The Scholar’s Scroll
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Explore cultural traditions, Chinese folklore, horticulture updates, Lan Su News, and more on our blog.
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12 Flower Goddesses art autumn Ceramic Workshop Chinese Calligraphy Chinese Culture Chinese Tea Chrysanthemum Festival chrysanthemums demonstration events Exhibit floral design flowers gardening horticulture kids & family koi kung fu Lion Dance Lion Dance & Kung Fu Weekends Lotus Lotus Festival Lunar New Year market martial arts Mid-Autumn Festival music osmanthus performance plants qigong summer symbolism Tai Chi tea Tea Culture Tea Experience tea tasting tour tours Traditional Chinese Medicine wellness workshop Yun Shui Teahouse
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Hort Tidbit: An Update on our Weeping Willow ‘Niobe’
Curator of Horticulture Josie Losh explains the treatment plan for a case of oystershell scale found on a weeping willow in the garden. The outlook is good to get the tree healthy again!
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Culture Spotlight: When Osmanthus Rains
Venus Sun explores the symbolism, traditions, and legends of osmanthus. The flowers may be tiny and fleeting, but their fragrance, and the stories attached to them, can travel remarkably far.
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Hort Tidbit: 處暑 Chùshǔ – “The End of Summer”
Discover how the rhythm of the seasons influences Chinese traditions around appreciating certain sceneries, plants in season, and seasonal delicacies related to the 24 Solar Terms.
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Culture Spotlight: The Story Behind Chinese Lion Dance
Explore the history of Chinese lion dance and its connection to kung fu in this Culture Spotlight with Venus. Dive into their enduring symbolism and traditions in Chinese culture, from fierce guardians to whimsical performers.
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Call for Submissions: 2026 Floral Design Showcase
From November 5-15, 2026, Lan Su Chinese Garden and PNW Florist Association will host the Chrysanthemum Festival Floral Design Showcase. Open to all floral designers and artists, the Floral Design Showcase is a juried floral show with each entry including chrysanthemums as a part of the display.
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Cultural Spotlight: Lotus Blossoms
From scientific fact to Chinese scholar idealism. Let’s explore the lotus, the flower that refuses to get dirty. This summer marks Lan Su Chinese Garden’s very first Lotus Festival. People have been asking us, “Why the lotus?“ The answer begins with something that surprises many visitors: Did you know Lan Su is the only public…
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Lan Su Chinese Garden Offers Free Admission and Special Tour to Oregon and Washington Educators August 1–16
Lan Su Chinese Garden is proud to partner with six other Portland-area museums to offer free admission and special programming for all Oregon and Washington educators from Saturday, August 1, through Sunday, August 16, 2026.
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Culture Spotlight: The Food Behind Every Dragon Boat Race
If you’re a Portlander, chances are you’ve seen — or even paddled in — one of our city’s popular dragon boat races each summer. But did you know there is a 2,300-year-old story and a famous rice snack behind those races? Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, communities across China…
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Meet Yun Shui Teahouse at TeaFestPDX 2026
Lan Su and Yun Shui will join TeaFestPDX on June 27, showcasing traditional Chinese tea experiences and new color-changing tea pets. Tickets available online now!
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Culture Spotlight: Tea in the Emperor’s Sleeve
Hello friend, While I am writing to you, I have just wrapped up a tea training with the talented tea masters of Lan Su’s Yun Shui Teahouse. During the training, one of our newly certified tea masters guided us through three rounds of tea. One of my favorite teas today was Dragon Well, or “Longjing”…