20120618

日本庭園 (nihon teien): Japanese Garden

A few weeks back, as part of my Japanese summer course, we spent a lovely afternoon at the Montreal Botanical Garden walking around the Japanese Garden followed by a spontaneous stop at the Chinese Garden.

At the Japanese garden, we had a guide who walked us through the Tea Garden as well as the Zen Garden. Of course, the teacher had requested the tour guide to speak to us in Japanese. The guide did explain some parts using English, because obviously, not many of us understood half of what she said. For the parts that I did understand, which weren't many, there are many styles and many principles to follow when it comes to traditional Japanese gardening. Walking through the Tea Garden was amazing. All the elements made is so peaceful and relaxing. Plus, the symbolism behind all the different parts make it that much more interesting.

After the Japanese Garden, we still had some time left, so we walked over to the Chinese Garden. It was pretty and all, but I personally found the Japanese Garden to be more intriguing. Maybe because we had a guided tour, which really helped me understand the meaning behind the gardens' landscaping.

Tea Garden

Tea Garden

Zen Garden

Japanese Garden

Chinese Garden

Chinese Garden

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