How Shanghai helped build and restore Montréal’s Chinese Garden

Montréal and Shanghai became sister cities in 1985, and the two cities then agreed to build a Chinese garden together ^[1]. Under the agreement, Montréal handled the underground works, while Shanghai supplied the design, building materials and construction workers for the pavilions above ground ^[1]. Work began in the second half of 1990: the materials were transported to Montréal in more than 120 containers, and more than 50 Chinese workers spent over a year building the garden ^[1]. Designed by landscape architect Le Wei Zhong, it opened in 1991 at the Montréal Botanical Garden ^[2][3]. Chinese garden experts chose its plants from within Quebec ^[1].

The garden closed in 2015, and its restoration was entrusted to a Shanghai landscape engineering company ^[3]. The Botanical Garden brought artisans from China, three of whom had worked on the original construction in 1990, because tile-making is a fading craft even in China ^[4]. After three years of major repairs, the garden reopened on 31 August 2017 with its seven pavilions ^[2][3]. At the ceremony, Mayor Denis Coderre presented a certificate to the Chinese construction team ^[3][2]. For Montréal's 375th anniversary, the Shanghai municipal government also gave a miniature landscape titled "A friendship that crosses mountains and waters," its rocks arranged by Shanghai artisans ^[2].