Chinese Garden of Friendship

The Chinese Garden of Friendship, in Sydney

The Chinese Garden of Friendship is a magnificent garden of Chinese inspiration in the heart of Sydney, a haven of peace with Asian landscapes. The Sydney audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this garden inaugurated in 1988 for the bicentenary of the city, symbol of the friendship between China and Australia, inspired by the old private Chinese gardens, with its exotic plants and its colourful fish.

The garden of Sino-Australian friendship

On your left is the entrance of the Chinese Garden of Friendship, a magnificent garden with Asian airs, inspired notably by the old private Chinese gardens going back to the fifth century. Inaugurated in 1988 on the occasion of the bicentenary of Sydney, it symbolises the friendship and the link that China and Australia share, and more precisely the twin cities of Sydney and Guangzhou. Designed according to the traditional principles of the art of Chinese gardens, it stages the harmony between water, stone, plants and pavilions, in a subtle balance destined to soothe the spirit. You wander there along winding paths, you cross small bridges over pools populated with colourful fish, you discover waterfalls, rockeries, pagodas and a luxuriant vegetation mingling bamboos, lotuses and exotic trees. Each turn reserves a new perspective, conceived as a living painting. It is a true interlude of serenity in the very heart of the city, a total change of scenery just a few steps from the animation of Darling Harbour. Access to the garden is paying, for a modest sum, and you can prolong the visit there with a tea tasting in the traditional tea house. Do not hesitate to take a tour there to change continent for a moment. A Chinese garden and a haven of peace, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is a fine stop of the discovery of Sydney.

What to see

Here you discover a magnificent garden of Chinese inspiration, inaugurated in 1988 for the bicentenary of Sydney, symbol of the friendship between China and Australia; inspired by the old private Chinese gardens, it unfolds winding paths, bridges, waterfalls, pavilions and pools of colourful fish, in a soothing harmony. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is a haven of peace of Sydney. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Chinese Garden of Friendship lies on the edge of Darling Harbour, in Sydney, reachable on foot. The entrance is paying, for a modest sum; the opening hours follow those of the garden, which vary according to the season. A tea house offers tastings. It is best to enquire before coming.

What does the Chinese Garden of Friendship of Sydney symbolise?

It symbolises the friendship and the link that China and Australia share, and notably the twin cities of Sydney and Guangzhou; inaugurated in 1988 for the bicentenary of the city and inspired by the old private Chinese gardens, it offers an interlude of serenity with its paths, its waterfalls, its pavilions and its pools of colourful fish.

Where is the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney?

On the edge of Darling Harbour, in Sydney, in Australia.