The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden (Chinatown)

Of the beautiful museums and areas that one can visit in Vancouver, one of the most under-rated and the one that I had been trying to visit for the longest time is the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Last year, Donna Chen (who collaborates with the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden) contacted me about some suggestions in the social media realm (the Garden is now on Twitter, @vangarden).

But I had never visited. Until a couple of weeks ago, on the same day when I did Roedde House Museum and Cardero Bottega.

According to the brochure:

Ming Dynasty scholars were the elite of their time and highly educated officials in the Imperial Chinese government. Secluded behind high white halls, their living spaces were shared with their extended family and friends.

The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden is the first of its kind built outside of China. Fifty-three master craftsmen came from China with 950 crates of material and constructed the Garden using traditional methods – no glue, screws or power tools were used! The result is this enchanting space imbued with the perfect balance of yin and yang.

The Garden has two areas, one that is free and one that is paid (complete with guided tours and tea). Admission per person is $14 and if you become a member ($25) you can have up to 2 complimentary passes. I chose to become a member as I know my Mom would love to come visit so I’m planning to bring her along.

I plan to attend one of their Friday evening concert series (for the summer, hours of operation are 9:30am to 7:00pm). Located at 578 Carrall Street in Chinatown, I would strongly recommend this beautiful museum/garden. I had a wonderful time visiting (and yes, it is incredibly peaceful).

My good friend Rebecca Bollwitt (Miss604) recently visited too, and here is a link to her post about her experience. I would strongly recommend people to come visit, as it is totally worth it!