The University of Maryland Peace and Friendship Garden
The University of Maryland has a growing bond with China
through liaison work and programs such as the Confucius Institute. Veteran
Chinese artist Han Meilin, among other famous Chinese artists, designed
sculptures to contribute to these international bonds. Meilin's cast bronze
sculpture, the Peace Tree, is approximately 5 meters tall and represents
"Diversity in Unity". To commemorate this gift from the Chinese Government the
University of Maryland has built the Peace and Friendship Garden on the vista of
the President's Residence. The Peace Garden design process took inspiration from
Chinese style gardens through the use of asymmetry, art, stone, water, colors/
textures, and various plant materials. This garden is unique from all other
spaces on the College Park campus because of these design fundamentals. The
Peace and Friendship garden takes the visitor on a journey of the senses while
emphasizing the key concept of Han Meilin's Peace Tree: Diversity in Unity.