park, assembly

苑 is composed of the radical 艸 (grass) and 夗 (curved). 艸 is a pictograph of two plants, signifying vegetation, while 夗 means curved or bent. Thus, 苑 refers to a garden where plants are cultivated; because the plants grow densely, they crowd and bend against one another. Additionally, since the plants in the garden are artificially planted, they are of many varieties. Therefore, 苑 also came to denote a place where things gather or accumulate.