Gardens of the Far East

The Korean garden is based on the “House of Lonely Friends” made in 1516 in Seoul. It has three distinct sections: the courtyards, the pavilion and the river landscape.

The courtyard walls are made in a traditional Korean fashion where clay is interspersed with fired tiles of different shapes to create lines and patterns in the walls. Tools commonly in use in traditional domestic courtyards are on display including clay pots for fermenting kimchi and millstones for grinding flour.

In both the courtyards and the river landscape there were sculptures, although there was little explanation of whether they had any traditional or modern meaning.

The Japanese garden is a combination of stone and water, and stone symbolising water. A mock waterfall including stepping stones by which to cross it ‘tumbles’ down the hill and ends in a raked stone garden.

Around the edge of which flows a stream of real water providing a meditative soundscape to the still garden.

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