PUKEKURA PARK - KUNMING GARDEN
The Kunming Garden – Audio
Kunming Garden in Brooklands was a gift to New Plymouth from the mayor of Kunming city, in the Yunnan province of China, following the signing of a sister city agreement in 2003.
The pavilion, moon gate and paths were all constructed by Chinese craftsmen from the city of Dali which is a four-hour drive west of Kunming. All of the materials for these features came from China. A total of 34 tonnes of stone, timber and carvings were shipped before the project began. Limestone for the garden’s stonework, came from the Kunming Stone Forest, a tourist attraction, one hours drive east of Kunming city.
The plants in the garden are all native to Asia but were all sourced in New Zealand.
The garden was officially opened on February 27, 2005
Spring Wind Pavilion - Freestyle Hand Painted Roof
Spring Wind Pavilion - Kunming Garden
The Spring Wind Pavilion was put together without using power tools, nails or screws, and the intricately painted ceiling of the pavilion was created in situ by two talented artists who created the design without a plan to follow. The designs were started with blocks of colour and developed into symmetrical shapes inside which were painted small classical landscape scenes.
Pathway - Kunming Garden - Pukekura park
The path was made using a floral design and all the stones were pushed in one by one.
Moongate - Kunming Garden - Pukekura Park
The Moongate at the entrance to Kunming Garden, is a circular opening that acts as a pedestrian passageway. This is a traditional architectural element of Chinese gardens.
