Asking which garden in Portland, Oregon, is better: Japanese or Chinese, is like asking whether one prefers Japanese food over Chinese food or sunrise over sunset. Each has unique qualities.
A welcome element during our visit to Portland is the abundance and variety of public transportation available. You don't need a car, and both gardens are easily accessible from a downtown hotel.
The Japanese garden is the largest. It's located near the Oregon Zoo, covers 5.5 acres and consists of 5 distinct gardens: flat garden, strolling pond garden, tea garden, natural garden, and the sand and stone garden.
Portland became in 1958 a sister city to Sapporo, Japan. The Japanese Garden opened in 1967. It's peaceful, tranquil and spiritual. A shuttle bus from the Oregon Zoo dropped us at the foot of the gardens and, although there is another shuttle to take to the top, we decided to walk up the long and step path. Here are a few photos from the Portland Japanese Garden:
The Portland Classical Chinese Garden is located across town from the Japanese Garden. Light rail dropped us in Old Town Chinatown. This Ming Dynasty scholar's garden was once considered the largest outside of China, but Pasadena, California, has a larger one, I hear. Like the Japanese Garden, all plants, flowers, trees, stones and pathways are in harmony with nature.
A guide related the story of 2 men sitting in the garden observing pond fish. One man suggested the fish were happy. The other said, "How do you know if the fish are happy? You are not a fish."
The second man replied, "How do you know if I know if the fish are happy, because you are not me." Gardeners put 40 small fish into the pond, which has since mushroomed to more than 500 fish. They sound happy to me.
And for the next hour, I did not think about Sacramento short sales once. Here are photos from the Portland Classical Chinese Garden:
-----
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout Sacramento. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you.
The Short Sale Savior,by Elizabeth Weintraub, available through bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com.
Sacramento Short Sale Agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, has the answers to your Sacramento short sale questions.
Photographs: Elizabeth Weintraub
---
Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
Elizabeth, I just came from New York, and visited a wonderful park with sculptures there, but still did not upload the photos from the camera.
Loved your photos, would love to go to Portland after your blog. Terrific job.
So what's not to be happy about no fishing and regular feedings. Looks like a very relaxing environment.
Portland lives up to its wonderful reputation, Jon. So when are you going to post photos from New York?
Hi Terry: They even fertilize the water lillies, which I didn't realize required fertilizing.
Well Elizabeth, what I've learned the last several days from your wonderful Portland blogs, is that I knew far less about that amazing city than I could have imagined.
Portland is not quite as Pacific Rim as San Francisco or Vancouver, BC. But it has great economic links to boths Japan and China.
Hi Elizabeth,
Love your photos! I have the privilege of working at the Portland Japanese Garden and get to see it live everyday. Your shots are grea--thanks for sharing them.
Hi Elizabeth! My son lived in Portland while attending chiropractor school and absolutely loved it. the few times I have been there I was very impressed as well. It really is a great place to visit.... ok so when are you coming to Seattle??
Hi Kerry: I'm glad you liked my photos as I really loved the Japanese garden. It's so well maintained and cared for -- and the symmetry is unbelievable.
I've been to Seattle, Valerie. In August. Dead heat of the summer. I had to buy a coat while I was there.
Elizabeth - I was raised in Beaverton, and spent a lot of my younger years in and around Portland. We moved to AZ in 1996. There are times where I really miss it, especially the greenery. Still have family that lives there. I will be there to pick up my son on Monday, as he was visiting the grandparents. Great pictures.
Beautiful pictures, we'll have to visit the next time we are in Portland. We've been to the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco which is also amazingly beautiful.