Dunedin Chinese Gardens

Otago

The Chinese Gardens were a gift to the city and to all of New Zealand, honouring the past contribution Chinese have made in the settling of Otago and the rest of New Zealand. The garden’s design is based upon the private gardens in Suzhou from the 10th to the 19th centuries and, in keeping with the Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911, these gardens are small and informal in design. The gardens are constructed in a traditional fashion, using almost entirely authentic materials imported from China, built in Dunedin by 35 artisans from the Shanghai Construction Company, using traditional techniques. The garden is the first authentic garden of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, scheduled opening in May 2008.