Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden

Vancouver, Canada

3.9

Open now

23 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 604-662-3207
Website:
www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
Address:
578 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K2
Chinatown
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
910 ft58235
930 ft50277
0.2 mi58125
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Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Open now
Local time (Vancouver) 10:54 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm

Description

Specialties

An oasis of tranquility in an otherwise bustling Downtown Vancouver, Dr. Sun Yat-​Sen Classical Chinese Garden is the first ever classical Chinese garden built outside of China and is a model of a Ming Dynasty scholar’s home. It is a non-​profit organization connecting cultures & communities through festivals, live music, art exhibits, theatre, education & wellness programs. In 2011, the Dr. Sun Yat-​Sen Chinese Garden was named one of the «Top Ten City Gardens» in the world by National Geographic in their publication «Secret Journeys of a Lifetime». [ Make sure to take a guided tour with our knowledgeable docents and learn about traditional Chinese culture and architecture.]

History

Established in 1986.

Funding for the Garden came from all levels of Canadian government, private individuals, corporations and the Chinese government.

Vancouver’s Chinese Garden was built in 1985 – 1986 using the time honored principles and techniques of the original Ming dynasty garden. Fifty-​two master craftsmen from Suzhou China, working with Canadian counterparts, completed this landscape masterpiece within a year. The intricate halls and walkways are constructed with precise joinery and without the use of nails, screws or glue. The Garden opened on April 24, 1986.

Based on the principle of collaborative design, the Garden compliments the adjacent public park; enhancing the view in both places. For the architect, the botanist, the student of history, the lover of beauty, the Garden provides insights into the subtle wonders to be found within the walls of this living treasure.

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23 reviews of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden

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Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
This is a great space but spending the money to go into the garden, well… you’d think the grounds would be kept up a little better. It is very natural looking and pretty but it seems it could be kept up better. There is an art space room with exhibition work on display, that room is very nice, peaceful and warm. They offer free tea and there are many benches to sit and relax on. It’s a great space. Back to the garden though… there is a whole other half that is free to view and just as pretty. If you’re trying to save cash, skip the admission ticket but just know you will miss the free tea and art space.
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
Whether you are interested in Chinese art or general architecture, I highly recommend visiting Dr. Sun Yat-​Sen Chinese Garden! While the admission is somewhat steep for essentially a small garden, this is a gem that you cannot miss if you know how to appreciate it. This Chinese scholar garden was modeled to an unreal level of authenticity that the architects from China used only the tools and the techniques from the Ming-​era!
Yes, that means not a single nail or glue was used to construct this beautiful garden! Everything from the furniture to the building was imported from China.
Anyway, take a stroll around this garden and you can finish seeing everything in 30 minutes if you do not pause to photograph (but why wouldn’t you?). To get the most out of this though, I recommend joining in the free guided tour so you can learn about interesting aspects about this Chinese garden as well as other elements in the Chinese culture that play in the every details that you may have missed without guidance.
Unless you know you are not into this kind of stuff, you should consider see perhaps one of rare authentic Chinese architecture in North America! Of course, if you are into the Chinese culture, this is not a place that you want to miss!
Place rating: 5
Indio, CA
I absolutely loved this hidden gem in downtown Vancouver. It was a short walk from my hotel and it was a very reasonable price (with student discount). I had some time before having to leave for the airport and this botanical garden was the perfect attraction. They also have free guided tours, which I definitely recommend because they explain a lot of the history and details that would go unnoticed. Definitely a great way to spend a morning in Vancouver!
Place rating: 4
Redmond, WA
NOTE: There is the free public Chinese park and the for-​fee Classical Chinese Garden, right next to each other, sharing a pond. We visited both. Both are worth a look, and the for-​fee Garden is definitely worth visiting; this review is based on that garden.
A visit can take 30 – 60 minutes.
TIP: try to avoid busy periods; noon-2:30 seems like at least one good time to visit. We entered about 1:15pm and left about 2:30. There were few people when we entered, but many people were entering as we left. As the garden is quite small, crowds would really denigrate the experience, especially if one wants to take photos.
My wife and I took advantage of one of the (no-​added-​fee) guided tours when we visited on a sunny day in early September. The guide was knowledgeable and provided interesting explanations — even on the reasoning behind the small ledge and rail of the fence surrounding the pond. However, even self-​guided the garden is worth a visit as the brochure provides good information.
Though there is a small gift shop at the exit with jewelry, seals, etc., we didn’t find anything particularly special and left without making a purchase.
Place rating: 4
Ferndale, WA
If you are out and about in Vancouver, this is a fun place to stop. The Chinese garden is a great place to shoot some photos. There are a few locations in the garden where you can get a photo of the ponds, the Chinese garden buildings, and the skyscrapers of Vancouver in the background.
There are 2 parts to the garden, the free area, and the paid guided tour area. We only went into the free area, and it was really cool.
There are some pretty huge fish in the garden ponds, be sure to take a look.
This would be fun with kids, or without.
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
This was the 1st thing we wanted to visit on our 1st day in Vancouver, only because we can easily walk from where we’re staying.
Dr Sun Yat Sen Park reminds me of Monet’s Japanese garden in Givernchy, France. The only thing missing? FLOWERS! None that I can see, in bloom, although we’ve seen many already bloomed Clematis.
It was a bit muddy, it was almost ready to rain, maybe it rained earlier we were so lucky we were’t there when it did, but we took our sweet time going through the small park.
I really enjoyed it!
Place rating: 4
Manhattan, NY
Nice garden, but visit the public park first! The park is free and a very nice place to stroll among classic Chinese plantings and enjoy the view of the skyline and the garden across the water. The garden itself is more about the architecture of the house, and the integration of plantings and other décor. Both are very nice, but you’ll pay for the garden.
Place rating: 5
Vancouver, Canada
This place is a hidden gem in the city. Every time I have a friend coming over from out of town I take them here to the garden. It’s not listed in tourist destinations for a reason. It is modest in size and unless you’re in the area is it worth coming out here for, however, there is a set personality that is worth exploring when coming down here especially on a sunny day. There is something serene about the beauty when you think about where it is housed in the hussle and bussle of downtown. It is free to do.
Place rating: 4
St. George, NY
Really enjoyed the guided tour and explanation behind the creation of this garden, the first Chinese garden constructed outside of China. Quite, calm oasis in the city. Worth having to traipse through the homeless people on the neighbouring streets to get to it.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Nice tranquil picturesque garden to enjoy a moment of silence or deep thought. Or consider this garden a place to take the perfect picture (or selfie should you be that type.)
Place rating: 5
Mountain View, CA
A beautiful gem for reflective serenity in busy Vancouver downtown!
Don’t confuse with the Public Park next to it.
Beautiful, authentic Ming buildings and symbolism, great (free!) guided tours every hour, very friendly staff (at the ticket booth, guide, Father’s Day painting workshop staff, and in the gift shop).
Well worth the entrance fee (adult $ 14, student $ 10, children under 5 free, as of June 21, 2015)!
Even the souvenir shop stocked with better-​than-​usual items is absolutely worth a closer look! The Classical Chinese Garden is a non-​profit so everything you spend goes back right into the conservation of this magical place.
Place rating: 4
Bellevue, WA
I really wanted to visit this garden because I had traveled to Taiwan years ago and visited Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s Memorial and home in the mountains and was able to learn about his political life and leadership.
Although the garden itself was beautiful, we felt that we couldn’t appreciate it as much as we would’ve liked because it was packed with tourists. It was hard to get around with so many people standing around and walking on the same pathways. And then when we wanted to check out the best views of the garden, we’d have to wait for people to get done taking a selfie with their selfie stick. I suggest coming here early in the morning when it opens before the crowds of people come. Then afterward you can walk to Chinatown.
Place rating: 1
San Jose, CA
The place was abandoned. There were no directions or guides. We were thinking of it as a real garden based on the pictures but it was kind of indoor garden.
Place rating: 3
San Jose, CA
This place is pretty nice; we dropped by after that walking tour around Chinatown. There’s a pond in the middle of huge garden, and there’s a lot of trees. There isn’t too much variety though, and we didn’t spend that much time here. It does have a very Chinese-​ish feeling, especially with the house structures. I also like how most of the park is free, although apparently there is a section where it is not.
Place rating: 3
Charlotte, NC
This immaculately maintained Chinese Garden is a minor jewel in Vancouver’s thoroughly disappointing, rundown Chinatown neighborhood, but not particularly worth the walk from downtown — unless you’re into this sort of thing. If you DO visit, be sure to pay the $ 10 fee to visit the actual garden — the adjacent public park isn’t worth but five minutes of your time.
The garden and adjacent rooms are a wonderful recreation of the residence of a scholar from China’s Ming Dynasty, and is a pleasant oasis in the heart of one of Canada’s largest urban areas. A self-​guided tour took me about 20 minutes, and a guided tour (which I skipped), runs around half an hour. Nice, but unless botanical gardens are your cup of tea, probably not worth the price of entry.
Place rating: 2
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The place was empty and it seemed to be abandoned. The water was dirty and there was garbage all over the place. It was certainly not what expected. The entrance was free (there was no one there).
Place rating: 4
Forest Hills, NY
Beautiful and historical garden! We ended up arriving at the garden 20 minutes before they were closing and decided to tour since we were leaving the following morning.
Surprisingly, our entry tickets were half prices, but we had a nice self tour.
The ponds, trees, and decoration were breath taking and well organized.
Perfect place to have a wedding as well and take lots of pictures.
Also reminds me a lot of «The Lan Su Chinese Garden» in Portland, Oregon!
Since the garden is located in China town, we decided to grab a bite at one of the local Chinese restaurants… so many to choose from…
Place rating: 3
WOODLAND HILLS, CA
Wow the lady who does the tour is a talker. She’s very knowledgeable, but like one of those professors you have in college that you just feel bad for cause you fall asleep at the 8am class.
Nice place. Reminds me of Mr. Miyagi
Place rating: 4
Vancouver, Canada
The largest Chinese classical garden outside of China (I remember reading that somewhere once), it’s actually surprisingly serene considering its location. You can walk in and it’s like you’re in a fantasy land (just need to ignore the adjacent condo towers).
There are 2 sides to this garden — the paid side, and the free side. There is a canal separating the 2 sides, as well as a ton of bushes.
The paid side is obviously nicer, and many a wedding photo has been taken here. It really is something special. One of the signs said even the rocks and gravel are from China! That must’ve cost a ton. There is a pagoda and small grotto — something you’d find straight out of a movie. See pics.
As for the free side, the rocks are from Mexico (I am serious — there is a sign haha). It’s a little less maintained compared to the pay side, but that is not to say it’s bad. There is also an area where you can practice calligraphy. Pretty neat stuff if you are unfamiliar.
The only downside? This place closes early. This may explain why I always thought it was closed or not free.
If you’re a tourist, this is definitely a must see.
Place rating: 2
Obfelden, Schweiz
Achtung Touristenfalle.
Der Garten ist wirklich sehr schön aber ein ganz kleiner Teil ist von dem eh schon kleinen Garten gesperrt.
Was das wirkliche schlechte ist, dass man auch die 15 $ sparen kann und 10 m weiter einen kostenlosen Bereich ansehen kann. Dieser Teil ist nicht viel weniger schön.
Im Bezahlteil gibt es noch ein Teehäuschen welches wir nicht gefunden haben aber die Leute kamen alle mit einem winzigen Pappbecher an uns vorbei, also schien es auch nicht weiter tragisch.
Place rating: 5
Sanitz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Bei einem Chinesischen Garten denken wir an Beschaulichkeit, Ruhe geformt durch die Kunst der Gärtner mit Pflanzen, Steinen, Wasser, Architektur … Genau diese Beschaulichkeit findet man vor den Wolkenkratzern und der modernen Silhouette Vancouvers. Sobald man den Garten betritt, ist man in einer anderen Welt. Der Teich mit seinen Koi, der Ufergestaltung mit den Pflanzen, den Steinen, den Gebäuden sind einfach toll. Es ein wunderbarer Ort, hier zur Kirschblüte zu malen, muss ein Traum sein.
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Place rating: 5
Bradenton, FL
The key here is to time it so you can go on the tour. Yes, part of the garden is out in the public domain and «free», but places like this need some support and $ 11 is cheap way to support such a lovely place. Plus, if you go on the tour you are going to learn some interesting bits. Maybe some history you didn’t know, maybe something about the architecture, or the techniques used in the construction, or just something about the forms and philosophy of the garden.
One interesting thing I learned on this tour was one hall with recent art works in it was added after the original construction. So the adjacent court yard’s wall is very high in relation to other internal walls because it used to be the outer wall! There are also plans to add a tea house off the moon gate that currently leads no where. So pony up and help them add a tea house! I’ve been to the portland chinese garden, made from artists from the same region of China, which was constructed all at once, so there are some interesting differences that stand out because of this. One being of course, Portland has an internal tea house that is a lot of fun and relaxation.
Place rating: 5
Oldenburg, Niedersachsen
Der Dr. Sun Yat-​Sen Classical Chines Garten ist einer der schönsten chinesischen Gärten, die ich bisher gesehen habe. es ist eine traditionelle chinesische Gartenanlage mit den entsprechenden Pflanzen, Brücken, Wegen. Hier sollten die Bilder für sich sprechen