The garden and its sculptures are welcomed as a place for reflection and cultural expression. The sculptures depict four figures from different periods of Chinese history: Li Bai, a highly-regarded poet; Ma Gu, a goddess and symbol of beauty and longevity; Qu Yuan, a government minister who drowned himself out of loyalty to a deposed ruler; and Lao Tsu, the father of Yingyang philosophy. The design of the garden, including a dry creek, angular rocks, and plants, symbolizes the classical Chinese game of “Flowing Cups,” in which scholars would float cups of wine in a creek while creating works of scholarship and art.