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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Culture Spotlight: China Trip Chapter 1—Suzhou Gardens Behind the Scenes
This special edition of Culture Spotlight will be a four-part series sharing takeaways from a recent trip to our sister city, Suzhou. Enjoy! I’m writing to you just days before Thanksgiving, with the glow of a recent journey still warming me like a little lantern I’m carrying home. This fall, I spent 17 days traveling through four cities in China…
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Culture Spotlight: These are not your grocery store mums
I’ll be honest—I didn’t always get the hype about chrysanthemums. That changed the first autumn I worked at Lan Su Chinese Garden. I walked into the garden one crisp morning and found myself surrounded by chrysanthemums in every imaginable form…
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Culture Spotlight: No Kicks, Just Cups: The Joy of Gong Fu Tea
When people hear Gong Fu, their minds often jump to martial arts, but here there are no flying kicks involved. In the world of tea, gong fu (功夫) means “skill through effort.” It’s not about combat, but about care: The art of brewing tea with patience, focus, and heart. Every pour is a gentle reminder…
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Culture Spotlight: The Moon Rabbit Who Hopped Across Cultures
In the Chinese version of the story, the moon rabbit (月兔, also known as the jade rabbit 玉兔) is more than a pretty picture in the sky. The Jade Emperor once disguised himself as a poor old man and begged food from the animals. The monkey brought fruit, the fox brought fish, but the rabbit…
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Hort Tidbit—September: The Noble Osmanthus
I love when the slanting rays of autumn light hit the landscape. As the hottest part of summer tapers away towards warm and sunny days of September, I genuinely look forward to sweet osmanthus season in the garden! Sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) or 桂花 guìhuā in Chinese is the most classic and revered type of…
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Culture Spotlight: The Return of Kunqu (昆曲) Opera at Lan Su
Learn about Suzhou’s iconic art form, Kunqu (昆曲), known as the “mother of Chinese opera.” See it live at Lan Su this September for the garden’s 25th anniversary!
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Culture Spotlight: Luòshén (洛神)—Flower Immortal of the Hibiscus
Learn the legendary tragic romance behind how Lady Zhen (甄宓) became Luòshén (洛神), Goddess of the Luo River and Flower Immortal of the Hibiscus.
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A farewell to our volunteers from Maggie Lim
Dear Friends, After 15 wonderful years, I will be stepping away from my role as Cultural Program Manager at Lan Su Chinese Garden. I still remember the first time I walked through the garden gates in 2009—it felt like coming home. As someone born in Penang, Malaysia, and a proud descendant of the Straits Chinese,…
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Hort Tidbit: August, the Month of Hibiscus
Hibiscus is an emblematic symbol of late summer and early fall to China. Learn about our local collection here at Lan Su—and the ones we wish we had!
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Culture Spotlight: The Mighty Banana Leaf that Cool You Down
In the summertime, the banana leaves at Lan Su provide a refreshing ambiance. They symbolize renewal and resilience in Chinese culture, deeply rooted in history and legend. Learn about their uses through the centuries.