Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Zoo and botanical garden in Central and Western District, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is a zoo and botanical garden in the Central and Western District of Hong Kong. Its two sections linked by a pedestrian tunnel house primate species, parrots, cranes, and tropical plantings arranged across a steep hillside.
The site was established in 1860 as the commander-in-chief's garden and opened to the public in 1871 as Hong Kong's first public park. The zoo developed gradually over the following decades as the collection of live animals grew.
The Cantonese nickname Bing Tau Fa Yuen means "Commander-in-Chief's Garden", recalling the governor's former residence on the site; some trace it instead to the first syllables of "botanical". The Garden Company took its Chinese name, Gar Din, from the English word "garden" after its founder discussed the idea in the park. The Chinese War Memorial at the southern entrance bears a granite paifang arch erected in 1928.
The gardens open every day from six in the morning and can be visited without paying admission. Free guided tours take place every Sunday, helping visitors understand the animal enclosures and plant areas better.
The site has run breeding programs for endangered bird species like the Japanese red-crowned crane for decades. Some of these birds are now virtually extinct in the wild.
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