It was the seventh day of the Chinese New Year holiday, so it was the day to go to YunTai Garden and admire this year’s display. This year tulips were the main feature. We arrived at just after three o’clock and luckily there wasn’t much of a queue for tickets (tickets are sold until four o’clock). Ten Yuan for SWMBO but me being ancient get in for free by waving my passport and pointing at my birth date. SWMBO and I walked up the steps and admired the thousands of tulips. At the top we found a stone seat and out from SWMBO’s bag came a packet of biscuits and a flask of tea, and while these were enjoyed we discussed where to go next. The day before we’d visited GuangZhou’s 28th Garden Expo and quite frankly we’d seen enough flowers for the week, so I suggested a visit to say hello to Alfred the Gorilla, and Shaun the Sheep. SWMBO agreed and suitably refreshed off we strolled. They were both OK, but Alfred could do with a lick of paint. Locals were reading the plaques next to them but were none he wiser about their history, just that some small city of Bristol (bu li si tou) in a far-off country had given them as a mark of friendship. Note, the good burghers of Edinburgh and Birmingham, which are also friendship cities, have yet to give anything. We continue stroll up the hill and saw a sign to the Mountain Top Sightseeing Pavilion. In all the years we’ve been coming to YunTai we’d never been there, so up the steps we went. Up and up hundreds of steps, this wasn’t for the feint hearted. There are a few benches for weary legs every soften but eventually we reached the summit where there is indeed a pavilion but not much sightseeing unless you like treetops. Suitably disappointed, out came the biscuits and tea, and we polished them off while pondering the descent. We found there’s an alternative route down which is a little more scenic that the one we ascended. There’s even a toilet and a small shop which was closed, probably unprofitable even during the busiest week of the year. Anyway, at the bottom we continued our stroll, past the rose garden and then down towards the entrance. By now there were no new visitors, and the garden was emptying as dinner tables called. You have to remember eating is the most important activity of the Chinese New Year. It was a short bus ride, and then a visit to the market before we were back in out humble abode. NiuNiu the cat, the turtles and the fish were fed before we settled down to a delivered Champion pizza.

The garden has a good variety of plants, ever changing displays and a greenhouse. We enjoyed Baiyun mountain previously and if you have an extra hour Yuntai Garden is worth seeing as well. Entry is 10 RMB and the garden had lots of Chinese New Year decor out and were getting ready for a big tulip festival with Dutch decor and tulips being installed while we were there. There is a small hike to get to a sight seeing pavilion and on a clear day you can see the buildings of Zhujiang New Town. If we are in Baiyun we would definitely go to the gardens again.