© 2016 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Do you want to know a secret?
On the southeast bank of Lake Zurich lies a wonderful little secret…The Chinese Garden. One would never expect to find a Chinese garden in Zurich, but I promise you, it’s there…everyone loves a secret garden, right?
In 1994, as a gift from Zurich’s sister city, Kunming, the China Garden was opened. The garden was given to Zurich in gratitude for the help Zurich provided in restoring Kunming’s water facilities. The garden, considered one of the highest ranking gardens outside of China, is not what you would expect to find in the Swiss city, however, its unmistakable Chinese roof and red wall stand out along the promenade.
Three Friends of Winter, the garden’s major theme of Chinese culture, depict the pine, the bamboo, and the winter cherry together, braving the cold season.
Although very small, the garden is bright and tranquil with many places to sit and meditate. The structural design of the garden is based on three key principles, the arrangement of structural objects (building, artificial lake and rock formation), the layout (layout and walls) and the movement in the garden (paths and passages).
Scaffolding is present while some renovation is being done on the buildings, however, it is still pleasant to see and experience all that the garden has to offer. Informed by the attendant that no more than 10 minutes would be required to see everything, we stayed for almost 45 minutes, photographing and walking around the premises and through the buildings. In a city where everything is quite expensive, I would consider the entrance fee a fair price to experience something so unique!
Located between Bellerivestrasse and Blatter meadow at Zurich Horn on the right bank of Lake Zurich, it is located adjacent to a park and a children’s playground. Toilet facilities are available close by.
Check out more pictures on Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.
Chinese Garden
- https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/ted/de/index/gsz/natur-_und_erlebnisraeume/chinagarten.html
- Address: Chinagarten, Bellerivestrasse 138, 8008 Zürich
- Hours: March 19 thru October 31, daily, 1100-1900
- Admission: Adults, 4 CHF, Children (under 14), 1 CHF, Groups (from 10 people) 3 CHF (1 CHF=1 US)
- Getting There: Tram Stop, Fröhlichstrasse