PORTLAND, Ore. — Lan Su Chinese Garden's teahouse has a new name and new food-and-drink menu.
Revealed in a ceremony Wednesday, the new name, Yun Shui (雲 水), means "Clouds and Water" in Mandarin Chinese. According to the Lan Su Chinese Garden, the name refers to "clouds that came from the East (Suzhou)" and "water from the (Willamette) River," connecting the garden to Portland's sister city, Suzhou.
"Both cities (Suzhou and Portland) are known as being cities of gardens, so it was a perfect relationship that was born," said Elizabeth Nye, the executive director of the Lan Su Chinese Garden.
The name also shares a poetic connection with the building that the teahouse is housed in, the Tower of Cosmic Reflections, Nye added.
The new name was chosen via community collaboration, in which over 950 people voted on the final name, Nye said.
The tea menu includes exclusively Chinese and Taiwanese teas that are mostly sourced locally and abroad. The dining menu includes traditional Chinese comfort foods like wonton soup and "congee of the day," as well as Chinese pastries and donuts from Mei Sum and Hey Day Donuts.
More than 15 vendors, including Stockpot Collective, helped get the teahouse open, the Lan Su Chinese Garden said.
After being closed for three months for construction, the teahouse reopened on Feb. 7 for the garden's Lunar New Year celebrations; its opening weekend was one of its busiest of the year.
The teahouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The original teahouse opened with the garden on September 14, 2000. It used to be operated by the Tao of Tea.
Lan Su is the only Chinese garden in the U.S. with a teahouse, Nye said, adding that it gives an opportunity for those to have an authentic Chinese experience in Portland.
PHOTOS: Inside Lan Su Chinese Garden's revamped teahouse
Throughout May, the Lan Su Chinese Garden is also celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a variety of events.
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