The Portland Classical Chinese Garden is dedicated to furthering all peoples understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture. There are several other superb Chinese gardens in North America. In addition, a reading list has been provided for anyone interested in learning more about classical Chinese gardens, art and and landscaping.

Sites of Interest:

• Tao of Tea
• Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver, Canada
• The Seattle Chinese Garden, Seattle, WA, USA
• The Chinese Garden of the Montréal Botanical Garden, Montréal, Canada
• The Chinese Scholar’s Garden at the Staten Island Botanical Garden, NY, NY, USA
• Yellow Mountain Consulting Traditional Chinese Architecture, Decor and Landscape
• The Master-of-Nets Garden

Selected Resources for Further Study:

Chen, Lifang and Yu Siangtin. “The Garden Art of China.” Portland: Timber Press, 1986.
Although out of print, you should be able to find a copy at your local library or through interlibrary loan.

Hu, Dongchu. “The Way of the Virtuous: the Influence of Art and Philosophy on Chinese Garden Design.” Beijing: New World Press, 1991.
Lots of b&w photos with a thorough explanation of the philosophy behind the scholars garden.

Ji, Cheng. “The Craft of Gardens.” New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988.
Illustrated. This is the book all others refer to and quote from; if you can read only one book this should be the one. Ji Cheng lived, wrote and created gardens during the last years of the Ming Dynasty. This is the only translation into English of his garden manual, with extensive notes. Long out of print, but available through your library.

Keswick, Maggie, et al. “In a Chinese Garden: the Art & Architecture of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.” Vancouver, B.C.: The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society of Vancouver, 1990.
63 p. of useful text and color photos of the first full-scale Chinese classical garden outside Asia. Maggie Keswick has also written other useful books about Chinese gardens.

Too, Lillian. “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Feng Shui.” Boston: Element Books, 1999.
She has written this and several other very readable books explaining this ancient art of interacting with the forces of nature.

Lowry, Robert D. “Worlds Within Worlds: the Richard Rosenblum Collection of Chinese Scholar’s Rocks.” Cambridge: Harvard University Art Museum, 1997.
A scholarly work, beautifully illustrated, about the small stones displayed indoors.

Murck, Alfreda and Wen Fong. “A Chinese Garden Court: the Astor Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” NY, MOMA, 1980. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Winter 1980/81)
64 pages of excellent information and illustrations about this Suzhou style courtyard garden.

Tsu, Frances Ya-sing. “Landscape Design in Chinese Gardens.” NY: McGraw-Hill, 1988.
244 pages of very good information with many b&w photos.

Valder, Peter. “The Garden Plants of China.” Portland: Timber Press, 1999.
400 pages of excellent information with many color photos.

Williams, C.A.S. “Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs.” Rutland: Tuttle, 1988.
472 pages of useful information in alphabetical order with some b&w illustrations.