Inspired by the traditional Zen gardens of Kyoto, the UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is a magnificent morsel of landscaping paradise. This garden is tidily tiered on a hillside with full complement of Japanese trees and plants, carefully arranged amidst trickling streams, gracefully curved bridges, stone gardens, and the Japanese tea house centerpiece.
Among Zen concepts expressed in the design are preferences for naturalness over artificiality, concealing parts of the whole to nurture a sense of mystery, an overall quality of maturity and mellowness that comes with age and time.
Many structures in the garden – the main gate, garden house, bridges, and family shrine – were built in Japan and reassembled here. Antique stone carvings, water basins, lanterns, the five-tiered pagoda, and symbolic rocks are also from Japan.
For the complete aesthetic and serene experience of a traditional Japanese garden in L.A., there is nothing quite like this.
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