Jun

26 2019

Trip to SNUG HARBOR and the New York Chinese Scholars Garden

9:30AM - 4:30PM  

JCC of Middlesex County 1775 Oak Tree Road
Edison, NJ 08820
732.494.3232 dmael@jccmc.org
http://www.jccmc.org

Contact Diane Mael
732.494.3232
dmael@jccmc.org
http://www.jccmc.org

Join other active Baby Boomers for an informative and
enjoyable visit to the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical
Garden.
We’ll go on a guided tour of the famed New York Chinese
Scholars Garden, one of two authentic classical outdoor Chinese gardens built in the United States. We’ll
explore eight pavilions, a bamboo forest path, waterfalls, a Koi-filled pond, Chinese calligraphy, and a
variety of Ghongshi scholar’s rocks including a 15-foot formation that towers over the central courtyard.
Fun facts about the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden:
• No nails or glue were used in the garden’s construction. Rather, the wooden elements are joined
together through a sophisticated mortise-and-tenon system characteristic of traditional Chinese
construction.
• Bridges and paths frequently zigzag, providing visitors with ever-changing vantages to experience the
garden. Chinese philosophers also believed that zigzagging paths would throw off evil spirits.
• The mosaic on the upper pavilion incorporates broken
pieces of rice bowls, representing China, and broken beer
bottles, representing America. The craftspeople wanted to
incorporate both materials as a symbol of harmony and
unity between the two nations.
Our tour will also include a magnificent Tuscan Garden
modeled after the exquisite Villa Gamberaia in Florence where
we’ll find landscaped terraces, water fountains, topiary, elegant
stonework, and period plantings–including olive and lemon
trees–all in a early Renaissance architectural layout.