Chinese Garden of Friendship

The Chinese Garden of Friendship is a picturesque outdoor space located at 1 Harbour Street in the heart of Sydney's bustling Central Business District.

Covering an area of 1.03 hectares, the garden was designed to offer an insight into Chinese heritage and culture and was built between 1986 and 1988. Visitors will notice that the garden is modelled after classic private gardens from the Ming dynasty, with a design that features landscaped gardens, water features, and various pavilions and structures.

The Chinese Garden of Friendship is a heritage-listed site located at the corner of Day Street and Pier Street in Darling Harbour. Originally, the land was open water adjacent to a low-lying swampy area, which was progressively reclaimed and industrialized between 1850 and 1984. The site was filled in and used for various industrial purposes, including ship building and engineering workshops, metal foundries, and food milling factories.

The garden was designed by Guangzhou Garden Planning & Building Design Institute, Tsang & Lee, and Edmond Bull & Corkery, representatives from Guangzhou, Sydney's sister city; the region is particularly significant for its trade and migration between Guangzhou and Sydney. The construction was a cooperation between Guangdong and New South Wales, with Guangdong provided the design, key building materials, furniture, and artworks that are intrinsic to the classic garden design.

Significantly, The Chinese Garden of Friendship is not located in existing parklands, which is typical of overseas Chinese gardens. With a design that weaves the principles of auspicious positioning and orientation, the garden provides positive qi energy through the garden. It features a large central water body to capture positive energy, while landforms block unfavourable weather while opening the garden