The chinese called the rich goldfields in the heart of Victoria Dai Gum San, Big Gold Mountain. A place of untold wealth and promise.
Today, Dai Gum San is again rich as the Chinese Cultural Centre of Australia. Where wealth was once measured in gold, it now sits in the deep history left behind by those early Chinese miners.
The beautiful new Chinese precinct links the Golden Dragon Museum with the Yi Yuan Gardens and Kuan Yin Temple. Spanning the historic Bendigo creek this new development glitters with golden pavers and colourful Chinese symbolism. The gardens are a place of peace and beauty and the Kuan Yin Temple is a stunning home for the goddess of compassion.
Golden Dragon Museum – a living history of the Chinese people of Bendigo from the goldrush of the 1850’s to the present day. Having become the hub of Chinese cultural activity in Australia, the museum allows visitors to experience first hand. Chinese arts and crafts with visiting artisans and tradespeople.
The Yi Yuan (Garden of Joy) was a joint project between the Bendigo Chinese Association Inc., the City of Greater Bendigo, the Federal Government, the Victorian State Government and the City of Baoding (Hebei Province, China). Based on the Imperial Palace in Beijing, the architecture and construction of the gardens is authentic in every way. The gardens also feature a Buddhist Temple, the Guan Yin Miao (temple of The Goddess of Mercy).