US architects work on a Qing dynasty garden in the heart of Washington

If all goes according to plan, in a few years' time a part of urban Washington will resemble a sprawling Qing dynasty classical garden, complete with pavilions, lakes and ponds, ornate bridges and Chinese fauna.

The ambitious project, a collaboration between China and the US, is finally kicking into gear as money is being raised to break ground, and design and architectural plans are being finalised.

At the top of the agenda - ensuring the almost five-hectare National China Garden will retain the authentic look and feel of an archetypal Chinese garden, the odds of which are pretty good given that it is being modelled on the Geyuan and Heyuan gardens in Yangzhou, a city in Jiangsu known for its classical gardens.

The garden complex will be built within the US National Arboretum, a 180-hectare haven for nature buffs that includes a national agricultural research and educational facility and a living museum.

The project is being pitched as a "cultural bridge" between China and the United States, says Sandra Gibson, executive director of the National China Garden Foundation in Washington.

"If you think about the concept of a garden in Chinese culture, it's about much more than going outdoors and watering a few plants and flowers," she says. "It's a much more robust concept than that. It should be a place for beauty, equanimity and shared interests, for the long term."