A spiritual retreat on Staten Island
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Chinese Scholar's Gardens were popular during the Ming Dynasty as an oasis of peace and tranquility, and they were designed to be a place for meditation, scholarship, and connecting with nature. Now, there is one on Staten Island.
Walk through the Moon Gate, and you will find a lush landscape of bamboo trees, a koi pond, a tea pavilion, and so much more. It almost feels like you've stepped back in time in another country. But the Chinse Scholar's Garden is a short ferry or car ride from Midtown Manhattan, nestled in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.
"It's really about making sure that the Chinese population in Staten Island, in the local larger regional area, understand that this is here for their celebration and to bring and share their culture," said Jessica Baker Vodoor, President and CEO of Snug Harbor. "The garden was designed to really celebrate the symbolism of Chinese gardens, which was really about the merging of man and nature."
It is one of only a few authentic Chinese Scholar's Gardens in the United States. Based on classic gardens from the Ming Dynasty, it was built in 1989 by a group of artisans from Suzhou, who lived and worked here until the project was completed. All the materials were shipped from China.
"They were brought here and lived on the campus and then assembled and built using the traditional technique," said Baker Vodoor. "No nails or screws in any of the construction of the garden. Everything is using the traditional methods that have been around since the Ming Dynasty."
Vodoor gave PIX11 News a tour. Nearly every feature of the garden is rich in symbolism. Centuries ago, a garden was not just a garden, it was considered an art form, and a home.
"It was a place for the scholars who were very revered. After their service to the emperor, they would retire to these gardens," said Vodoor. "It’s where they would practice calligraphy, they would have poetry readings, and so it was a ceremonial location for public events but also a home for these honored members of Chinese society and their families."
Snug Harbor's Chinese Scholar's Garden is steeped in authenticity. The curvature of the top of the wall is designed to look like a dragon, a powerful symbol in Chinese culture.
Koi fish represent wealth, and the water in the pond represents a life force. So-called "leaky" windows are intended to show a different landscape view as sunlight "leaks through."
There's also a tea pavilion, a moon viewing pavilion, a gong Shi rock formation, and rock-lined pathways where visitors can experience the traditional healing practice of reflexology.
Bridges and walkways are in a zig-zag formation. In folklore, evil spirits and bad luck only move in a straight line, so the idea behind the zig-zag of the pathways is to keep the bad luck away and leave it behind you.
The Chinese Scholar's Garden at Snug Harbor is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Through wear and tear and the harsh Northeast winters, the Garden is in need of some TLC. Snug Harbor has launched a restoration project.
"More than ever, we all need a space like this in our life to come be quiet, reflect, take a breath," said Vodoor. "People come here and are amazed this is in New York City, Snug Harbor and the Chinese Scholar's Garden is a place where you can come and find some peace and quiet and reflect and have some beautiful time with your family and friends."