Photos by Cheryl Landes

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a beautiful retreat in the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia. The 2.5-acre garden in Vancouver’s Chinatown is the first full-scale Asian garden to be constructed outside China and modeled after the famous Ming Dynasty gardens from the city of Suzhou.

The garden opened in time for Expo ’86, a world’s fair that also celebrated the city’s 100th birthday. Walkways wind through pagodas, around two pools and past a range of plants, from willow trees to maples to an assortment of flowers.

The garden is named after Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a Chinese philosopher, physician, and politician who served as the provisional first president of the Republic of China and the first leader of the Nationalist Party of China. He’s known as the “Father of the Nation” in the Republic of China for his role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty. He’s also among the few 20th-century Chinese leaders who are revered in mainland China and Taiwan.

Today’s tour is from my last trip to the garden on a rainy spring day. Grab your umbrella and join me.