Floating Fragrance Hall in a Classical Chinese Garden in Washington D.C. {Scented Paths & Fragrant Addresses}

The Ge Garden in Yangzhou, courtesy of the National China Garden Foundation

In a display of soft cultural power, the Washington Post reports that China will foot a 100 million bill to construct the new National China Garden in Washington D.C. It will be one of the largest scale reproductions of garden landscaping in the West done in the classical style developed in Yangzhou during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912)...

One of the architectural elements in the park will be a designated and traditional Floating Fragrance Hall whose localization and open architecture allows you, as in similar cases, to take in the views and scents of the garden with air free-flowing.

According to the National China Garden Foundation,

"The China Garden, situated on 12 lush acres in the heart of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., will display a delicate, harmonious balance between natural and man-made structures. The interactive maps that follow feature renderings depicting the 22 structures, classical Chinese art and furnishings, as well as the landscaping and rockeries for the garden, all provided as a gift from the people of China to the people of the United States. Based on an original design from a team of Chinese designers, the China Garden, offers an extraordinary opportunity to build a lasting tribute to U.S.-China relations in our nation's capital."

The Post has a detailed article about the background history of the project, as well as its scope,

"This summer, a construction team is expected to begin transforming a 12-acre field at the U.S. National Arboretum into one of the most ambitious Chinese gardens ever built in the West.

By the time Chinese artisans finish their work some 30 months later, visitors will encounter a garden containing all the elements of a classical Chinese landscape: enticing moongate entrances, swooping and soaring roof lines, grand pavilions with carved wooden screens and groves of golden bamboo. The grounds will boast two dozen handcrafted pavilions, temples and other ornate structures around a large central lake."

Read more at China wants a bold presence in Washington -- so it's building a $100 million garden

You could also read about Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Hermès, a scent taking a Chinese garden as a point of departure for its inspiration.