Guyana’s first modern multi-functional park opens

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Sunday commissioned the Guyana–China Friendship Park on the West Bank Demerara, a contemporary public space reflecting the enduring friendship and expanding cooperation between Guyana and China.

The upgraded park, formerly known as the Joe Veira Park, has been transformed into a multifunctional space featuring a lotus pond, a pavilion, a football field, basketball and tennis courts, jogging areas and a children’s play zone. Additional amenities include an open-air theatre, outdoor trampoline and accessible washroom facilities.

The park was funded through a US$10.8 million grant from China and adds to a growing list of bilateral initiatives spanning infrastructure, health, agriculture and education.

For decades, it was a wide-open field where families came to fly kites at Easter. The upgraded park, which stands on lands once part of Plantation Meerzorg, was originally gifted to the State by the late Joseph Rudolph Vera and declared a public space in 1982.

In his feature address, President Ali traced the historical roots of Guyana–China ties to the arrival of Chinese immigrants in 1853, highlighting their contribution to the country’s social and economic development.

President Ali said the location of the park is fitting, “for it is on this very site, watered by the labour and sacrifice of those first indentured souls, that the human thread of connection between our two peoples was first woven.”

He noted that cooperation between Guyana and China has expanded over the decades to include infrastructure development, health, education, agriculture, and culture, with Chinese-supported projects playing a visible role in the country’s ongoing transformation.

The facility blends elements of Chinese architectural design with Guyana’s natural landscape, offering a space for public use while symbolising the enduring ties between the two countries. The central feature of the park design is a Guyana/China friendship monument which commemorates the long and ongoing friendship between Guyana and China.

“This friendship park stands as a milestone on a road we are walking together into a future bright shared achievement,” President Ali said. “May it endure for generations and may it forever stand as a monument to cooperation and relation between Guyana and the People’s Republic of China.”

President Ali called on citizens to care for the park, promoting its use and maintenance to keep it an active and important public space for future generations.

The president reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to the One-China policy, describing it as a central pillar of the country’s foreign relations and a reflection of mutual respect and trust between the two nations.

Ambassador to Guyana, Ying Yang, highlighted the shared people-focused approach of the two nations as seen in the park’s design.

“Today, this park stands as a tribute of the Chinese Government to Guyana’s 60th anniversary and a celebration of our long-lasting and strong friendship,” she stated.

Regional Chairman, Inshan Ayube, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), Robert Persaud, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar and a representative from the contracting company delivered remarks at the ceremony.