I feel a personal sense of pride and happiness whenever I visit Lan Yuan. For me it represents the collective achievement of a diverse group of like-minded people of Chinese and other ethnicities who, in partnership with our sister city Shanghai, have created a unique garden. The culture and history of the Chinese is forever reflected in this inner-city oasis of tranquillity. It now takes its place alongside memorials to the other peoples who together have created this city we call home - Dunedin.

Peter CHIN

2015

Peter CHIN and Lan Yuan

Peter CHIN [陳榮和] was the prime mover behind the Lan Yuan project while he was Mayor of Dunedin. He would humbly say that it was the collective achievement of many individuals and communities, locally and overseas. Posing Peter on a bridge over the water in front of willows is clichéd but poetic in the Chinese way.

When curator Seán BROSNAHAN of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum showed me this tiny shoe that had likely belonged to a woman or a child, I was stunned by its brittleness and dreariness. One could hardly associate it with the lively warmth of its owner.  The shoe might not have belonged to a Chinese, but it was unearthed during the construction of the Chinese Garden Lan Yuan [蘭園]. Since its opening in 2008, Lan Yuan has become one of the iconic tourist sites in Dunedin. For the Chinese, it is more than a garden, it is a commune.

King Tong HO

2015

每当去兰园游览时, 我都感到一种骄傲和愉悦。对于我来说, 兰园代表了一个多元化群体的集体成就。这个群体由志同道合的华裔和其他族裔的人组成, 与姐妹城市上海一起创造了这个独特的公园, 使中国的文化和历史, 反映在这片安宁的市内绿洲中。兰园是我们称之为家的但尼丁的一部份。

陈荣和

2015

陈荣和与兰园

陈荣和是实现兰园计划的主要推动者, 当年他也是但尼丁的市长, 但他谦逊地说：那是集合个人和团体、本地和海外的合作成果。站立在池边小桥上、柳树下拍照, 虽然有点老套, 但充满着中国诗意。

当 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum 的策展人 Seán BROSNAHAN 向我展示这只可能属于妇女或孩童的小鞋子时, 其脆弱和悲凉感觉, 我们很难将它和主人曾感受到的真切温暖联系起来。这只鞋可能不属于华人, 但它是在建造中国花园兰园时被掘出来。从二零零八年开园之日起, 兰园已经成为但尼丁有象征意义的景点之一。对华人来说, 这里不仅是一个公园, 而且是一个社区。

何经棠

2015

每當去蘭園遊覽時，我都感到一種驕傲和愉悅。對於我來說，蘭園代表了一個多元化群體的集體成就。這個群體由志同道合的華裔和其他族裔的人組成，與姐妹城市上海一起創造了這個獨特的公園，使中國的文化和歷史，反影在這片安寧的市內綠洲中。蘭園是我們稱之為家的但尼丁的一部份。

陳榮和

2015

陳榮和與蘭園

陳榮和是實現蘭園計劃的主要推動者，當年他也是但尼丁的市長，但他謙遜地説：那是集合個人和團體、本地和海外的合作成果。站立在池邊小橋上、柳樹下拍照，雖然有點老套，但充滿著中國詩意。

當 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum 的策展人 Seán BROSNAHAN 向我展示這隻可能屬於婦女或孩童的小鞋子時，其脆弱和悲涼感覺，我們很難將它和主人曾感受到的真切溫暖聯系起來。這隻鞋可能不屬於華人，但它是在建造中國花園蘭園時被掘出來。從二零零八年開園之日起，蘭園已經成為但尼丁有象徵意義的景點之一。對華人來說，這裏不僅是一個公園，而且是一個社區。

何經棠

2015