Gardens / Arboretums, Old Town/Chinatown
Fodor's Review:
In a twist on the Joni Mitchell song, the city of Portland and private donors took down a parking lot and unpaved paradise, as it were, when they created this wonderland neighboring the Pearl District and Old Town/Chinatown. It's the largest Suzhou-style garden outside China, with a large lake, bridged and covered walkways, koi- and water lily-filled ponds, rocks, bamboo, statues, waterfalls, and courtyards. A team of 60 artisans and designers from China literally left no stone unturned -- 500 tons of stone were brought here from Suzhou -- in their efforts to give the windows, roof tiles, gateways, including a "moongate," and other architectural aspects of the Garden some specific meaning or purpose. Also on the premises are a gift shop and a two-story teahouse overlooking the lake and garden.
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