Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
49°17′ N 123°06′ WGarden$16
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden suits a slow hour in Chinatown under covered walkways, and the trade-off is a short week, since it opens only Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 4 pm.
Photo Perry Quan from Oakville, Canada · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Sight · No. 009 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Book ahead, since walk-ins can be turned away when it's busy.
Access
The main entrance is a wooden ramp, and staff will guide anyone who can't use it to another door. A co-ed accessible washroom sits beside the Gift Shop, and wheelchairs are free to borrow if you reserve one ahead.
The garden opened in 1986 as a Ming dynasty-style garden home. Its society says it was the first full-scale classical Chinese garden built outside China, and community members made it together with the Government of Canada and the People's Republic of China. The City of Vancouver acknowledges that its land is the unceded traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).
Covered walkways keep the rain off. The Hall of One Hundred Rivers is the only heated room, so keep your coat on in December. The Jade Water Pond has no railing, and staff will walk with you if the edge worries you.
Barrett Bai plays the guzheng over jasmine tea every Sunday from 12:30 to 1:30 pm until 20 December 2026, except 22 November, and it comes with admission. Public tea ceremonies run on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 am, 11:45 am and 1 pm, with eight places at each. The garden also stages special events at Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The garden allows handheld cameras only. Tripods, selfie sticks, drones and lighting rigs are banned under its own policy, and staged photo shoots aren't allowed during public hours. Food and drink stay outside. Eat in the courtyard by the entrance or in Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park next door.
Worth knowing
- Book admission ahead, because the garden says visitors who haven't registered can be turned away when it is managing numbers.
- During Lunar New Year the garden hosts big school groups on weekdays, so come on a weekend morning then.
- To get back to Canada Place, walk 9 minutes to Stadium–Chinatown station, ride the Expo Line 5 minutes to Waterfront and walk 6 more. The straight walk takes 22 minutes by OpenStreetMap routing.
- The garden staff will suggest a Chinatown lunch spot if you ask at the desk.
Quick answers about Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
When is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden open?
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden opens Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 4 pm, with last entry at 3:30 pm. It closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the garden asks visitors to check its Google listing for changes.
How much is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden?
Adult admission to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is $16, seniors pay $13 and students $12. A family ticket for two adults and up to three children under 17 costs $32.
Can you visit the Chinese garden in the rain?
Yes. The walkways at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden are covered, and the Hall of One Hundred Rivers is the only heated room, so dress warmly.
What are the opening hours of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden?
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden keeps these hours: Mon–Tue closed; Wed–Sun 09:30–16:00.
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