Garden of Surging Waves - HERITAGE SQUARE — Attraction in Astoria

A fairly pleasant place to sit a minute. The art elements are of various kinds, juxtaposed in ungainly ways. The Chinese elements are real & inspiring. These interesting objects are proudly presented among typically American urban park decorative items such as huge, mysterious stones and low-maintenance shrubs and ground cover plants. Various Western Modern Art -style presentations of the histories of some of the Chinese families who have lived here for more than a hundred years. A nod was given to the concept of racial unity here in Astoria. It has been a long, long road. I can see that. Having been raised in Hawaii where the various cultures and ethnic groups were able to achieve something like a mutual respect, where at the very least the issues of racial unity are effectively addressed socially , and the various folks live with a certain respect for each other, I am surprised still that many of the Chinese folks who have spent their whole lives here, whose parents & grandparents lived here, are not a part of my daily life in any way. The few times I see these folks, they keep to their kind, as far as I can see. Nothing wrong with that but one wonders why. Are we still mired in hate? Can we relate? C'mon, people! Take the bait! It's not too late! I'ma open the gate. We know we all can make our own fate! Together we'll get the hate to ablate! Again, let's make thisp old...

At one time Chinese made about about 2/3 of Astoria's population. The area history museums fumble on this and don't talk about it. Like it never happened. Like the laws that kept them out of jobs were never on the books. Like they never existed.

But they were here. They lived here. They contributed to our society. They made this country a better place.

How did they get here, where did they live, and what happened to them after they left? While these bigger questions are not answered, this exhibit does at least acknowledge that Chinese lived here, just like you and me. They suffered, they lived, and they loved, just like you and me.

This corner of town is well worth a visit. A visit for more than a few minutes. A visit that allows time to contemplate and imagine what was and what...

A nice park to spend an afternoon learning about the legacy of the Chinese in Astoria and the surrounding area.

A moon gate leads you into the garden with story panels on both sides from the Chinese community.

Look carefully at the map by the gate to find the meaning of the items in the park.

The Pavillion of Transition is at the other end of the garden. You will see eight dragon columns and a mosaic of fish in the middle.

A cast bronze is near the Pavilion and is a replica of an incense burner from the Western Han Dynasty.

A number of other items are in the garden and there are places to sit down.

Located by City Hall on Duanne Street and 11th in Astoria.

An overlooked gem that honors the contributions of the Chinese in Astoria area and is the two hundred anniversary gift...