Chinese Garden of Friendship
A Lingnan-style Chinese garden beside Darling Harbour, built because Guangzhou and Sydney are sister cities, offering a quiet corner in the heart of the city.
The Chinese Garden of Friendship was completed in 1988 for Australia's bicentenary. It was designed and built by designers from Guangzhou, Sydney's sister city, in the Lingnan garden style. Pavilions, towers, zigzag bridges, covered walkways, rockeries, waterfalls and koi ponds are arranged harmoniously, surrounded by the high-rises of Darling Harbour, which makes for an interesting contrast. The garden's teahouse serves Chinese tea and dim sum, and you can rent period costumes for photos. It is not large, and about an hour is enough to see it. Entry costs roughly A$10 to A$20. It sits at the southern end of Darling Harbour, just north of Chinatown, and can be combined with Chinatown, Paddy's Markets and the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. It's ideal for Chinese visitors who want to feel a touch of home in a foreign land.
Opening hours
10:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Chinatown & Paddy's Markets
- Darling Harbour
- Queen Victoria Building
- SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
- Sydney Tower Eye
- Australian Museum
- Sydney Fish Market
- St Mary's Cathedral & Hyde Park