Off To The Huntington To Go Mooning!
It's not quite Autumn but it was close enough. We had dinner in Old Town Pasadena before heading to the Huntington.
At 6:30 sharp, we entered the grounds and walked for two hours.
We were right on time!
Meet Stoney, the welcoming rock.
Did You Know? - The Chinese rocks with holes in them are called Taihu stones, and they are a type of limestone sculpture.
Origin: Taihu stones are quarried from the Lake Taihu region in southeast China, near the foot of Dongting Mountain in Suzhou.
Formation: The stones' holes and shapes are the result of long-term erosion by water and acidic soil.
Appearance: Taihu stones are often gray limestone with white veining and inclusions.
Use: Taihu stones are often placed in gardens, and have been sought after throughout history.
Symbolism" The stones are sometimes compared to miniature cosmic mountains, and are prized for their individuality and originality.
History: Taihu stones have been an important part of Chinese gardens since the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127).
This band played traditional Chinese music but as we passed, they were playing Glenn Miller so we almost stopped and danced!
Taihu stones were everywhere.
We were matching this evening/
Love was in the air.
The evening was delightful
Just one more smooch!
We walked around the lake getting a different view of the Chinese Garden. Liu Fang Yuan ???, the Garden of Flowing Fragrance, is one of the finest classical-style Chinese gardens outside of China. Filled with Chinese plants and framed by exquisite architecture, the landscape is enriched with references to literature and art.
The Moon Bridge was the centerpiece of the garden.
We walked for hours.
Since the Moon was not visible yet, they provided a helium filled substitute!
The balloon, from a distance, looked just like out moon!
There was a very small plastic line going to the ground where helium could be sent up to keep the Moon floating!
Every space was used for the Chinese ornamental garden plants.
The lighting was amazing.
As we progressed around the lake, we soon came upon a waterfall.
There was a small tunnel beneath the waterfall!
Mary did her Vanna White pose!
Four people bid on the waterfall!
The view was interesting inside the tunnel!
As we looked back, the Moon was still rising.
They were preparing for a Chinese play which will take place on the Moon Bridge.
In 1913, a so-called Moon Bridge was built in the Japanese garden of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, USA as a fruit of the Japonism in the Western world at that time. The master carpenter was Toichiro Kawai, a Japanese immigrant from Yokohama who was originally a ship carpenter. That bridge was copied in the new Chinese Garden!
People stood in line to send a message to their loved ones via the floating lanterns.
The lanterns floated all over the lake.
The fish thought they were getting a box lunch!
We fooled the fishies!
The lanterns made their way under the Moon Bridge!
The new Chinese gardens had many bonsai plants .
Did You Know? - Bonsai (/?b?nsa?/; Japanese: ??, lit. 'tray planting', pronounced [bo?˜sai] ?) is the Japanese art of growing and shaping miniature trees in containers, with a long documented history of influences and native Japanese development over a thousand years, and with unique aesthetics, cultural history, and terminology derived from its evolution in Japan. Similar arts exist in other cultures, including Korea's bunjae, the Chinese art of penjing, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese Hòn non b?.
Many of these bonsai trees are one hundred years old!
The stones can get rather large!
The lighting effects were interesting.
Framed!
The Chinese musicians
did a magnificent job!
As the sun set, the gardens took on a different look!
The helium filled moon was a centerpiece of the entire evening.
The lighting was strategically placed to make dramatic effects.
We enjoyed the entire evening.
One last glimpse of the Moon Bridge!
Time to sit and relax.
The soft Chinese music and gentle breeze was quite romantic!
We loved the floating candles in the lake!
The reflections were interesting!
There were two hundred floating candles in the lake1
The moon was visible through the trees.
The lion guarded the gardens!
They became good friends!