One of the few traditional Chinese gardens outside China, the Chinese Garden of Friendship was designed by landscape architects from Guangzhou, Sydney's sister city, and opened during the Australian bicentennial in 1988. It packs a remarkable amount of variety into a compact space: waterfalls, lakes with carp and turtles, covered walkways, pavilions, and carefully placed rocks shipped from Guangzhou province.
The garden is designed around Taoist principles of balance, and each turn along the winding paths reveals a different view framed by bamboo, willows, or latticed screens. The Gurr Pavilion at the centre offers tea service overlooking the main lake.
It is a genuine oasis in the middle of Darling Harbour -- step through the gate and the noise of the city drops away. Allow at least half an hour to walk the paths at the pace the garden deserves.