Lan Su Chinese Garden re-introduces its teahouse with a new name

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After a months-long closure, Lan Su Chinese Garden’s teahouse has re-opened — and re-branded.

Lan Su reported it’s been the nation's only Chinese garden with a teahouse since 2000, but this temporarily changed in October 2023 when it closed for renovations.

The teahouse re-opened to the public earlier in February to celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year, which marks one of the garden’s busiest weekends.

But it wasn’t until Wednesday that the teahouse finally got its name: Yun Shui.

Lan Su explained Yun Shui means “cloud and water” in Chinese. The name fuses Portland with its sister city of Suzhou, China.

According to the organization, more than 950 people weighed in on the new name.

“The name is a result of months of community involvement, including two listening sessions that engaged a diverse group of people from all over the area to guide the development of potential names and a final public vote,” Lan Su said. “The process reflects Lan Su’s commitment to collaboration and to serve as a cultural institution for everyone to enjoy.”

With the new renovation, the teahouse is now the biggest structure in the garden. The building that holds it has been named The Tower of Cosmic Reflections.

The teahouse is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. It offers more than 20 Chinese and Taiwanese teas, and some from Portland-based brands Steven Smith Teamaker and The Jasmine Pearl Tea.