Lan Su Chinese Garden, Oregon, United States

4Jim W. 5:00 PM Aug 13, 2022

Tranquil garden and tea house close to downtown Portland
Our flight arrived in Portland a bit after noon on a Sunday. After picking up our rental car, this was our first stop, mostly as we were not as concerned with crowds here vs. some other places we wanted to see (the International Rose Test Garden, for instance). Parking was just on-street, though this was easy to find. The garden covers a full city block within Portland's Chinatown area. When we arrived (Maybe around 2:30 p.m.) the surrounding area seemed deserted, other than a homeless person walking down the middle of one street. The garden had a steady stream of visitors, though. Admission was around $15 per person. There is a large central pond that has a few extensions out towards the perimeter walls. The garden is segmented into a number of courtyards, such that each one has a more private feel than the central area. There is a small pavilion built over one part of the pond and some bridges over other parts. There are also about 3 'tea house' type structures spread around the complex - one is the gift shop, one houses some artifacts and sometimes art demos, and the 3rd is an actual tea house. I won't bother to look for or review that separately. Basically they have a limited menu of Chinese food like dumplings or buns, plus (of course) teas. We did get a snack here. They were doing a brisk business (with a few tables on the ground floor, a few out on a small patio, and a few upstairs from which you could see most of the gardens. It is a nice place to get something light to eat and spend a few minutes observing the gardens. In terms of plants, they let you borrow a guide to look at as you walk through. There were a decent variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers throughout. If you are in the mood for a relaxing and tranquil stroll this is a good bet.

5Lisa 5:00 PM Oct 5, 2022

Peaceful Garden in the Middle of the City
Lan Su Chinese Garden is only about a block or so in size but my husband and I spent over 2 hours there. If you can time your visit to get a tour, it is probably worth it. We got there too early for the first tour so we downloaded the audio tour on our phones and listened while we wandered around. We were able to stop and start the audio in order to take more time at each stop. The tea house near the end of the tour is very nice. We each got a cup of tea and sat at a table enjoying the serenity of the garden. This is a must see attraction. We almost missed it in our searches of what to do in Portland.