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Chinese Garden of Friendship

Top choice in Darling Harbour & Pyrmont


Built according to Taoist principles, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is usually an oasis of tranquillity – although one increasingly dwarfed by assertive modern buildings. Designed by architects from Guangzhou (Sydney’s sister city) for Australia’s bicentenary in 1988, the garden interweaves pavilions, waterfalls, lakes, paths and lush plant life. There's also a tea house. Various tours are available.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Darling Harbour & Pyrmont attractions

1. Tumbalong Park

0.07 MILES

Flanked by the modern Darling Walk development, this grassy circle on Darling Harbour’s southern rump is set up for family fun. Sunbakers and frisbee…

2. Darling Walk

0.12 MILES

The environmentally conscious Darling Walk development is one of Darling Harbour's newer blocks of restaurants and offices, all wrapped up in a curvy…

3. Chinatown

0.17 MILES

Dixon St is the heart of Chinatown: a narrow, shady pedestrian mall with a string of restaurants and insistent spruikers. The ornate dragon gates (paifang…

4. Powerhouse Museum

0.18 MILES

A short walk from Darling Harbour, this cavernous science and design museum whirs away inside the former power station for Sydney’s defunct, original tram…

5. Ribbon

0.2 MILES

Due to open in 2020, this striking building will incorporate the current Western Distributor flyover and add office space, a sizeable business hotel and…

6. Golden Water Mouth

0.26 MILES

On Chinatown's Hay St, the surreal Golden Water Mouth sculpture drips with gilt and water. Formed from a eucalyptus trunk from Condobolin, the destination…

7. Dr Chau Chak Wing Building

0.3 MILES

Opened in 2015, this university business school was donated by the father of an alumnus and designed by Frank Gehry. It's a striking sight, all windows…

8. St Andrew’s Cathedral

0.31 MILES

Sporting beautiful stained glass and twin spires inspired by England’s York Minster, squat St Andrew’s Anglican is the oldest cathedral in Australia (1868…