The Chinese Garden of Friendship is open to all visitors in line with current NSW Public Health advice. 

The health and safety of the Garden’s visitors, staff, animals and of course the broader community remains our top priority and we have taken steps to ensure the Garden is a safe place to visit.

Our site is proudly COVID-Safe and complies with all current NSW Public Health orders.

In line with current health advice, we strongly encourage visitors to wear a mask when they can't physically distance outdoors. 

Accessibility
Pathways and pavilions in the lower garden are accessible for wheelchairs, buggies and prams; however steps and rocky pathways make the upper part of the Garden difficult to access. The closest passenger drop-off point to the garden is on Harbour Street.

Facilities
The Chinese Garden has a fully upgraded accessible toilet and baby change facilities onsite.

The Chinese Garden of Friendship was built to symbolise the friendship between Sydney, New South Wales and the city of Guangzhou in the province of Guangdong, China (sister cities of sister states) and was formally opened as part of Australia’s Bicentennial Celebrations on 17 January 1988. The Dragon Wall, featuring two flying dragons—a symbol of majesty and perfection in Chinese culture—was a gift from Guangdong; the brown dragon represents Guangdong, and the blue dragon New South Wales.

In a collaborative effort, the Garden was designed by Chinese landscape architects and built by Australian craftsmen and specialists. It follows follows the Taoist principles of 'Yin-Yang', the opposing yet complementary and balanced forces, and ‘Wu-Xing’, the five elements or phases—wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These principles also stress the importance of Qi, the central force of life and energy.

Yin-Yang and Wu-Xing play such a vital role that just one missing element would disrupt the garden's harmony and balance. However, when combined perfectly, the five elements form a fluid and nurturing environment. Everything you encounter in the garden has been carefully chosen and meticulously placed in order to incorporate the five elements, achieve a balance of Yin and Yang, and promote the flow of Qi.

Unlike western-style gardens, there are no formally laid out flowerbeds or manicured lawns; instead, wild aspects of nature are recreated in landscapes that feature waterfalls, mountains, lakes and forests.

The art of Chinese garden design began in imperial parks during the Shang Dynasty, around 3,000 years ago. Later it flourished on a smaller scale in the private gardens of China's rich and powerful, and Darling Harbour’s Chinese Garden of Friendship is a small-scale version of a typical private garden from this era.

Hear the story behind the magnificent Dragon Wall in the Garden

Enrich your students’ cultural knowledge with a visit to the Chinese Garden of Friendship.

Sydney Learning Adventures Education Tours
Self guided visits

Thinking of visiting the Garden as a group and discover what the Chinese Garden has to offer? The Chinese Garden of Friendship is one of Sydney’s most popular destination for gardening groups, heritage clubs, specialty tours and other outings.

Download the Group Booking Form

The Chinese Garden of Friendship advisory committee was formed in August 2017 to provide independent advice on the long-term planning and strategic management of Garden, helping to inform a 10-year plan for the site.

The new committee brings a wealth of diverse experience across business, arts and Chinese culture and aims to support Government with the holistic management of the Garden by ensuring there is representation from a range of relevant disciplines and communities. 

Following an Expression of Interest process, the following members were appointed to the committee:

Mr Simon Chan
Director of Art Atrium and President of Haymarket Chamber of Commerce

Ms Oi Choong
Specialist landscape architect and consultant

Dr John Yu
1996 Australian of the Year for his vision to create a best practice paediatric hospital that integrate art, design and high-quality medical care for the benefit of young people and current Chair of Museum of Chinese in Australia.

Mr Julian Siu
Associate at GML Heritage

Ms Karen Soo
Executive officer, Haymarket Chamber of Commerce