Chinese sister cities garden, Halswell Quarry Park
In 1994, the Christchurch City Council set up a planning group, Turning Point 2000, to decide on a number of projects to celebrate the millennium, one of which was a park featuring gardens of the Sister Cities of Christchurch. Halswell Quarry was chosen as the site for these gardens.
The Chinese garden was originally going to be behind what is now the information centre. However, as the site had special heritage elements, the garden site was moved to where it is now.
The garden project was designed in 2014 by local Chinese landscape architect Erin Diao, with help from the Christchurch China Sister Cities committee and the Halswell Quarry Park rangers. The design of the garden is thoughtful and low key. It aims to create an extensive wandering experience by the planting of hundreds of trees and shrubs which mainly originate from China, (such as Chimonanthus Praecox and Cercis Chinensis) along the garden path. A few carefully designed structures such as the entrance gate and garden bench have been located within the garden to reflect the Chinese garden style, which also creates a resting opportunity for people to stop and appreciate the view of the rest of the park. In the future, it is planned to construct more benches around the entrance and along the path.
Since 2015, many planting days have been organised, and with help from the park rangers and the sister cities committee over 800 trees and shrubs have been planted and maintained by hundreds of volunteers from the local communities and universities.
The entrance gate was designed by Erin Diao, with help from the council’s structural engineers. The roof is made of bamboo and the side panels mimic the traditional Chinese pattern. The plaque hanging under the roof was made in China and translates as ‘Chinese Garden’.
The park is at the stage of ongoing development and steadily showing signs of being an exciting and interesting Chinese garden.
With great views from it out over Halswell Quarry Park towards the Canterbury Plains, this is a lovely family experience. It requires a level of reasonable fitness. Walking shoes are required and it is not suitable for wheelchairs and those with disability issues.
