Plants
On its 2.5 hectares, the Chenese Garden coutains more than 200 varieties of perennials, 50 of aquatic plants, 15 of bamboos, 4 of annuals, 160 of shrubs and approximately 100 of trees.
Chinese gardens favor plants and trees that tradition and history have imparted with symbolism. Designers prefer more natural-looking perennial flowers over annuals.
In a Chinese garden, look neither for the lawns of the English garden nor the precise lines of the French garden.
The Scotch pine is a very important plant, representing longevity and the struggle for survival. Because it stays green, it is, along with the bamboo and the apricot tree, one of the "three friends of winter".
The magnolia has traditionnaly represented wealth. It is also the emblem of Shangai.
In China, the azalea (Rhododendron), together with the primrose and the gentian, is considered one of the "three famous flowers". The azalea and the cuckoo are said to be brother and sister since, in April, the bird sings its mournful song on the flowering branches of this plant. There are approximately 800 species of azalea in the world, most of which come from China.
