San Marino, Calif—The highly anticipated opening of the expansion of Huntington's legendary Chinese Garden is now a reality.  Visitors are now welcomed to 11.5 new acres of pavilions, a landscape in Liu Fang Yuan, the Garden of Flowing Fragrance which was initially 3.5 acres and is now 15 acres, becoming one of the most extensive classical-style Chinese gardens in the World.  The complex includes 12 acres of the central Garden, a vast bamboo grove on the Garden's western edge, and a conifer forest to the north.

 "The debut of these new sections of the Chinese Garden coincides with the conclusion of the Huntington's yearlong Centennial Celebration and symbolically opens a new chapter in the institution's history," said Karen R. Lawrence, president of The Huntington.

James Folsom, the Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens, said, "together we have created a world-class attraction that not only celebrates historical landscape traditions but also embodies the contemporary ideals of international cooperation and cross-cultural exchange."  During my visit, the new features were looked ravishing, including the Reflections in the Stream and Fragrance of Orchids Pavilion shaded by mature California oaks and where you can hear a gently flowing stream. The 308-sq-ft. pavilion is an ideal place to pause, meditate, and "be poetically inspired."   On to the wonderfully named Courtyard of Assembled Worthies, paved with intricate pebble mosaics and linking the exiting Clear and Transcendent pavilion on the north side of the lake—a frequent site of concerts and performances—with the new exhibition complex.  Together these features will serve as a center for cultural programming.

The Verdant Microcosm is a 17,900-sq.-ft. an area on the western slope of the Garden designed for the study, creating and displaying miniature potted landscapes enhanced by a complex of walled courtyards revealing dozens of examples of the penjing art form. The Stargazing Tower, perched on the highest point on the lake's southern end, was my favorite. This is where I discovered the 527-sq- ft. pavilion that revealed stunning landscape views of the distant mountains.  The name pays homage to the Mount Wilson Observatory, which is visible from the tower and the work of astronomer Edwin Hubble whose papers are part of the Library's holdings in the history of science.

Every moment at the Huntington, a national treasure, reveals not just garden glories but art treasures too, from Gainsborough's Blue Boy to Passion Flower, a painting by legendary Cathedral City artist Agnes Pelton. For more information, visit huntington.org or call 1-626-405-2100.

Source: Pamela Price