Pagoda and Torii in Liliu'okalani Gardens Liliuokalani Park and Gardens is a park with

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desi ...

s, located on

Banyan Drive Banyan Drive is a tree-lined street at the shoreline of Hilo, Hawaii. It is known as the "Hilo Walk of Fame" for the banyan trees planted by celebrities. These trees have withstood several tsunamis that have devastated the town on the Hawaii (islan ...

in Hilo on the island of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

. The park's site was donated by

Queen Liliuokalani Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...

, and lies southeast of downtown Hilo, on the Waiakea Peninsula in

Hilo Bay Hilo Bay is a large bay located on the eastern coast of the island of Hawaii. Description The modern town of Hilo, Hawaii overlooks Hilo Bay, located at . North of the bay runs the Hamakua Coast on the slopes of Mauna Kea, and south of the ba ...

. Much of the park now consists of Edo-style

s, built 1917-1919, and said to be the largest such gardens outside Japan. The gardens contain Waihonu Pond as well as bridges, ponds,

pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...

s, statues,

torii A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simple ...

, and a

Japanese teahouse ''Chashitsu'' (, "tea room") in Japanese tradition is an architectural space designed to be used for Japanese tea ceremony, tea ceremony (''chanoyu'') gatherings. The architectural style that developed for ''chashitsu'' is referred to as the ' ...

. Included in the park is the small island called Moku ola, (also known as Coconut Island), connected to the park by a footbridge. It is a good place for a picnic, and some limited swimming. The name Moku ola literally means "island of life" in the Hawaiian language, since it was the site of an ancient temple dedicated to healing. There is a stone tower on the east side of the island which is the remnant of the old footbridge which was destroyed by a

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...

. From Coconut Island one has a great view of Hilo Bayfront, Downtown Hilo, and the rest of Hilo Bay. To the east, you can see the massive breakwater protecting Hilo Bay. It is located at coordinates . It is maintained by the County of Hawaii and non-profit Friends of Liliuokalani Gardens. In 2021, a bronze sculpture by local artist, Henry Bianchini, was relocated from the main garden area to a nearby location in Isle Beach Park. The park is a popular location for public events, exercise, and dog-walking.

Gallery

LiliParkHilo.JPG, Pagoda and Torii in Liliu'okalani Gardens Banyan tree and Bamboo Hilo.JPG, Banyan Tree and Bamboo at the Gardens QLPHilo.JPG, View looking across Hilo Bay towards the Hamakua Coast Liliuokalani Park Panorama.jpg, Panoramic view of some of the rock/water paths in Liliu'okalani Park in Hil Liliuokalani Park Sunset.JPG, Sunset over Hilo from Liliu'okalani Park in Hilo LilioukalaniGardens Hilo Hawaii panorama.jpg, Panorama of Lilioukalani Park and Gardens in Hilo, Hawaii Hilo Bay from Liliu'okalani Park.JPG, Hilo Bay and Hilo town from Liliu'okalani Gardens

Gallery

References

See also