Orchid Garden 兰圃公园 – Guangzhou, China

        Not all infamous places are not interesting. This idea applies to Orchid garden in Guangzhou. Although most tourists are not interested to visit this relatively small park, it indeed offers a rich experience for those who like to study green plantations and enjoy  their beauty in a unique way. In summer 2009, I took my mom and brother to visit this park. The park looks small from outside and almost unnoticeable by pedestrians compared to its counterpart, Yuexiu Park, which is located just across it.

        The park is located in the Yuexiu area. Just take an MTR to the Yuexiu station. Follow the direction on the exit board, and walk straight until you reach the spot. If you are lost, you could ask people who walk by or consult your map..

 

        Orchid garden as its name suggests is a garden dominated by orchid flowers. Occupying an area of 3.9 hectares near the western entrance of Yuexiu Park, the garden was originally a botanical garden, but it was rebuilt in 1957. You could enter the garden through two gates. The first gate is located in the south, near the intersection of Jiefang Beilu and Liuhua Lu, while the other one is in the north, near the intersection of Jiefang Beilu and Huanshi Xilu. It is open from 8 am – 5 pm with the admission fee is 8 Yuan. 

         The garden is absolutely a convenient retreat in the midst of the busy metropolitan Guangzhou, which provides a calm oasis for those who wish to draw back from the business of a city’s life. The place is especially quiet even though it is located in a busy downtown noisy area. It is because the bamboo, rare trees and tropical foliage filter out the noise of the city. Therefore, it offers a serene atmosphere where you could relax and immerse yourself in its natural beauty and tranquility. Accompanying you is a soft and relaxing classical Chinese music played repeatedly.

        As you stroll in the garden, you could feel an immediate sense of serenity. The garden covers a vast area made up of exotic plants and traditional Chinese architectures including some greenhouses, classical Chinese teahouses and impressive small and large pavilions. It has winding paths, corridors, pagodas, sculptures, ponds, flower sheds, green grass, bamboos, artificial mountains, arched stone bridges and willow-fringed pools, with the major attractions are pavilions, temples, and gardens. It has 10,000 pots of orchids and over 2,000 species of flowers. Although orchids are the star of the garden, there are also other 300 species of creepers, rare flowers, luxuriant bushes and sleek bamboos decorating the garden’s path and rocks. The garden has three greenhouses that showcase 200 varieties of orchids including cattleya, cybidium, dendrobium, oncidium, and vanda.  The pavilions inside the garden include the Hall of Exquisite Fragrance and the Aromatic Flowers Garden.

 

Orchids inside the greenhouse

 

  Various flowers inside the greenhouse

 

 

 

        Lotus pond

 

        The eastern part of the park has orchid sheds and other cultivations that consist of Gold Mouth orchid, Silver Mouth orchid, Spun gold Horsetail orchid, Parrot orchid and song plum orchid, etc. All the varieties are expensive and rare. The western part consists of halls, pavilions, terraces, and towers where you can enjoy yourself by sipping a cup of tea while watching the view.

The pavilions include the Tongxin Hall, the Bajiao Pavilion, the Mingjing Pavilion and the Fanghua Garden. Besides that, there are also waterfalls and springs. The green view of the garden and the twittering of the birds add to the beauty of the park. The fragrance of the orchids and other aspects of the garden even help rejuvenate a wearied self.

 

  Classical Chinese pavilion

 

        If you wish to see the magical sight of the garden, the best time to visit is May and June, when the flowers are in full bloom. Unless you are a flower lover or scientist, I do not recommend you to go to this place since there are only green plantations as far as your eyes can see, which could bore you easily. In short, Orchid garden is a perfect place for a flower lover who likes to have a short getaway from the noise of a city’s life. So, come and visit this tranquil garden and get refreshed.  

Sources:
Personal experience and additional information from other online articles