Shukkei-en (縮景園; shukkeien.jp) is a serene garden laid out in 1620 for daimyō (feudal lord) Asano Nagaakira. Its name means "shrunken view garden" and it re-creates, in miniature, vistas based on West Lake in Hangzhou, China. At the garden's heart is a large pond, crossed by the Kokō-kyō (straddling rainbow bridge), around which the walking paths meander. Destroyed by the atomic bomb, the garden and its associated teahouses have all been meticulously restored.
Overlooking the garden is the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum (hpam.jp) with its collection of 5000 works from Japan, Asia and the West. These include Salvador Dalí's Dream of Venus and paintings by Hirayama Ikuo, who was in the city during the atomic bombing.
