COLUMBIA, S.C. — At the northeast corner of Emily Douglas Park in Columbia sits a new addition.
The Tao Gao Meditation Garden is now open. It was built in memory of Tao Gao, a former Shandon resident who died in 2018.
Dr. Ling Gao, the mother of Tao, invested $65,000 in the meditation garden to build a 200 square-foot gazebo surrounded by decorative plantings.
A rock fountain is also adjacent, adding to the peacefulness of the space making it ideal for a moment of meditation.
"He's a kind and peaceful person and he liked to meditate," said Dr. Gao about her son. "It's already three years, I miss him so much and I feel like I need to do something to honor him."
So far, the new addition is well received by the neighborhood.
Mike McCauley, a member of the Shandon Neighborhood Council, says he and his family are grateful for the garden.
"We consider it a blessing to have this new addition to our park," said McCauley. "A lot of thought went into the design and the selection of everything: from the plants, the fixtures to the stones that helped pave the path."
The stones on the path contain Chinese characters representing truth, peace, love and joy. These are the values Tao held close, according to his mother.
"He has a loving heart and is very forgiving, so I want people to remember that," said Dr. Gao. "They'll get to take in the peaceful, beautiful environment and just sitting down, quiet down from their busy life to do some meditation."
Columbia's Parks and Recreation Department, along with Chao Associates Engineers & Surveyors, Grimball-Cotterill Landscape Architects and Sassafras Landscapes helped build the Tao Gao Meditation Garden.
"We're just delighted that Dr. Gao decided to memorialize her son in this way and to do it in our neighborhood, and to bring a thing of beauty out of what could otherwise be considered a tragedy," said McCauley.
In August 2018, Irmo investigators say 42-year-old Tao Gao was found dead inside a neighborhood pond.
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While authorities say he drowned and they don't suspect foul play, Tao's mother believes there is more to the case. She has since hired a private investigator.
Since the incident, the Lexington County Coroner has changed Tao's manner of death from "accidental" to "undetermined."
Dr. Gao says her son is survived by his wife, who has since left the Columbia area.