Many west coast cities have Asian gardens, reflecting their immigration history, and each garden has its own charm. The one that captured my heart was the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Garden in Vancouver, British Columbia. It turned out that the day we were planning to visit was the Moon Festival celebration with musicians, moon cakes, fortune telling, and a full day’s schedule of arts demonstrations. But the attraction is definitely the garden itself. Everywhere the eye rests there is a special combination of architecture, rocks, water, pathways, and windows opening on more arrangements of the same elements. Everything was brought from China, from the pebbles and rock fragments that make up the mosaic paths to the rocks reminiscent of the steep, craggy mountains we see in Chinese scroll paintings, and the effect is an exaggerated and idealized Chinese landscape in miniature. Each window is slightly different, each tree is placed intentionally to provide a reflection in the pond, and the water has special clay added to make it just opaque enough to enhance those reflections. Although there were many visitors in a space no bigger than many people’s front yards, the little side paths and vistas in every direction made it seem spacious. I couldn’t stop taking pictures, as you can see in this gallery.