Fukushūen Audio Guide

Fukushuen Garden: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Fukushuen Garden

   Welcome to Fukushuen Garden, written 福州園 in Japanese, a traditional Chinese garden tucked into the Kume area of Naha, on Okinawa. Step in from the city streets and the pace changes: walls, water, rock and greenery close around you, and Naha seems to move a little further away. The name means Fuzhou Garden, and that is the whole idea. It was built in 1992 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the sister city relationship between Naha and Fuzhou, the Chinese city that is the capital of Fujian Province. The opening also marked the seventieth anniversary of Naha City's founding, so the garden carries two birthdays at once. Over the next few minutes we will look at why a Chinese garden belongs in this particular corner of Naha, how it is laid out, and what to notice as you walk. It is a short, easy stop, and it rewards a slow pace.

2. 02

   Kume and the Fukushuen Garden Connection

   To understand Fukushuen Garden, start with the ground it stands on. This is Kume, once known as Kumemura, or Kume Village. For centuries it was the center of Chinese culture and learning in the Ryukyu Kingdom, and it remains a symbol of how deeply Chinese influence shaped Okinawan history and culture. The district was also known as Kuninda. From around the fourteenth century, people who had migrated from Fujian Province in China settled here and served as interpreters and navigators, helping to support the prosperity of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Many of the community's members took part in study trips or diplomatic delegations to Fuzhou, so Chinese language and customs were part of everyday life. Seen this way, the garden is less a foreign import than a homecoming. Naha chose to honor Fuzhou in the very neighborhood where, for centuries, Fujian ties had been woven into daily work and diplomacy. Nearby, a free facility called Kuninda Terrace uses touch panels and models to tell the story of Kume Village and Chinese culture.

3. 03

   Designing Fukushuen Garden: Walls, Water and Rock

   Classical Chinese gardens are not laid out to be taken in at a glance, and Fukushuen Garden follows that tradition. It is walled and divided into individual sections, so you discover it one scene at a time. Asymmetry is deliberate; very little here lines up in a tidy row. Water ties the whole composition together. A single pond extends into most of the sections, so wherever you wander you are never far from its edge. Rocks are placed with care too, including scholar's rocks, the sculptural stones that Chinese garden tradition prizes for their shapes. Look at them the way you would look at a piece of sculpture. The garden is also known for its authenticity. The story told is that officials from Fuzhou designed it and brought engineers and materials all the way from Fuzhou to Okinawa. Look for buildings with bamboo detailing, small gazebos and zigzag paths, which in this tradition slow the walker and turn a stroll into a journey.

4. 04

   Bridges, Koi and Turtles at Fukushuen Garden

   Now turn your attention to the pond itself. Several bridges cross it in a variety of styles, including stone bridges, and each gives you a different angle on the water and the architecture beyond. The garden also has waterfalls, which add movement and sound to the quiet paths. Look into the water and you will find koi and turtles. In Chinese culture the turtle is a symbol of longevity and wisdom, a fitting resident for a garden born from a long friendship between two cities. A bridge or an arbor works like a picture frame here. Stand on one and you can take in the Fuzhou-style architecture and the pond in a single view. The atmosphere shifts between day and night, and the garden has different admission fees and opening hours for each, so check the current details before you come. The garden also hosts cultural events during the year.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   As you leave Fukushuen Garden, think about what you have just walked through: a piece of Fuzhou, set in a neighborhood that has looked toward Fujian for centuries. The garden is a monument to a sister city friendship, and also a reminder of a much older conversation between Okinawa and China. If you want to follow that thread, Kuninda Terrace nearby tells the story of Kume Village. Further afield, the reconstructed royal palace of Shuri Castle shows the Ryukyu Kingdom whose interpreters, navigators and diplomats once came from this very district. Before you go, pause at the pond edge once more and trace the water as it slips from one section of the garden into the next. Which view feels most like a painting to you?