“The Chinese Garden is really amazing. Someone told me that everything here was built in China and sent to Dunedin, even these giant rocks. That must have been a pretty strong postman...
I think it’s really great that we have this garden here because it shows us what it would be like to see a garden in China. There are tiny paths and steps and you can follow them through rock gardens and into beautiful buildings. And there are really cool fish in the pond, and sometimes ducklings, and a little tea house where you can eat dumplings and drink tea. I really like coming here. I’ve only been here in day time but my mum said she came here at night once in winter and it looked magical.
The best thing about the Chinese Garden is that it’s really close to town. But when you are inside, you forget where you are because there’s so much interesting stuff to look at and it takes your mind off other things.”
Marnie (11)
“It’s lovely here. Very peaceful and really feels like an escape from everyday life. It’s only when you catch sight of the surrounding streets that you remember you’re still in Dunedin. I bring the kids here quite a lot – usually Toitū first, then here. There’s always somewhere to park and somewhere to have lunch, and it’s just a great way to spend an afternoon. They love exploring all the little corners and nooks.. They seem really interested in the garden and the traditional aspects of it, too. Big fans of the fish. And the dumplings.”
Marnie’s mum