Recently I wrote about "Shoroan" - Pine Ocean House, the Japanese style tea house located within the grounds of the Lili'uokalani Gardens.
Today I would like to invite you on a meandering stroll around the beautiful gardens named after the last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Queen Lydia Lili'uokalani Paki Dominis, who donated the land to the city of Hilo to be used as a park in the early 1900's.
As we walk through the gardens we approach the most photographed spot in the gardens - the little red pagoda foot bridge. This spot is popular as the setting or backdrop for many weddings.
The little Red Pagoda Bridge
The Lili'uokalani Garden is located overlooking Hilo Bay at the end of Banyan Drive. The serene and scenic spot is popular with both tourists and locals alike, where you will see children playing, couples strolling, the athletically inclined jogging, dogs walking their owners, groups performing their Tai Chi morning exercises, families enjoying a picnic and even weddings using the beautiful bridges and trees as backdrops.
Bamboo & lantern reflections
The bay feeds the Waihonu Pond, a brackish, salt water pool surrounded by exquisitely landscaped grounds in the Japanese Yedo style, lava rock outcroppings, quaint bridges, lovely trees and the lovely collection of stone lanterns brought from Japan.
Old Ironwood tree (Australian pine) framing the curved bridge in the distance.
The gardens were dedicated as a memorial to the thousands of Japanese immigrants, mostly single men, who first came to the Hawaiian Islands between 1885 and 1894 to work in the sugar cane fields and are said to be the largest Japanese gardens anywhere in the world outside of Tokyo.
Another lantern across the pond - one of four Japanese style gate entrances to the park in the background.
Please follow me as we continue our leisurely stroll through the gardens on Part II
Destination Hilo - Lili'uokalani Garden - Part II
The Japanese Tea House at the Lili'uokalani Gardens
(c) Sonia R. Martinez
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Comments: 19
Thank you for coming along with me on this visual stroll........I hope you will continue with the second part of our little walk.
I took so many pictures and quite a few I thought were good ones....I had a hard time selecting what to use for these two articles
;-)))
Thank you!
Lou, thanks.... it is a wonderful place to spend a few hours....
Thanks for a good article and pictures showing me many places I wanted to see!
The islands have a very fascinating history.
I hope you are okay I hear you have been hit by some earth quakes, are you near the mountain that is shaking?
Thanks for for the grand tour. A big 10 for all the images and an excellent photo essay.
Blessings
Thank you, John....yes, the gardens are steeped in beauty as well as history. I have never seen the Strybing Arboretum in person, but have seen photos. It looks like a very lovely place... I love it when cities set aside land for parks. Hilo has quite a few of them.
Poor Lydia Lili'uokalani Paki Dominis.....by all accounts, even her enemies at the time, she was a lovely, cultured and talented woman. She wrote many pieces of music that are still favorites today, including the everlasting 'Aloha 'Oe'.... History proves she was dealt a terrible hand, but she was a Queen to the end, if not in name, at least in person. To the people of Hawaii, both native and haoles who love her, her memory will never dim.