Yiyuan Garden, a classical-Suzhou-style garden, will be built in
the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris.
In 2005, Zhang Xinsheng, the chairman of UNESCO's Executive
Board at that time, suggested that China should build a
Chinese-style garden in the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris as a
cultural gift.
In the early June, 2006, Suzhou municipal government sent an
expert team to Paris to formulate a detailed construction plan of
the garden, containing 4 parts and 8 landscapes. The plan has been
modified at least 10 times.
The name of the garden comes from Zhou Yi, The Book
of Changes, a Chinese classic on divination and philosophy.
The garden will cover some 700 sq m, and it will be a new sight in
Paris when completed, rather than decorating the front yard of
UNESCO only.
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2007)