Just a minute`s walk from the hustle and bustle of Yuexiu Park and the building of Guangzhou`s old railway station lies one of the city`s most refined and "quiet" gardens - the Canton Orchid Garden (Lanpu Park). Unlike its large-scale neighbor, this is not a place for mass gatherings but an open-air museum of living nature. Its philosophy is not to impress with size, but to charm with details, following the best traditions of classical Suzhou gardens.
Founding of the Orchid Garden
The Canton Orchid Garden was founded relatively recently, in 1957, making it noticeably younger than many historical gardens in China. The garden was established on the initiative and under the direction of the Guangzhou city government. This was a targeted project of urban greening and cultural development, not a private initiative by an aristocrat or official, as was often the case in ancient times. The landscape design and creation were handled by a team of local gardeners and designers inspired by classical examples of garden and park art from Southern China.
Size of the territory: Despite the apparent expansiveness and richness of the landscapes, the Canton Orchid Garden occupies a compact area—about 5 hectares. Its elongated form stretching from south to north and its genius planning creates the illusion of a much larger space. The landscape masters used the technique of "borrowing scenery", visually incorporating the surrounding hills and even distant city views into the composition, which psychologically expands the garden`s boundaries. The only entrance is on the southern side of the Orchid Garden, on the unassuming Lanpu Road.
Landscape Architecture: A Miniature Perfect World
The Canton Orchid Garden`s territory is a masterfully planned sequence of landscapes, where every turn of the path opens a new picture:
• Aquatic Harmony: Artificial ponds, inhabited by bright koi carp, reflect curved bridges and pavilions. A key element is the man-made waterfall, whose soft noise creates an acoustic backdrop.
• Green Framework: Ancient banyan trees with aerial roots create shady canopies, while slender palms and bamboo add vertical accents. Stone grottoes and miniature hills skillfully change the relief.
• Pavilions for Contemplation: Light pavilions in the traditional style with tiled roofs are located at the most scenic points, inviting visitors to stop and look closely at the details.
The Queen of the Garden: The Cult of the Orchid in All Its Manifestations
The orchid here is not just a plant, but the main protagonist, an object of veneration, and the highest expression of aesthetics. Its cultivation receives both scientific and artistic attention. The garden specializes in terrestrial and epiphytic orchids adapted to the local climate. Here you can see:
• Elegant cymbidiums (Cymbidium), especially revered in Chinese culture for their modest beauty and fragrance. Their long, narrow leaves and delicate flower stalks are classics.
• Bright phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis), "moth orchids," represented in hybrid varieties with large flowers.
• Dendrobiums (Dendrobium) and other tropical species, placed in special greenhouses or on tree trunks.
The Art of Display: Orchids are presented in two key forms:
In Pots and Ceramic Vases: These are exhibition specimens, placed on special racks in pavilions, along paths, or on artificial rock ledges. Their placement is carefully thought out to emphasize the line of the flower stalk and the shape of the bloom.
In the "Wild" Nature of the Garden: Many orchids are integrated into the landscape—they grow on the bark of ancient trees (epiphytes), in the crevices of artificial rocks, or form small clumps in shady, damp corners. This creates the illusion that you have stumbled upon them in a natural setting.
Details of Orchid Cultivation (How They Are Bred):
• Climate Control: For valuable collections, shaded greenhouses with controlled humidity and temperature are used, simulating the conditions of a tropical understory.
• Substrate: Plants are planted not in ordinary soil but in a special breathable substrate—a mixture of pine bark, charcoal, sphagnum moss, and expanded clay, which prevents root rot.
• "Feeding": Fertilization is done with special balanced fertilizers for orchids, with an emphasis on phosphorus and potassium during the flowering period.
• Philosophical Approach: Caring for an orchid here is considered a meditative practice, requiring patience and a subtle understanding of its needs—minimum intervention, maximum observation.
Visiting the Canton Orchid Garden is an experience for the connoisseur. It is a place where you can forget that you are in one of the world`s most densely populated cities and immerse yourself in contemplating fragile, intellectual beauty. This is not a park for a stroll, but a garden for a thoughtful journey into the world of Chinese garden aesthetics.
