If you're brave enough to pass this Foo Dog you can come along with me into a charming garden hidden away in the heart of Vancouver's Chinatown. This leonine creature is also known as the Celestial Dog and the Happiness Dog and serves as a guard against evil spirits, as well as being a symbol of energy and value. They're usually seen in pairs: this fine specimen is a male. How do I know this? Because the female lions hold a cub in their paws while the males play with their balls (see under his right foot). Oh--now what did you think I meant?!
This is the
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden and it's the first time I've been here. Even though the sky was bereft of colour and many leaves fallen, I still found some charming scenes to gaze upon.
That lady in the blue jacket and red tam has just finished doing a round of Tai Chi all by herself. I should have joined her to get my chi flowing and my blood warmed up as it's a rather chilly day, even by my hard-earned eastern Canadian winter standards.
The ducks have the right idea, tucking their heads under their wings and staying clear of the water.
One view takes in the ever growing urban backdrop of skyscrapers, juxtaposed with the garden's Asian-style architecture and landscape. Note the modern-day versions of cranes against the skyline rather than the traditional feathered ones often seen in Chinese paintings. The crane is the ancient symbol for longevity, and the modern one for urban blight.
A weeping willow admires its own reflection in the still pond where leaves coyly imitate fish. The koi fish is a symbol of perseverance, but is a Japanese rather than Chinese symbol, so the leaves will have to do.
To see a more poetic rendering of this photo, walk across the bridge to my
studio blog. I have a little cup of hot jasmine tea or sake waiting for you there to warm us up and give us the strength to continue on with our tour.
Oh my goodness...are you starting to see double?
Are colours getting a bit too bright with a halo around them?
Maybe you had a tad too much sake!
Well never mind, there's the exit over there. The round doorway or portal is often referred to as a moongate and is representative of the full moon. It's also associated with happiness.
And speaking of happiness, for those of you who haven't overdone the sake, why don't we meet up in that pub that I see off in the distance, peeking over the moongate's roof?
