Reactions to the Huntington Gardens

[Anonymous]

[font=Times, 'Times New Roman', serif]The Huntington Gardens is a treasure! This was the first time I enjoyed the Japanese and Chinese gardens with a docent. I'd seen the Bonsai before but having Dick, a retired teachers and botanist gives us more on Bonsai, was a real treat. We also were fortunate enough to meet the director of the Japanese garden and have a look at the Japanese tea house, just next to the Bonsai gardens. One of the differences I notices in the gardens was the Japanese setting in a more vertical design, giving the impression of mountains, where as with the Chinese gardens were centered on bodies of water, small lakes/ponds.[/font]

[Anonymous]

I Both the Japanese garden and Chinese garden of Huntington Library are great places to visit. But their architecture style are quite different which reflects the unique philosophy of the two nation. Personally, I like the Japanese architecture and landscaping more. They follow the simplicity principle and put more emphasis on making harmony with nature, i.e. less paiting, keeping the original appearance of stones, straight paths, etc.

[Anonymous]

[font=Tahoma]I still remember Professor Hwang mentioned that there are two statues exhibited in front the palace in Soul, one of them is the person who created the Korean alphabet system in 1443. I was thinking at that time why creating the alphabet system is so important to Korean people. Today, I noticed there is a letter at LACAMA which is written in Korean alphabets named Hangul in 17th century. I kind of have the answer of my own question. Writing system is a key component of language and language is part of a nation's ID. [/font]

[Anonymous]

Having lived in Los Angeles all of my life, I've never really explored what the Huntington Library had to offer. It was awesome going through and seeing just how connected with nature the cultures and their traditions were. Something so simple sounding as a rock garden held so much symbolism and imagery. The gardens offered yet another angle to teach about East Asian history, religion and culture.

[Anonymous]

According to docent Brian (who I recognized from the last time I brought my class to the Huntington, though I don't think he remembered me), here are the essential elements for each country's gardens:

China - rocks, buildings, calligraphy, plants, and water
Japan - tranquility, simplicity, nature, and can't see it all at once (have to wander through without knowing the end point), which lends most of these gardens a sense of asymmetry

I also appreciated Brian's detailed explanations of how Japanese homes were 1) arranged so that looking outside would make the surrounding nature appear "framed," and 2) built simply and not for a permanent feel due to the preponderance of earthquakes, which might necessitate quick rebuilding. As I mentioned at lunch, I'm in the process of formulating a unit that will include a more in-depth examination of Japanese homes, and both of these details seem totally relevant.

[Anonymous]

This was a great visit that exposed me to a whole new side of the Huntington. Having the newer Chinese gardens right by the Japanese garden allows for a really interesting comparison and contrast. While both styles show some evidence of the agricultural "intensification" that accompanies population density, they do so in different ways. The Japanese garden and house with their values of tranquility and nature, and the philosophy of leaving your troubles on the threshold, seem to be about using the home a refuge from the outside, a kind of shelter from the world. This is echoed especially powerfully in the value of not ever being able to see the whole garden, which implies that the point is to be absorbed by the space.
The Chinese garden, on the other hand, with all its inscriptions, pavilions, complex ornament, and spaces designed for performance, seems much more about society and community rather than nuclear family isolation. Even their taste in rocks is different, with the Japanese preferring smooth stones arranged in soothing patterns and the Chinese giving special value to the craggiest of rocks. I can't wait to go back to experience this contrast again.

[Anonymous]

I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful place before! I really wish that El Centro was closer to these gardens as I think my kids would benefit immensely from being able to go to these cultural areas that we just don't have down in the valley. I really loved the Japanese Gardens. Being able to go inside the Tea House area was amazing and a very special experience. The idea of the Tea House being situated almost hidden in the trees, and the small features that made it so unique, even to the Korean living spaces we saw later at the museum. The small utensils (the bamboo whisk was amazing!!), and the saying that translated into the idea of cycles (I don't remember it all but going from one to ten and having to start again) being painted on the building. The small washing area was even beautiful, and in our culture sinks are really considered a beautiful part of our house. Everything about it was just so unamerican - small, purposeful, and simple. Even the garbage was a small hole in the concrete. I think it would be nice to teach the students about simplistic necessesities and the idea that they don't need the newest technology to be happy. I think that would be a great lesson

[Anonymous]

In reflecting upon my visit to the Huntington Gardens I found the Chinese and Japanese gardens both very tranquil and calming. Never realized how different these gardens are. I liked the zig zag effect of the Chinese gardens and how every turn gives a person a different view of the garden, giving a person a different "picture" of each area. I was amazed by the bonsai garden and how many different plants are used to make a bonsai plant. I took a lot of pictures to show my students the gardens and their magnificence. I never realized that the sliding shoji screens of the Japanese house can give a person a different frame by which to view the graden.

[Anonymous]

I visited the Huntington Library a few times, but the visit yesterday was by far the best! I learned so much from our guide, Ms. Wilson. As a Chinese, I am aware of the tradition and superstition of my culture. It is interesting to see how the building structure in the Chinese garden displays the superstitions for good luck in Feng Shui. For example, at the entrance we were greeted by the lion dogs, the symbols of protection and power. Another feature is the curved roof and the curved walkways to ward off evil spirits. Chinese believe that ghosts cannot turn, so by making the building curved, the evil spirits cannot follow us. I am surprised to see the same features in the Japanese garden.

[Anonymous]

This was my first visit to the Huntington and I was blown away. I really felt like i was in Japan and China. As far as how I can use anything from our visit in the classroom, I would say that I could try to do some art project with my students. I can try to have them paint a scene of a natural looking Japanese or Chinese garden. I can show them photos that I took or photos online. We can discuss what is being displayed and any possible meaning behind the picture.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe I lived in L.A. for 12 years and never visited the Huntington. Regardless, I'm not sure which was more colorful-the gardens or our tour guide. Don't know about the rest of the group but our guide was extremely knowledgeable about not only all things Chinese and Japanese Gardens, but also had quite an extensive knowledge of botany. Other than the heat, the entire experience was enjoyable. I thought the Japanese Gardens were a bit more presentable and we were lucky enough to be let into the tea room and surrounding grounds. I took lots of pictures with my I pad and will share them with my students. I may even be able to create a digital story from all the info, pictures, and presentations.

[Anonymous]

What I found beautiful and amazing was the way the Chinese dragon is incorporated into the architecture of the garden's walls. Dragon scales appear on the roof in a curved pattern. I also found it interesting that the number of claws of a dragon represent how powerful a person is. The claws equalling status seemed like an idea I might want to pursue with my students and I learned that "[font=sans-serif]Historically, the dragon was the symbol of the Emperor of China. In the Zhou Dynasty, the 5-clawed dragon was assigned to the Son of Heaven, the 4-clawed dragon to the nobles (zhuhou, seigneur), and the 3-clawed dragon to the ministers (dafu). In the Qin Dynasty, the 5-clawed foot dragon was assigned to represent the Emperor while the 4-clawed and 3-clawed dragons were assigned to the commoners." Interesting that some symbols can be quite arbitrary, basically more (claws) symbolizes something (or someone) better. [/font]

[Anonymous]

A meditative spot was the landscape garden. Unfortunately, we did not have time to test its rejuvenating powers, but I would like to return just to see it again and feel its aura of peace. Teaching about stress management, contemplation, and reflection would be ideal in this place. Our guide even mentioned that the rocks had to be placed in a certain way and had certain shapes to keep the garden in balance. The pebbles on the ground also needed to be swept/raked a certain way and trees were maintained to create a scene that would be ideal for introspection. I would be curious to know more about what the artist's vision was for this garden and I would like to compare it to other landscape gardens I may have the pleasure of visiting in the future. Is the arrangement a kind of feng shui?

[Anonymous]

This would be an interesting field trip for many students, but I would only love it if the docents were there to give such interesting viewpoints. For many of my students who have never traveled, it would be a good place to see what other places look like. I especially like cshiva's comment about meditation and forcing one to slow down. I think many of my high school students would benefit from this - where they would not be allowed to listen to anything while we walked around.

[Anonymous]

This is truly a place where students of all levels and academic studies can get a great sense of how Asian influence has taken place on many aspects of design and their history. For my students I know I can pick out several ideas, from design differences in Japanese versus Chinese building to design patterns in each of the cultures' productions. In addition, I can integrate this notion with a thematic unit tied to another field of study, say art history or just plain old art. Personally, I was a little more intrigued with the artifacts in the Chinese section because they seemed to have had more intricate designs and more presence in their building (at least from those seen at the Huntington). Another takeaway was the labor involved in designing such pieces. I know if I researched a little more I could tie something in to a lesson for the labor involved. Would like to find some funding to take the students...

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