Taiwan Travelogue: Zhishan Garden

Just a stone's throw away from the National Palace Museum of Taipei is a charming classical garden, Zhishan Garden (至善園).
The ticket stubs from the entrance to the National Palace Museum grants free admission to this garden, which is accessible through a small path from the walkway to the museum.






Taking a walk in the garden makes one feel as though they have been momentarily transported out of Taiwan in an out-of-body experience and ended up in one of those ancient gardens in China; with the tranquility that beckons from beyond the fish ponds, pavilions, and willowy trees which sway in the wind pieced together as a panoramic masterpiece of art before one's very eyes.
(If you have been to China, or any Chinese-themed garden, you'd know what it means).

I had been expecting a quick walk around the garden; thinking that this would be yet another typical Chinese garden, but I was quickly filled with a euphoric sense of relaxation and curiosity to enjoy a little more of the garden's beauty before concluding that this is just, as I have thought, another garden.
I was not disappointed, for the garden; with its land coverage of an approximation of 1.88 acres, was filled with captivating Chinese inspired architectural landscapes and it is no surprise that the garden was designed after the renowned structural styles introduced back in the Song and Ming dynasties in China.



The grounds will take more than an hour or two to explore and to appreciate; and unless you are a local, you will not have the luxury of time and leisure to take in each and every tree in the garden. However, that does not mean you will not be able to enjoy it with a quick round of exploring as the garden's directory provides a clear guidance on the recommended attractions to look out for, at a glance.

The following are the key landmarks to look out for in Zhishan Garden:-

1. Grand entrance


2. Pine Wind Pavilion



3. West Bridge Pavilion



4.  Dragon Pond (near to Pine Wind Pavilion)

5. Brush Washing Pond
(near to West Bridge Pavilion)


6. The Cage-changing Goose; by Master Calligrapher Wang His Chih



7. The Winding Canal


8. The Orchid Pavilion

The key attractions are strategically located across each other; forming the complete landscaping of the garden and one can enjoy a stroll in the morning or the evening; accompanied by the breezy wind (especially in the winter months) blowing against your cheek, and feeling that zen-like peace calming the nerves in your system.

It is interesting that this beautiful garden was a transformation from what was once an ammunition depot of the Military Intelligence Bureau of Taiwan; and governed by the Ministry of National Defence who later made the decision to relieve the land of its military duties (probably relocation) in 2002. Renovation and architectural design works followed soon after; transforming what was probably filled with old war-like buildings and barracks into a cultural and ecological wonder which was then officially opened to public; and formally introduced as the Zhishan Cultural and Ecological Garden, in Taipei.
It is not surprising to see that the design of the garden was injected with the bits and pieces of Chinese inspirations; with the focus on feng shui, Chinese-themed architecture and incorporating the themes of folklore into the making of this enchanting garden.



Even the trash bins are designed to resemble an ancient Chinese bottle









A stroll in the garden, though a sidetrack/detour from the National Palace Museum left a memorable impression and nature always does it best, to calm the rush from a full-itinerary typical kind of traveling day~

Off the Beaten Path: Koko Crater Botanical Garden

One of the least popular attractions lies in southeast O'ahu, where the coastlines of Koko Head and Ka Iwi are.
Located within the Koko Head Regional Park is the Koko Crater Botanical Garden; where hectares of dry lands lay in waiting and provide a breeding ground for species of cactus to call it home here.

At the entrance to the crater walking trail is the Koko Crater Stables on one side; while the gate leading to the botanical garden



Measuring about 60 acres of dryland, a trail through the botanical gardens lead to the crater; or a cinder cone area caused by the volcanic eruption.
It is a almost an hour of walk to get to the crater, or the cone area and along the way, dried trees and harsh dusty lands greet the hikers.



There are not many whom we bumped into while taking the walk, as mentioned in the beginning of the post; this is almost an unknown tourist attraction and though some may know of this place, not many are attracted to take the walk or to check out the drylands.



However, the walk is not really as 'dry' as it sounds; as among the cacti and trees, there are also colorful flowers blossoming which is truly a lovely sight to behold as the blend of colors set against an earthy tone of background is just picture perfect to any botanic lover.



We enjoyed the walk; and even stopped to admire some of the trees along the way.





I even found this flower scattered in different places along the way! What a lovely surprise!:)



The cacti garden




An enjoyable nature walk in the late afternoon, even if it is just for a short while for I did not walk all the way  to make it to the end, but it was already a rewarding experience.
I must say that this is truly one of the hidden gems in O'ahu!

Wuxi: Li Garden

A garden bordered by a beautiful lake, landscaped by rocks and pavilions for all seasons and graced by the presence of historical beauty, summarizes Li Yuan (Li Garden) in Wuxi.


Marked as a National AAAA tourist spot(a locally developed rating system by China), Li Yuan is one of the most popular tourist spot for the breathtaking scenery of the lake in the country, not to mention the beautifully landscaped man-made garden.


Located in southwest Wuxi, Li Yuan is the former residence of Fan Li, who was a senior official in the state of Yue and helped King Gou Jian, whom he served, in a battle against the State of Wu, in which they declared victory. Shortly after winning the battle, Fan Li retired and led a peaceful life with Xi Shi, one of the prominent four beauties in the country.
It was said that he enjoyed taking a cruise on a boat with Xi Shi on the Lake Wuli, and that he was enchanted with the beauty of the lake that he decided to build his home beside it.
Renaming the Lake Wuli after himself, Lake Li lined the gardens of Li's home which, on its own is decorated with rock mountains and landscapes; mostly man made.


Li Yuan is well-preserved, maintaining most of its former glory which can be observed in the grand hall, the corridors, the pavilions, walls, and the man-made rocky hills and paths dotting the entire garden.


Most of the walls were graced by the writings and works of famous scholars such as Su Dongpo and Mifu.


Walking through the garden is a delightful experience as one takes in the beautifully landscaped garden and the trees arching towards each other, formation of rocks in the shapes of small hills, mountains (man-made) and walking paths.




There are also various pavilions, ponds, bridges and corridors; all typical of a Chinese or Oriental inspired design found in the garden.




According to our tour guide, the rocks lining the garden were designed in such a way that there were holes in them which allowed wind to pass through them.


The holes in the rock were meant to drive the wind through them during summer; to cool down the temperature like what modern air-conditioning systems would do. In fact, the draft that passed through the holes do create a soft howl and the sound emanates through the halls and corridors.


With a large area of 9.5 square kilometres encompassing the garden which borders the lake, it is no surprise that most of Li Yuan is composed of water; man-made pond and part of Li lake flowing through the garden.



Some of the landmarks in Li Yuan:
Long Beach

Lined with willows and peach trees, this is a popular sight particularly during the spring season when they are in bloom. In winter, as you can see, most of the leaves have withered.

An old longevity/money tree, or so the legend has it, as according to the tour guide.
This tree was believed to bring luck, wealth and longevity to people who shook it, and at the same time, one has to stand within the two circles carved on the pavement where one symbolizes wealth and the other longevity.

However, the tree is currently being supported by wooden sticks to hold it in position as it is continuously shaken by the groups of visitors every year.

The Thousand step corridor/hall

The corridor is an approximately 300m walkway with one of the side facing the breathtaking view of the lake and the other is lined with a wall with inscriptions and works of calligraphy by the famous scholars in the ancient dynasties of Song and Ming; Su Dongpo, Mifu, and Wang Yangming.







The beautiful view of the lake from the corridor



A view of the Ferris Wheel, which is another local attraction. The full cycle on the wheel takes approximately 18 minutes.


Rock formations


Most of the rocks used in the garden here are from the Lake Li

The Four Season Pavilions

These are the main landmarks inside the garden; and each pavilion was built to signify one of the season and there are flowers planted beside the pavilion to identify the season the pavilion represented. For Spring, plum is planted; for Summer, it is oleander, osmanthus for autumn and wintersweet is for the winter pavilion.
The Spring Autumn pavilion is the most famous pavilion as this is the place where Fan Li was reputed to spend most of his time together with Xi Shi, and one is said to be able to enjoy the amazing view of the lake and feel the sweetness of their romance at that time.

A statue of Fan Li was found inside the pavilion


Xi Shi Garden

There is a part of the garden where the statue of one of China's most stunning beauties and also the lady owner of the place; Xi Shi, is erected in her honor.



A beautiful place and undoubtedly a top tourist spot in the province and it is not hard to wonder why, with the exquisite blend of nature and architecture in the forms of the rocks, corridors, pavilions and the lake.


Although Spring is the best time to visit this place, I can say that visitors will still be in awe of the wonders lying within the garden even in winter.