Guangzhou Liuhua West Park Bonsai Garden

The Liuhuahu Park features a sub tropical scenery of palms, ficus and flowering trees and shrubs set within a designed landscape of rocks, buildings, bridges, lawn and paths. It is divided into three main areas, a resting area, recreational area and flowers, birds and bonsai viewing area. There are over 20 major scenic areas within the garden including the Frankfurt Rose Garden, the Oak planted by Her Majesty The Queen as well as the home of Lingnan Bonsai. This was one of the locations that we visited as part of the Bonsai Clubs International Convention in Guangzhou and it was excellent.

Liuhua Xiyuan is home to Lingnan bonsai and also the site of Guangzhou Bonsai Association. It mainly exhibits Lingnan bonsai and ornamental stones. There are around 560 bonsai and over 300 ornamental viewing stones.

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It is also the World Bonsai Friendship Federation international exchange centre and hobbyists come from all around the world to visit and exchange ideas on bonsai. The bonsai areas in the garden where spread out and there were many different bonsai areas and some had completed works while others had trees in development in them. It was a very large section of the park that is devoted to the bonsai and rockery and it was fun to explore the various areas and take time to absorb some of the stunning views, bonsai trees and mature trees within the park.

Guangzhou Liu Hua West Park Bonsai Garden contained a superb and extensive bonsai collection of all species, sizes and styles, it was hard to get round and see them all let alone spend too much time admiring anyone of them in particular. However, here is a brief snapshot of some of the bonsai in the park and check out some of the plinths that the bonsai are displayed on as well as some are very decorative.

Views from within the garden where great and every opportunity to frame the views was used with arches and walk ways through the walls, from the decking area as well as from Pavilions and viewing platforms. It was a very tranquil and scenic place and one where you could spend lots of time very peacefully.

The Garden and Park at night are open to the public and their is on site security. It was fun to walk round the park and see the lights of Guangzhou city reflecting on the water. It was a busy park with many people using the space and there was on site karaoke as well as groups of walkers, joggers and runners, and we smiled as a group went past with loud speakers attached to themselves setting out  a good work out pace.

Other elements of interest included the Oak tree planted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as well as an area of the garden done in more of a Japanese style but with Chinese elements. The mature Figs with their aerial roots were impressive and within the garden area there was a large gallery of viewing stones and more smaller bonsai on display. One other thing we noticed was that on large wounds they tended to foil dress these to aid in reducing water / sap loss in the high temperatures.