Walking through the Gardens of Light felt like walking through a magical land. As the night sky settled, the bright glow of artwork and characters began to shine as the Gardens of Light came alive at Montreal’s Botanical Gardens. And what an incredibly beautiful site to see.
After hearing many wonderful comments about this light festival, I am so happy to have finally ticked this one off the Montreal bucket list. Perfect for date night, an evening with friends or a solo stroll amongst the beauty.
The Gardens of Light festival is held each year at the Botanical Gardens during the fall. This year it will be open every evening until November 2. The festival is shared between the Japanese and Chinese gardens creating two very different experiences.
The Japanese garden is subtle in beauty. The gentle lights and soft colours create a soothing atmosphere pleasant to explore. The trees and waterways are a vital part of this serene environment. Designed by lighting artists France Jutras and Jocelyn Bathalon aimed to create a garden reflecting the essence of both an emptiness and fullness simultaneously by allowing people to experience this “mysterious inner world”.
The Chinesse garden on the other hand is one of strong life and bold figures. An entire world of lanterns, the space is bursting with bright energy. The exhibition, Zheng He – A Voyage of Discovery, is about the explorations of one of Zheng He’s seven adventures by sea between 1405 and 1433. Artistic designer My Quynh Duong hand sketches her designs which are sent to Shanghai where they are created and then shipped and trained back to Montreal where she supervises their construction.
The Montreal Gardens of Light festival is certainly a must see autumn event! The invested work and creativity is evident in these artistic project. Both gardens are incredibly beautiful and it truly was a pleasure to visit each of them.
The Gardens of Light Festival is open every night until 9pm from now until November 2. Admission is $15 and tickets can be bought online or at the gate. More information can be found on the Botanical Gardens website, here.
