Friendship blossoms in Chinese garden

On Aug 17, 2022, Yingqu Garden completed its first large-scale renovation in more than 30 years and reopened to the public. On that day, Duisburg Zoo welcomed in excess of 8,000 visitors, four times its usual attendance, Hu said.

Sergej Manske was visiting the garden with his two children on the first Sunday of April.

"I've been to many gardens, but I like this one the most. It is not too spread out, and has more cultural elements," he told China Daily. "I haven't been to China before and I definitely want to visit the country!"

Hu said that Europeans have a strong affinity for garden culture. Gardens are seen as vessels of cultural significance, and many Europeans view gardens constructed by Chinese artisans as genuine embodiments of Chinese heritage.

"This garden has a history of more than 30 years and holds certain historical value. Therefore, the German workers exercise great care and precision during their restoration efforts," he said.

Furthermore, he noted that the garden has evolved into a venue for exhibiting Chinese culture, hosting numerous events related to China. It has also become a preferred location for residents to organize traditional Chinese-style weddings.

Zhang Mingyao, co-director of the Confucius Institute Metropolis Ruhr in the University of Duisburg-Essen, said the teachers have recently produced an audio guide of the garden in both German and Chinese, and the zoo installed a plate with a QR code at the garden entrance to guide visitors.

"It will help visitors better understand the story and culture represented in the pavilion, the bridge and the painting in this Chinese garden," he said.