Fence built around Old Town's Lan Su Chinese Garden following axe attack

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The City of Portland erected a chain-link fence around the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Old Town last week in response to recent acts of vandalism at the cultural attraction.

Lan Su Chinese Garden Director Elizabeth Nye told KOIN 6 News that the fence also creates an extra layer of safety for garden visitors.

“We had an axe that was thrown through our tea house window in the middle of the night and other projectiles thrown at Lan Su, so it felt necessary,” Nye said.

A number of other concerning incidents have also happened recently, such as when someone smeared "human feces" on the exterior garden walls, Nyes said.

Mayor Ted Wheeler told KOIN 6 News his Public Environment Management Office is exploring ways to "harden the site."

"We will continue coordinating with the mental, behavioral, and addiction health providers operating in the city to ensure these resources are being leveraged in the area," Wheeler said.

Nye said she thinks Lan Su is akin to a national treasure in the middle of Old Town.

"Such a rich, amazing, diverse community," she said. "And at the same time, for the last couple of weeks for sure, it has not felt like it's getting better. It has been feeling like it's getting worse."

Nye also said they haven't been getting as many visitors the last few years, nothing as high as pre-pandemic levels. In fact, she said they're looking at an 8-10% decline compared to last year's 100,000 visitors.

"We need solutions now," Nye said, adding that the fence is sending a "terrible message" to potential visitors.

KOIN 6 News asked visitors and people passing by what they think about the fence.

"I think it looks awful," said Chris Parsons. "It just distracts from the building."

"I didn't really think second thoughts about it, because this is downtown Portland, a lot of stuff has been fenced off for quite a while," said Gracie Del Rosario. "It didn't really hinder my experience going into the garden."

Nye said she hopes the City of Portland and Multnomah County come up with a better solution.

"My hope is that the city, the county, every leader comes together and actually works together with urgency to address the challenges that we're still experiencing around all of the issues in Old Town. We need people to show up for us and for Old Town," she said.

Mayor Wheeler said members of the Portland Police Bureau and Oregon State Police will spend more time in the area following the increase in crime as they toward a more long-term solution.

“Mayor Wheeler is committed to supporting the Lan Su Chinese Garden and neighboring cultural institutions in Old Town,” said Cody Bowman, a spokesperson for Mayor Wheeler's office. “Mayor Wheeler’s team meets frequently with members from these organizations to help address ongoing livability and public safety issues disproportionately affecting these institutions and neighborhoods.”