Trip 6: CANADIAN HOLIDAY in May 2008 …. Vancouver Sun Yat Garden: Post 2

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NOTE: I would like  to share with  you  through  these few words, photographs and hyperlinked websites, a 3 Dimensional  experience as though you were  actually there with  us. Click on any photograph and it should enlarge to a different size (view image in cursor list) ….. at least half screen or size full screen. It will be clearer in detail than the photo on the post. It will be as if you were  really there looking at the actual  scene. You are an arm chair traveller with us.

If you would also like  to see the post in a larger or smaller size, I suggest you follow this procedure: If you right-handed, with your left hand, press  down continuously  on the Control Function Key  with your left hand and with your right hand, move  the   little  cursor wheel either forwards or backwards to make the text in the post larger or smaller.

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Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese revolutionary and political Father of Modern China. Sun played an instrumental role in the eventual collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader.  Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered in both Mainland China and in Taiwan.

Although Sun is considered one of the greatest leaders of modern China, his political life was one of constant struggle and frequent exile. After the success of the revolution, he quickly fell out of power in the newly-founded Republic of China, and led successive revolutionary governments as a challenge to the warlords who controlled much of the nation. Sun did not live to see his party bring about consolidation of power over the country. His party, which formed a fragile alliance with the Communists, split into two factions after his death. Sun’s chief legacy resides in his developing a political philosophy known as the Three Principles of the People (The People’s Relation/Connection, The People’s Power, and the People’s Livelihood/Welfare, or sometimes known as nationalism, democracy, and socialism depending on the translation).

To read about the history of Dr. Sun Yat,
read this Wickipedia Website here.
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Right in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and adjacent Sun Yat-Sen Park are the perfect urban oasis.

The stunning Garden is an authentic representation of Ming Dynasty-era tradition and the first of its kind outside China. Be enchanted by the Garden’s winding paths, rocks, plants, and beautiful vistas. In the park alongside the Garden, find peace and tranquility in the unique rock forms, water lily-covered pond, pagoda, and lush plants.

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Ken’s Personal Comments: Visiting  the Vancouver Sun Yat Garden  was a most interesting experience. There so much to see and experience, you could spend many hours in this large garden. You need to be in a state of BEING rather than DOING.

A state of BEING  is a quiet reflective meditative state  versus having on your mind  a  sense of  how quickly can I can get through this garden because I have many other things to do else  where.

A state of BEING  restores you from the inside – out for  your whole sense of wellbeing. You want to amble or  sit …. taking in  the ambling paths, the beautiful placement of twisted uneven  boulders, some  horizontal and some vertical. Then you suddenly enter upon the entry to  the small lake  with its  still reflecting water with leaves floating on the  surface.

An occasional duck on the water provides  a sense of movement  in this atmosphere of tranquillity.

The  informal planting  outlines  are suddenly  intruded upon  by  the distant  machine – like  rectangular, vertical shapes of office blocks of Vancouver city.

As you walk around the lake you come upon small  man-made  constructed  pagodas  with strongly defined upturned wings on the roof. There may be small bridge to reach it. The  pagoda  would have seats inside for you to  reflect  on the  beauty of the lake and garden  you  have been  walking through.

There is then suddenly a flowering bush like a  soft purple azalea  contrasting against the overall green of the garden.

All the  informality of the garden is suddenly broken when you about to exit  the garden. You go into the building you initially  came into with its precise well built walls  and  here there  is very ordered  written sign  in on the  significance of  Sun Yat-sen as a Chinese revolutionary and political Father of Modern China.  This explains the significance  of the garden and what you  have been through.

The garden is very symbolic of life  overall  …. Between  a sense of  form with order and a sense of freedom  and informality. Sun Yat-sen certainly was dealing with these  issues as a Chinese revolutionary and political Father of Modern China.

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Crossing the street to walled- in Sun Yat Garden.
Harriet entering the main gate of the garden.
Garden front door chinese marble fu dog statue.
In the park alongside the Garden, find peace and tranquility in the unique rock forms, water lily-covered pond, pagoda, and lush plants.
Unique rock forms.

A gravel path winds it way amongst unique rock forms and lush foliage. There is a great sense of discovery ….. You never know what is around the corner. You want keep exploring.

A small man-made constructed pagoda with strongly defined upturned wings on the roof. There was a small bridge to reach it. The pagoda had seats inside for you to reflect on the beauty of the lake in front of the pagoda and the garden you have been  walking through. There is a nice reflection of the pagoda and the garden in the lake.

A gravel path borders the small lake then crosses the lake over a small bridge. The path turns right and turns up past some Chinese-type buildings.There is a  great reflection of the buildings and the garden in the lake.

The  informal planting  outlines  are suddenly  intruded upon  by  the distant  machine – like  rectangular, vertical shapes of office blocks of Vancouver city.
More unique rock forms.
A gravel path winds through lush foliage.
Another unique rock form with rich foliage growing up it. An upright tree extends the verticality of  the rock form.
Red flowers contrast with the green foliage.
Unique rock forms with rich foliage surrounding  it.
The gravel path winds it way amongst unique rock forms and lush foliage. There is a great sense of discovery ….. You never know what is around the corner. You want keep exploring. See the photos below.
 
As you walk around the lake you come upon small  man-made  constructed  pagodas  with strongly defined upturned wings on the roof. There may be small bridge to reach it. The  pagoda  would have seats inside for you to  reflect  on the  beauty of the lake and garden  you  have been  walking through.

 You suddenly enter upon the entry to a portion of the small lake with its still reflecting water with water lily leaves floating on the  surface. See the photos below.

The  informal planting  outlines in the garden  are suddenly  intruded upon  by  the distant  machine – like  rectangular, vertical shapes of office blocks of Vancouver city.
The gravel path become stone steps with the path being bordered by upright thin canes of bamboo.
There is suddenly  a flowering bush like this soft purple azalea  contrasting against the overall green of the garden.
A state of BEING  restores you from the inside – out for  your whole sense of well being. You want to amble or  sit …. taking in  the ambling paths, the beautiful placement of twisted uneven  boulders, some  horizontal and some vertical. Then you suddenly enter upon the small lake  with its  still reflecting water with leaves floating on the  surface. See the series of photos below.

Unique rock forms and lush foliage creates to explore further. See the photos below.
An occasional duck on the water provides  a sense of movement  in this atmosphere of tranquillity.
All the  informality of the garden is suddenly broken when you about to exit  the garden. You go into the building  you came in and  here is  very ordered  sign  in  on the  significance  of  Sun Yat-sen as a Chinese revolutionary and political Father of Modern China.  This explains the significance  of the garden and what you  have been through.

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