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The Water Pavilion of Lotus Fragrance
The Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour was gifted to Sydney by her Chinese sister-city of Guangdong in Guangzhou (Canton). It was formally opened in 1988 during the Bicentennial celebrations – and is where my husband and I later married.
I ♥️ Sydney!
Not only is it an aesthetically beautiful city, but every part of it is home to encapsulated memories I’ve collected over many years.
I get into Sydney at least four times a year: for dance, music, theatre, and/or to catch up with former work friends. One of the great joys of not living in the suburbs anymore is having to stay in the city itself for events – rather than just making the long drive in from the outskirts. This makes city trips events in themselves.
I was cleaning up some photo catalogues and came across a set of pictures from a trip many years ago. We had only recently moved back to Australia and had some appointments in the Central Business District. So, we made the day’s drive north, and stayed in nearby Haymarket.
Haymarket is home to Sydney’s vibrant Chinatown and some of the city’s best markets. It is a short walk from the iconic Town Hall and Queen Victoria Building, and next door to the wonderful Darling Harbour.
Darling Harbour is a waterway that runs along the west of Sydney’s city centre. The lands either side have been re-invented many times over the years, but have operated as a pedestrian and tourist precinct since the 1980s. When my children were school-aged, we would visit regularly during school holidays to take part in the free entertainment that was on offer in the summer. I still like walking around there, any time of year (see: Searching for Christmas Spirit).
The Darling Harbour precinct is currently home to restaurants, bars, a casino, entertainment venues, convention and exhibition spaces, a nightclub, the Australian National Maritime Museum, an IMAX theatre, a Madame Tussauds, the Wildlife Sydney Zoo, and the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium among other attractions. My favourite place within it is the Chinese Garden of Friendship – which is where my husband and I had our wedding.
Join me for a few photographic impressions and memories:
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George Street
From our hotel eyrie n …
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Hay Street
… we can watch the world below.
“The Challenge”
Our morning stroll takes us through the Hordern Arcade in World Square, where we stop to admire the bronze bull created by Alan Somerville in 1999. The plaque reads: The bull, a mythological beast, is the embodiment of spirituality and symbolises the qualities of strength, endurance and tenacity necessary in meeting the many challenges encountered in achieving success.
Australian White Ibis – Threskiornis Molucca
These adaptable native birds, locally known as ‘bin chickens’ for their propensity to search for food in the rubbish, are a familiar part of the Australian natural landscape.
Willows Weeping
The tranquil Chinese Friendship Gardens are a tribute to Chinese heritage and culture, and a recognition of that community’s contribution to commercial and social structures in Australia.
The Twin Pavilion
The heritage-listed 1.03-hectare (3-acre) garden is modelled after the classic private gardens of the Ming dynasty in China.
Stone Pagoda
The garden combines the elements of water, plants, stone, and architecture, attempting to balance the contradictory opposites of yin and yang.
Reading Brook Pavilion
Every window frames a scene.
Pomegranate – Punica Granatum
The garden was designed and planted by Chinese landscape architects using plants sourced in New South Wales – including many exotic species.
Autumn Zephyrlily – Zephyranthes Candida
Lily Pond
Around the Pond
It truly is a tranquil place …
Rooftops and Well-Groomed Plants
… and feels miles away from the modern bustle of Sydney.
Gabe in the Gardens
We always took pleasure in revisiting.
Almost Abstract – Gardens through the Glass
Every new view is a delight.
The Dragon Wall
From across the pond, we can admire the ornate, double sided and free-standing glazed terracotta screen. From the government of Guangdong, the wall depicts two dragons – representing New South Wales and Guangdong – in search of the pearl of wisdom. In the background, Sydney Tower rises against the sky, as if to remind us where we are.
Water Park
Especially in the heat of summer, the water park in Darling Harbour is attractive to visitors – particularly young ones.
Intermittent Water Spouts
These dancing waters were one of my children’s favourite features in the extensive playground area.
The Royal Clock in QVB
The nearby Queen Victoria Building is a beautiful block-long heritage-listed late-nineteenth-century building, full of very up-market shops and some interesting novelties. On the hour, the Royal Clock on the upper level rotates through six scenes from English royal history. This one is the execution of King Charles I in 1649.
King Harold Dying at the Battle of Hastings in 1066
Every scene is mesmerising: each mechanical performance is heralded and accompanied by trumpeters at the tops of the clock’s outer turrets.
Queen Victoria
Outside the building, the Queen is not amused, and the sky darkens.
We hightailed it back to our hotel before the rains came.
Definitely a morning well spent.
Happy Travels!
Photos: 20February2012
