Fargesia the dragon on the Great Pagoda, Kew Gardens, London, June 2019
The Great Pagoda dates back to 1762 and was looking its age when it underwent a 4-year renovation allowing it to open to the public in 2018.
The original decorative dragons vanished within about 25 years of its initial construction, probably due to wear and tear, so they have been totally recreated for the revived pagoda. Those on the upper tiers were 3D printed, but those on the lower level were made by hand in the traditional manner.
Fargesia, the work of a 12-year-old, was the winning design in a Blue Peter “Design a Dragon” competition as part of the renovation.
The pagoda has been closed due to the pandemic and the limited space inside, but is scheduled to reopen 1 April 2022. I highly recommend booking the extra ticket to get inside – it is an interesting building with excellent views across London.
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Copyright Debbie Smyth, 21 February 2022
Posted as part of Becky’s SquareOdds
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Travel with Intent 
What a grin 🙂
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Showing off her teeth 🙂
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Really glamorous indeed!
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An extravagant design for such a youngster
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oh this is so wonderful – really must return to Kew to see it. I was last there in 2017!
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We must do a meet-up 🙂
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that sounds like a lovely plan. Let’s chat once I am without a mischievous little one under foot!
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😀😀
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Fabulous! Bring back Blue Peter, I say!
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Yes, I loved it. I even won a Blue Peter badge though I don’t remember what for
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oh wow
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