Seattle Chinese Garden

Very much enjoyed stopping by, and community college gardens next door were a plus.
Meet horticulturist/​garden expert Bob who answered our questions.
Gorgeous beginning to this new jewel of garden.

Very big plans but so far the Garden only has a lovely forecourt, with outer loggia on two sides, surrounded by gravel and a small, newly-​planted garden with the fish sculpture and small pavilion. Few plantings and no other facilities. I give two stars for now — for the unique architecture of the forecourt and super-​helpful staff — in hope of adding more as the Garden develops.

As of March of 2014, one court, one pavilion and a carp statue are completed. It takes about ten minutes to tour the whole place. I look forward to its completion.
If you don’t mind walking an extra three minutes, you can park outside at the curb for free.

The Seattle Chinese Garden is a hidden jewel in Seattle. It’s a «don’t miss» experience for visitors and residents of Seattle alike. Immediately upon stepping onto the garden property you’ll experience the excellent fang shui and notice the beauty of garden’s architecture, ponds and plants. I highly recommend you carve time out of your day for a visit!

This is a really interesting site that is still under ongoing construction and totally worth visiting. The master gardener there is a great guide to the site and very knowledgeable. If you’re interested in being part of the development of the garden, they have a huge need for volunteers (or donors, as you prefer).

This is located on the north end of the South Seattle Community College and what a joy to have this in the West Seattle area and for that matter, Seattle! It is free to visit (they have a donation box in the visitor trailer) and is quite large and lovely. The main courtyard is traditional Chinese architecture and is very relaxing and calming with inner pond with koi fish.
This structure is just the beginning of a masterful plan of many other buildings and a huge lake. Make sure you stop in to see the future of this place. It was neat to see it at this beginning stage.

The Seattle Chinese Garden is a nice concept. It is currently (as of Feb. 2011) largely incomplete, but they do have some parts open, and they have a visitor center showcasing the future plans.
Even when it’s complete, though, I expect to only give it one star.
The main reason is that this is more like the Seattle «People’s Republic of China» Garden than the Seattle Chinese Garden. The Chinese text is in simplified script, the wall map incorrectly places Taiwan within the international boundaries of China, and there are numerous references to gifts/​praise from PRC leaders, with overall greater emphasis in the current government and politics of China vs. the Chinese culture.
For my time, the Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver does a better job of honoring the Chinese garden vision I’ve seen elsewhere in the world.

Though the grand opening is not scheduled until mid May, the South Seattle Community College Chinese Garden opened to the general public today. We participated in a guided tour where they filled us in on the process of the construction, the meaning of the Chinese elements, and the progress of the garden. Though we were standing in a haphazard landscape of partially constructed buildings, piles of rocks and dirt, muddy paths, and overgrown bamboo, it was possible to visualize the beauty that is yet to come. The tour guide emphasized that much of the work cannot be finished without additional funding, so I do suggest checking out the website if this is a project you would like to see completed.
The area was chosen thoughtfully, providing a view of downtown, the Space Needle, and the Cascades. We started out at the main structure that leads to the garden. It is lovely and built in a traditional Chinese style, with modern elements (such as steel reinforcements) to make it earthquake proof. Artisans from China were actually flown in to do the construction! According to the website, the courtyard will eventually include twelve buildings, including an education center and a banquet hall. Then we stepped out into what will become a garden. There are a few structures in place and lots of plants. The area is designed in the Sichuan style and will feature a variety of plants, ensuring something is in bloom year round. Each season will bring a different look and feel to the garden. There will also be a pond that flows from inside the courtyard to the garden. The garden is designed to harmoniously incorporate elements of rock, water, horticulture, and architecture. After leaving the garden — in — progress, we saw an area that looked much more developed. There were signs indicating it was an arboretum. We missed the beginning of the lecture, so I don’t know exactly how it relates to the rest of the Chinese Garden. But this part was very beautiful and much more complete. There are paved paths, bridges, benches, labels on the flora, a cute stream and an area with a fountain. I imagine it would be a very relaxing place to take a stroll or sit and contemplate on a less windy and more pleasant day.
We used the college parking lot free of charge. The garden tour was also free today, but there will eventually be a ticket window and charge for admission. I’d definitely love to come back and see the Seattle Chinese Garden in a more complete stage. Today’s experience was just a hint of what’s to come (that’s why I can’t give it more Stars), but you can tell it will be stunning in the end.
This site map looks terribly ambitious compared to what I saw today, but the website also mentions that the project may take ten years to complete!

From the website: «The Seattle Chinese Garden inspires global understanding by immersing visitors in the richness and beauty of Chinese culture. Our mission is to create a traditional Sichuan-​style Chinese garden, the only one of its kind outside China, as a means of celebrating Seattle’s rich Chinese heritage and supporting Seattle’s future business and cultural relationship with China.»
Seattle is lucky to have such a project growing in our midst.