Small Hidden Gem · Guangzhou Orchid Garden

🚇 Take the subway and get off at Yuexiu Park Station, exit from B2, and you will find an Orchid Garden, a small hidden gem. The ticket price for the Orchid Garden is 8 yuan 🎫. The garden is lush with vegetation, and in the misty rain, this Lingnan garden becomes even more mysterious. Since it is called the Orchid Garden, orchids are naturally its main attraction. Orchids are relatively delicate and mostly need to grow in greenhouses to avoid wind and sun exposure. 🦋 Surprisingly, the Phalaenopsis orchid has become the star. In recent years, Phalaenopsis orchids have become quite popular, making people forget that they are also orchids. The flowers of the Phalaenopsis orchid are large and bright, making other varieties of orchids seem somewhat overshadowed and relegated to supporting roles. Of course, the Orchid Garden is not just about orchids; it also has beautiful landscaping. 🏞️ Winding paths lead to the center of the garden, where there is a hexagonal pavilion in the dense forest. The pavilion is uniquely shaped and very spacious. From the calligraphy and paintings hanging inside, it is guessed to be named Luting Pavilion. Next to Luting Pavilion stands a statue of Zhu De and a large stone engraved with a poem by Zhu De titled 'Touring Yuexiu Park.' The poem reads: 'Yuexiu Park's flowers and trees, a hundred flowers bloom, each vying for spring. Only the orchid's fragrance is just right, making it famous in the City of Five Rams.' 👍🏻 This was written by Zhu De on March 3, 1961, during his visit to Yuexiu Park. 💫 In the deepest part of the garden, there is a small house called Maoshe, which is a small exhibition hall where you can learn about the past and present of the Orchid Garden. ⭐ It turns out that its predecessor was a plant specimen garden. In 1956, it was transformed into a Lingnan courtyard. In 1957, it was converted into a professional orchid cultivation garden. In 1960, Zhu De's orchid 'Yingansuo' was entrusted here for care. In 1962, Tao Zhu, then the First Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Committee, named it the Orchid Garden. It was officially opened to the public in 1976. Walking to the end of the garden and then returning from the other side, you will find a garden within a garden called Fanghua Garden. 🪄 This was a model small garden designed by the Guangzhou Landscaping Bureau, commissioned by the state, for the Munich International Horticultural Exhibition in 1983, where it won a gold medal. Although decades have passed, it still appears poetic and charming today. 🍶 Returning to the vicinity of the main entrance, there is another garden within a garden called Jieyunzhuang, which has been transformed into Tongqingtang. It looks like a teahouse or restaurant, with an antique style and a tranquil environment, blending seamlessly with the Orchid Garden. It is a great place for elegant gatherings.