Disconnected from the busy world, this garden is the best place where you can pause your mind and relax. Just standing there was enough for us. Highly recommended! Don't miss the Chinese calligraphy. You can pick the brush and try it yourself, and then drink a nice cup of green tea.

A waste of $28 for two people I have traveled all over the world and I would have to say these chinese gardens were most disappointing. It was pretty much unkept with a lot of weeds. I have been to quite a few Chinese gardens so I know what I speak of. The biggest shock was that the gardens are split in half …

When you cross into the Sun Yat-Sen garden, it really is so odd to find this peaceful and relaxing space in the middle of odd goings-on of downtown Vancouver. This garden is very nice and well kept and super authentic feeling. It's a perfect representation of Ming dynasty heritage and design as well as …

The tour is closed on Mondays. But the during the days it is open you get free tea.

A blissfully different way to spend an hour of your life. Leave enchanted.

Save your money

I agree with the previous reviewer save your $28 and look at the gardens for free from the park next door. Very disappointed in the garden Waste of time

A waste of $28 for two people

I have traveled all over the world and I would have to say these chinese gardens were most disappointing. It was pretty much unkept with a lot of weeds. I have been to quite a few Chinese gardens so I know what I speak of. The biggest shock was that the gardens are split in half and the other (and... more

A serene oasis

The Garden is actually a series of rooms around a courtyard, a reproduction of the home of a Chinese scholar. The Garden was built in the traditional way, without nails, screws or glue. The adjacent park, with a pond and landscaping, was built with modern methods. There is a fee for the Garden but not the Park. I almost skipped... more

Very peaceful garden

This classical Chinese Garden is very good, albeit not large. A guided tour which describes the history etc of the garden is included in the price and you are given a discount on entry if you are on the Hop On Hop off Trolley. There is also a public section which is free to enter. The gift shop has some... more

disapointing

There is free access to part of the gardens on one side. For us the free part was nicer than the part you had to pay for. The charge of 14$ per adult is too much for what there is. Admittedly we have seen gardens of this style in China, and this was a disappointment in comparison.
My advice would... more

I wish we could stay longer

This place captures you. You can go around again and again and keep seeing something new that you haven't noticed before. You gotta take your time and not to rush through. It also helped us that it was a rainy day and there weren't too many people there. It is actually built to be visited on a rainy day with... more

A tiny pearl

I came there early in the morning, and the garden wasn't open yet. Still I had a look at it through the fence (as the garden is really tiny I believe I saw almost everything). Lots of trees in bloom and a pond with lovely koi fish. It's worth seeing while visiting Vancouver's chinatown!

Take the tour

We arrived just in time for a tour of the garden. Our tour guide was very informative. I said to my husband good thing we took the tour, the explanations make it more interesting. Then ten minutes later I heard another woman say the same thing to her friend. You can just walk around by yourself and see a beautiful... more

Nice surprise

I bought my ticket on the big bus. At first, the area kind of freaked me out. Lots of stores are closed and it wasn't that clean and neat around the garden. You can enter the public garden for free, but need a ticket to go into the "scholars garden". What a treat! I waited for the guide and I... more

beautiful, a little gem

lovely little find, you come off a busy built up street into a oasis into another world, lovely, beautiful garden, you would not have felt like you were in the city. pouring with rain when we went but still looked beautiful, a lovely garden with a complimentary Chinese tea and a try at Chinese writing, we went in april, so... more

City Oasis

Stunning and tranquil. So glad we didn't miss this beautiful garden.
Free admission; opens 9:30am.
Lovely memories.

Loved the juxtaposition

I saw this on a television show and I'm really glad that I decided to visit the garden. I walked away with a few trinkets that I know will look great at home.

Tranquil Time Out

The garden is beautiful, based upon a pond with goldfish and shady trees and shrubs in the classic Chinese style, It is quite small but is easily the most attractive feature of Vancouver's Chinatown, which is otherwise rather disappointing compared to others around the planet. As Chinatown is a lengthy walk from the Downtown area, this puts it a bit... more

Its worth it

My parents, my sister-in-law and my self went to Chinatown and one of the must see and do there was to visit the Dr. Sun Yat Sen garden, we were aware that there was a free and a another one with a fee. We went to both gardens. We were very early, we were the only ones there at 10... more

Beautiful

We came on a wet, cold day, but they still gave us a great tour. I wish I could remember our tour guide's name because he did a great job. he even took group photos at his favorite spots for whoever wanted, at the end of the tour,at no charge. the gardens are magnificent and this has to be one... more

Unpleasant experience

The garden was lovely and absolutely beautiful for taking pictures. Had a tea ceremony held there and the experience was unpleasant. Voices were to be kept to a minimal because there were other tourists in the garden. Was not able to use the different areas of the garden to take photos. The Dr. Sun Yat Sen workers were watching us... more

Meditative time-out in Chinatown Vancouver

This classical Chinese garden is true to the ones I've visited in Asia. Serene, symbolic, historic, and peaceful, it is certainly worth a visit. But do so within the context of the vastly more interesting Chinatown which surrounds this garden. Dim Sum lunch is a must.

Pretty and peaceful

A quiet oasis in the middle of china town. Nicely laid out with a nice gift shop. Admission is a bit high for value. Park next door is free and just as pretty and peaceful. Tours and explanations available and free as is the tea.

Go at 4:00 pm for 1/2 price

This is a lovely but small garden. After 4 pm the entry is half price because closing time is 5 pm. One hour was the right amount of time for me in this garden.

worth visiting

Tours every half hour or so tell the story of the garden and interpret for visitors some of the symbolism in the design and materials. Tour definitely worth it as one would miss a lot of interesting things otherwise. Yes, the garden is small as others note, but the attention to detail is also great and not to be passed... more

small but beautiful garden

The De. Sun Yat-Sen Garden in Vancouver consists of two parts: one is accessible for free and located on Carall Street around a small pond. The design is beautiful with many carefully designed details and nice views, especially in autumn.
The other part, just right of the "free" entrance lies around the same pond, just on the other side and... more

Small but interesting

We paid into the courtyard side and then found out that there was a free public side, however I'm glad we did both. The courtyard has some nice, brief information on the house and gardens, and the thought and design process that went into their planning. The public side is really just a small public park, although it did seem... more

Judge Dee - an hour and a half I can never get back

I was so disappointed. I scare pretty easily but it was a literally a walk in the park, when the person at the last act said the exit is to the right I thought they were kidding. How is that scary? Not one person jumped out, sometimes you couldn't see the act because there were too many people. Oh man,... more

Waste of time and money

Very overrated! Would have been better off to visit the free/public side. It was small, not well kept and a waste of my 10$.

Worth visiting but only if you time it for the tour

The tour was fascinating. Learned all about ying and yang symbolism and Chinese culture in the making and use of the gardens. But without the tour the gardens would be too small to really warrant the admission price. Guide was excellent and we enjoyed the hot Chinese tea at the end.

Very Nice, but Not what we expected

This was oversold as the place to see in China Town. The Gardens were very Nice, but not super as we were told they were supposed to be. Perhaps I was expecting more of a place like Tiger Balm Gardens in Hong Kong, but this is a very nice little park around a cute lagoon. Very large big carp live... more

A Nice Lesson in Chinese Culture

Guys are not supposed to enjoy this type of activity right? Wrong. At least for this guy who was invited to tag along with my lovely lady who has a green thumb and an impressive knowledge of things that grow from the earth. We rode bikes from the hotel through the busy streets into Vancouver's China Town. When we arrived... more

very nice place to visit and get a moment of peace from the citylife

Dr Sun Yat-sen chlassical Chinese garden is a wondefull place visit, it was great to experience part of the chinese culture and go to a place where you could just relax for an hour or two

Peaceful diversion in Chinatown

The entrance to the Classical Chinese garden is right next door to a public garden, but this is worth the relatively small entrance fee if you would like to experience a classical Chinese formal garden. We particularly liked the ability to try writing Chinese characters - it was a nice touch. The gift shop was of a higher quality than... more

Chinese Gardens

I was a bit disappointed in the Chinese Gardens. They are not as good as the Chinese Gardens in Sydney in Australia. We paid to go into the Gardens and then found out you could see most of the gardens (which are split in half) without paying anything as half are free and half are charged for.

Worth the price of admission

Stunning craftsmanship, architecture, and materials hidden in the middle of bustling Vancouver Chinatown. Tour was thorough but not always focused--self-guided tour would suffice. Materials donated by the Chinese government in the mid-80s would be worth millions--but today are literally irreplaceable.

A perfectly formed small ming garden

Though built nearly 30 years ago to replicate the contemplating garden of Ming Dynasty doctor -it already seems timeless.The plant and tree placing is perfect and the stone work impressive -all have a story to tell ,as highlighted in the small flyer you get when you pay to enter. It was not very busy when we went around which contributed... more

Stunning even in the rain

Magical gardens, really beautiful to look at and incredibly peaceful when walking round. Didn't go for the guided tour as saw enough in the free area.

Intersting place, nicely done - but cannot see where the money went

Easy walk from the Gas Town / Canada Place... but one that shows the rougher end of the city with a park dominated by the number of homeless many of whom will ask for money. I would not choose to walk through this area again. It should be noted that although they are homeless beggars, all of the ones who... more

Lovely place; excellent guided tour

We loved this garden and found it fascinating. It may be small for some people, but given the attention to detail and the fact that it has all the elements of a Chinese garden within it, this did not disturb us at all. Anyway a Chinese garden is not supposed to be big. The guide we had was really good... more

peaceful respite

Vancouver's authentic Chinese garden is elegantly beautiful,and the volunteer tour guide managed to teach us so much while helping us feel the sense of the pplace.

OH come on,please save your

So not worth the $15.00 it's absolutely tiny!!! The attendant told me an hour to go through. It took 5 minutes.He was a very kind sincere little Chinese man and I was totally taken in,Boo Hoo .
before you pay just ask to look around the corner,past the door,because that is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next day we went to VanDusen Gardens... more

Beautiful

A stop at the Garden was a nice respite from a long day of walking. There is a public section of the garden, and a paid section. The paid section was peaceful, we skipped the tour group. There's just something wrong with being in such a zen garden setting with a large group of people. The tile work was amazing.... more

Expensive, small, but authentic garden - don't walk there from Gastown

This place expensive considering the small space. That said, if you are going to spend the money to visit ($14 per adult), then take a taxi if you are coming from the Gastown or Canada Place area. It is an easy walk, but the block along Pender was horrible. My husband deemed the street market (literally items were being sold... more

A Haven of Peace

We took the Open Top bus to Chinatown and the bus stopped outside the Sun Yat-Sen Garden.
As we approached the entrance, there was a clear sign pointing to the right instead of the public Chinese garden straight in front. We paid our fee but the tour had already started. We joined them for a short while but then decided... more

Worth the visit

At $14 per person we thought this was good value...after all the tour guide gave us so much information about the gardens and their history! We now have a greater appreciation for the Chinese culture. A very peaceful place to explore. The tea at the end of the tour was a nice touch

Lovely setting, small and too expensive

Love the idea that this garden was built using Chinese craftspeople, materials, design, etc. The garden is charming and serene. However, it is expensive, given that we strolled sl-o-o-w-l-y and still wrapped up our visit in about 30 minutes. There is a somewhat less authentic, slightly less picturesque garden adjacent which is free. Wish we'd seen that first. Take the... more

A hidden gem

I come to Vancouver once or twice a year and in all that time I have never noticed this beautiful, peaceful garden. We arrived at the time of the free tour so we took it. I never learned so much in such a short time. The tour guide was a delight and the garden was amazing. Don't miss it.

Global Authenticity

Aesthetics are pleasing to the eye, atmosphere is calming to the soul, activity is helpful for the mind;
none of these have depth of lasting and enduring meaning, unless you leave knowing the people behind the scenes, have done all in their power, to ensure AUTHENTICITY of representation.
The later is true of Vancouver's Classical Chinese Garden and as one... more

If you have been to China this is very Average - Its still pretty but expensive

It was a nice relaxing break during a busy day of touring Vancouver but although very pretty and well looked after the gardens were a disappointment to us, but then as I have mentioned we have been to China where we have seen similar gardens but much bigger and with more to look at. For its size it is very... more

Peaceful

We went to the gardens in August 2013 and paid half price rates for the last 15 minutes in the paid zone of the creation. It was full of happiness and respect. This place really made me think. Everyone looking after the garden was helpful and friendly. When our time in the paid zone ran out, we immediately went round... more

Peaceful Retreat

This is just a wonderful oasis of tranquility in the middle of a bustling Chinatown. We spend a couple hours just wandering, sitting and relaxing. It's $14 admission and is well worth it. If you time it right a guided tour explains what makes it a classical garden. Definitely worth a visit

Very nice

Beautiful garden with an interesting guided tour. Certainly a huge human effort to make this garden so amazing.

Stunning

Seriously, I've done the whole Chinese garden thing in almost every city I've traveled too, but this one is large, beautiful, tranquil, breathtaking, insert other awesome adjective here. I could sit in this garden for hours. Beautiful.

Enchanted romantic evening

My wife and I had a wonderful romantic evening at the Gardens as part of their Enchanted Evenings Concert Series (July/August). We started off with a set menu at Wild Rice, just up the road, in a restaurant we've never visited before even though we live in Vancouver: great food, funky decor, friendly service and good value. Then on to... more

I absolutely loved having our ceremony at Sun Yat-Sen garden. Even now, more than a year later, we still get compliments from family and friends on how gorgeous the venue was. The garden is so photogenic that every picture we took turned out beautifully. Despite being in Chinatown, it was serene and quiet once you step into the garden. It really was like stepping into another world.
Sacha was... more

How often does an anticipated event turn out far better than what you'd imagined it would be? Our wedding was just that.

Our ceremony at SYS was magical in a way we could have never dreamed. The setting of the ceremony itself was fabulous and the opportunity to explore the garden was an unusual and lovely treat, many of our guests told us later. The silent star/maestro of the whole event was... more

A beautiful setting. Our guests are still talking about it!

The gardens were an absolutely spectacular place to hold our wedding. We had to make the booking before seeing the venue as we were doing this all from Holland (8,000 kms away!!!), but even booking from far away was extremely easy. My emails were answered quickly and professionally. I was given a choice of ceremony locations as well as the option to change if necessary (after seeing them). They... more

This is a gorgeous, classical Chinese garden located in Chinatown in the heart of Vancouver. When you are in the garden, you feel like you are somewhere in China, not at all in a busy Canadian city!
Sacha Chin was great to work with. She is very friendly and happy to answer any questions.
Your guests will love this venue and you will have an amazing backdrop for photos.

I highly recommend the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden for a wedding. Witnessing a wedding take place on my site visit, I knew instantly it was definitely the place to have the intimate, special and picturesque wedding I've been visioning in my mind. On the day of my wedding, all my guests were amazed at the beauty and privacy of the Gardens. No one imagined such a beautiful place... more

We held a special religious ceremony to celebrate our wedding with our family and freinds at the Dr. Sun Yat Sun Garden. It was an absolutely amazing atmosphere. The staff at the garden worked with us very well as this was the first time such an event had been held there. They worked with me to make the event fit within the budget and they were very kind and curteous.

Our guests talk about... more