Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Three lovely Okinawan ladies out for a stroll in the Fuzhou Garden.
Fukushu-en (
福州園
; Fukushū-en; lit. “Fuzhou Garden”) is a beautiful garden with a large
pond, waterfall and various pagodas designed and constructed using traditional Chinese
techniques. Chinese people first came to Naha some 600 years ago from Fujian Province and
established a community in Naha's Kumé neighborhood. Through the years, their skills be-
came of great value to the Ryukyu kingdom, particularly in the early years of the dynasty.
This relationship included periodic visits from envoys of the Chinese Emperor. In 1992, in
commemoration of this long-standing friendship, an authentic example of a formal Chinese
garden was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the twin cities of Naha and Fuzhou,
the capital of Fujian.
Ornamental Goldfish
We've borrowed a Japanese word to describe the large, beauiful, domesicated goldish found in
many oriental garden ponds. In fact, the direct translaion of
koi
(
鯉
) is “carp” and taxonomically the
species is
Cyprinus carpio
. When the Japanese refer to what we call
koi
, they use the term
nishikigoi
(
錦鯉
), which translates as “brocade carp,” the fancy ornamental variety. Both
koi
and goldfish are
cousins in the carp family. The average
koi
can grow to 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) in its lifeime, which
can span several decades.
Koi
breeding is thought to have begun around the 17th century in Japan's
Niigata Prefecture. Farmers working the rice ields noiced that some carp were more brightly colored
than others and thus they captured and raised them. By the 19th century a number of color patterns
had been established, most notably the red and white
kohaku
.
Koi
breeding is complicated since most
varieties do not breed true and much of the knowledge is a closely guarded secret. Fish are selected
for appearance when viewed from above. An aestheically atractive ish of a rare variety may cost
hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
