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Home » Hawaii » The Beautiful Gardens Of Honolulu Airport
Hawaii

The Beautiful Gardens Of Honolulu Airport

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 23, 2022November 13, 2023 20 Comments

During my layover in Honolulu, I walked over to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Cultural Gardens…a beautiful centerpiece of one of my favorite airports in the world.

Honolulu Airport Gardens, A Zone Of Tranquility

Most airports, particularly in the USA, are so sterile. On the whole, the experience is getting better, and yet with few exceptions (and there are exceptions), the airports are not exactly beautiful.

But then there is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. On the one hand, the airport is an odd concrete behemoth that is arguably both ugly and aged. And yet there are such endearing qualities of that “retro” airport and one of my favorite aspects is the cultural gardens in the center of it.

Where else can you step outside on a beautiful afternoon and enjoy the shade of the garden and the pleasant sound of running water between planes taking off and landing?

The gardens were designed by Richard C. Tongg and first introduced in 1962. Today, the gardens reflect the Hawaiian, Chinese and Japanese heritage of the island of Ohau and the state of Hawaii.

Pathways, bridges and stepping stones connect the three gardens. Waterways flow among these garden ponds and lakes to symbolize the intermingling of the cultures in Hawaii.

a building with a sign and railings

a blue sign with white text

a sign on a wall

a building with a walkway and plants

a stone statue in front of a building

a building with trees and bushes

a pond with rocks and trees in the background

a pond with a waterfall and trees and a bridge over it

a tree with many leaves and flowers

a tree with many leaves and flowers

a building with trees and plants

a pond with trees and plants around it

a building with a large building and a large building with a large building and a large building with a large building and a large building with a large building and a large building with a large building and

a building with a tower in the background

a building with a roof and trees

a black sign with white text and a red and white circle on a white surface

a garden with palm trees and a building

a group of palm trees and bushes

a building with a tree and a yard

In case you are curious, here is how each garden is described by the airport:

Chinese Garden at HNL

The Chinese Garden has a bright red resting pavilion with a curved roof of yellow glazed tile crafted by Hong Kong masons and artists and assembled in Honolulu. A statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, founder of the Republic of China, was donated by the Chinese community to the garden. There is an arched bridge symbolic of the hope of spanning the seas to achieve world peace. Koi fish peacefully swim about in the man-made pond. Pine and bamboo trees along with other native Chinese flowering trees are strategically placed among craggy rock formations.

Hawaiian Garden at HNL

In the Hawaiian Gardens, there are quiet lagoons filled with koi fish, gurgling springs and waterfalls cascading down lava walls. In a tropical setting, banana, coconut, hala (pandanus) and kukui (candlenut) trees shade ti plants, exotic ferns, such as the lawai and monstera and eye-catching flowers, white ginger, red torch ginger and bird of paradise. At night, Luau torches illuminate the garden. You will also find plaques commemorating the 25th anniversary of John Rodgers Terminal on October 15, 1987 and a beautiful kukui nut tree planted for the occasion.

Japanese Garden at HNL

Serenity is found in the Japanese Garden. Across a zigzag bridge (which keeps away evil) is a wood shingle-roofed shelter with stone benches. Colorful carp fish create patterns in the ponds surrounded by sculptured pine and weeping willow trees. Stone lanterns softly illuminate the setting at dusk. A commemorative pagoda on an elevated plateau at one end was donated by Hawaii’s Japanese community on the Centennial Anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.

I spent 30 minutes just making laps through the garden.

CONCLUSION

The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Cultural Gardens are a great place to spend time before, after, or between flights. Don’t miss this very unique aspect of a very unique airport.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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20 Comments

  1. Random gawande Reply
    September 23, 2022 at 6:05 pm

    Amazed to see no homeless encampments there. Two faced liberals must be weak in Hawaii.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      September 23, 2022 at 6:55 pm

      It’s on the secure side of the airport. Now sure how clever the homeless are in creating boarding passes.

    • T- Reply
      September 24, 2022 at 11:58 am

      This forum is not an American political showplace.

      • Random gawande Reply
        September 24, 2022 at 2:02 pm

        This has nothing to do with american politics. A lot meant of such gardens in liberal states are overrun with homeless people. Now as tragic as the homeless situation is, liberals do not want to solve it by opening homeless shelters but will not allow anyone to actually remove the homeless encampments in the park. Typical liberals, will not find a solution, and will not let anyone implement a solution that they don’t is perfect. They are two faced before most of them are rich with houses with huge yards. They could let the homeless people pitch tents in their backyards, but no they would rather virtue signal. And while they can’t/ won’t solve the homeless problem they will make a show of helping and assisting illegal border crossers, as they did in Martha’s vineyard recently. And when the TV cameras were off they sent all of these illegal border crossers aka virtue signaling props packing to a military base. And all the blind iberal shills in the country are praising the liberals on Marthas vineyard for their generosity, when they should be denounced as fake virtue signaling rich posers who can’t have low life border “scum” amongst them.

        Anyway to make this about american politics, liberals belong to the Democrats party. And they are 2 faced posers. Performing for the camera but not interested in solving problems. I have deep resentment towards the other party too, but let’s not make it too political. Ask me some other time about them by leaving snide, sarcastic replies to my posts.

        • Aaron Reply
          September 24, 2022 at 3:26 pm

          Damn, you really come off as a hateful person.

          • Random gawande
            September 24, 2022 at 4:01 pm

            Well, I hope you do a lot more for the homeless people than just virtue signal. And hope you will recruit your friends in real life to do as much as you think you do.

        • Mark Andrew Reply
          September 27, 2022 at 7:28 am

          I can’t imagine how sad and miserable it must be to be like this. Matthew writes a post about the gardens of the Honolulu Airport and you immediately start some nonsensical rants about the homeless problem in liberal cities in the U.S., and the Democrats, etc etc. It can’t be enjoyable to live like this…. can it?

  2. Jan Reply
    September 23, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    Meditated there for a bit before heading back to the (windowless) Sky Club. Such a good area, esp. when I was the only one there at the time.

  3. PolishKnight Reply
    September 23, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    “very unqiue airport.”

    Letting you know before the grammar police does…

  4. Mitch Cumstein Reply
    September 23, 2022 at 7:27 pm

    What were Tom Stuker’s impressions of the gardens?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      September 23, 2022 at 7:28 pm

      I’ll address that in a post tomorrow. Stay tuned. It was a very productive layover.

      • Mitch Cumstein Reply
        September 23, 2022 at 7:32 pm

        I wait with bated breath.

  5. Gene Reply
    September 23, 2022 at 9:12 pm

    @ Matthew — This brings back great memories of UA mile runs SFO-HNL-LAX-SFO, which could be upgraded with a single RPU. Depart SFO at 330 pm, back to the office the next day by 1030 AM. Both long flights lie-flat. So sweet.

  6. Aaron Reply
    September 24, 2022 at 3:14 am

    Basically, the terminal itself isn’t the draw, it’s the gardens.

  7. gregaloha Reply
    September 24, 2022 at 7:06 am

    Enjoy the gardens as your waiting FOREVER for your luggage that may never come, Worst baggage claim in the world!!!

  8. Charlie Reply
    September 24, 2022 at 11:38 am

    FYI Richard helped Japan rebuild the Emperor’s garden after WW2. He was also one of the founders of Aloha Airlines. We worked on several landscaping jobs together in his later years. He was a very humble, kind man.

  9. BoardingAreaFlukie Reply
    September 24, 2022 at 2:34 pm

    I’ve used two lounges at HNL – the AA/JAL Admirals Club and the laughably basic IASS one (still closed I believe). While the Admirals Club has food and drink amenities, the gardens are arguable the most pleasant place to spend time before your flight.

    One strategy is check in to the IASS lounge which is adjacent to the gardens just to get Wifi access and then sit outside.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      September 24, 2022 at 2:57 pm

      You’re correct – IASS is still closed.

  10. Brian T. Reply
    September 25, 2022 at 1:19 am

    Thanks for this, Matthew. I find myself in HNL at least a couple times a year and have never visited the gardens. Heck, I even attended a meeting in a conference room right next to them and didn’t manage to go. I think I will next time.

  11. Pam Thicket Reply
    September 26, 2022 at 2:13 am

    I tried to look for the C. B. Lansing Memorial Garden when I was there, but couldn’t find it. Wonder if it is still there. Lansing was Aloha Airlines Flight 243’s only fatality.

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