, plants and architecture to the celebration of the man the garden was named for, we learned so much about this spectacular Ming Scholar garden:

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE DR. SUN-YAT SEN CHINESE GARDEN:
• 52 master craftsmen from China were brought to build the Garden for Expo '86
• No nails, screws or glue were used in the construction of the Garden
• The Garden took 13 months to complete
• It is the very first full-sized Ming Dynasty Scholar's Garden built outside of China
• Four elements found throughout the garden: rock, water, plants and architecture
• The Garden is a mix of Yin and Yang elements - keep an eye out for them!
• All the materials in the garden (aside from most of the plants) were brought in from China
• The Bonsai trees at the Garden are 120 years old
• Each of the 42 window panels each have a different design
• Come to the garden when its raining to see the ornate drip gutter system
• Look for the bat symbols throughout the Garden (in China, bats are symbols of luck)
• The moss on the ground of the scholars garden smells like mint
• The zig-zag walkways are meant to deter Jiang Shi (hopping Chinese zombie vampires)
• In the summer, Garden staff 'call' the koi fish by ringing a Gong to feed them

View of the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden across the reflecting jade pond. The Yin and Yang elements can be seen in the garden in the architecture - such as the white walls and black roof tiles. The limestone rocks in the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden are imported from Lake Tai near Suzhou. Han Bi Xie (Jade Water Pavilion) at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden. Yang (masculine) floor pathway at the Dr, Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden. 120 year-old Bonsai trees at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden. Yin (female) floor pathway at the Dr, Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden. Claudette Martin showing off the minty moss at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden. Waterfall and bamboo at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden in Vancouver. Kissing Bat door pulls at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden in Vancouver. Bat door pulls (a Chinese symbol of luck) at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden in Vancouver. Intricate rain drip gutter system at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden. Bridge over the Jade Pond at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden. Intricate wood carving at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Chinese Garden.