Cultural Connections: Sister Cities – Suzhou, China and Portland, Oregon

Three summers ago our family took a Gladney China Heritage Tour. During our trip, we visited Suzhou, a historic, fabled city outside Shanghai, famous for its traditional gardens.

2009 Suzhou, China

This summer, we took a three week tour of the U.S. West Coast, including a visit with my brother near Portland, Oregon. During our day in the city of Portland, he surprised us with a stop at Lan Su Chinese Garden in the Old Chinatown section of the city! This amazing, beautiful garden, which was planned and designed by artisans from Suzhou, was exciting to see and a wonderful cultural connection for the girls; here was a piece of China in the U.S.!

2012 Portland, Oregon