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The Dunedin Chinese Garden was first proposed at the time of the city's sesqui-centennial celebrations in 1998.

The Dunedin Chinese Garden Trust

As the concept of a garden gained momentum, the Chinese community established the Dunedin Chinese Garden Trust.  At that time it was intended to create a fitting, permanent, recognition of the Chinese who first came to Otago during the 1860s Gold Rush and stayed to establish some of the city's businesses. This contribution to business played a large part in  making Dunedin New Zealand's leading commercial centre.

The Trust has succeeded in its goal, overseeing the design of an authentic garden, the fund-raising for the project and the liaison with the Trust's Shanghai partners - the Shanghai Municipal Government and the Shanghai Museum.

The Trust's vision statement

"The Dunedin Chinese Garden is a gift to the city for all NewZealand, honouring the past, celebrating the present, and providing enlightenment on our shared path to the future Dunedin Chinese Gardens Trust".

Design and construction of the Garden

The design of the Garden evolved over a period of eight years to ensure authenticity and cultural accuracy, as well as practical functionality. The Garden's construction and design was closely supervised and influenced by the architect from the Shanghai Construction and Decoration Company and the Shanghai Museum.

The Garden was pre-fabricated and assembled in Shanghai on a site identical in size and shape to that in Dunedin, then dismantled and transported to Dunedin where it was reconstructed onsite using artisans and supervisors from Shanghai.

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The Chinese Garden is completed

The Dunedin Chinese Garden Trust handed the Garden to the Dunedin City Council on completion to manage and ensure its continued authenticity and integrity as a lasting footprint of Chinese identity and culture. The Trust will continue to have involvement by way of supporting the Garden through the Friends of the Garden programme.

The Dunedin Chinese Garden is the only authentic Chinese Garden in New Zealand. It is the first in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only a handful outside China. It opened to the public on Tuesday, 8 July 2008.

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