During the beer garden season, it is mainly tourists who flock here, whereas Munich residents avoid it. Yet there is an exciting story behind this building and its architecture is well worth a second look. Read on to find out how the pagoda came about and what events are held here away from the hustle and bustle of the beer garden.
The large pagoda in Theodorspark
In the past, you were allowed to enter the 25-metre-high building, but today it is forbidden for safety reasons. A wooden viewing platform, modeled on the pagoda in London’s Kew Gardens, has existed at this location in Volkspark since 1790. It was opened in 1792 to coincide with the opening of the park, which was then called Theodorspark.
Back then, the pagoda was primarily used as a vantage point, as the surrounding trees were much smaller at the time. The platform has been closed since the 1970s, but you wouldn’t be able to see much anyway due to the towering trees. Only brass musicians still enter the tower to play from here and guided tours with a limited number of people take place on special occasions.
As the building is made of wood, it suffered repeated fire damage and finally burned down during the air raids of the Second World War. As a result, the five-storey tower, which is modeled on a Chinese temple, was rebuilt true to the original. With its pointed shingle roofs, the polygonal building is reminiscent of a fir tree. Golden bells hang from its corners and a spiral staircase winds its way upwards inside.
At the time of its creation, the Chinese style was very popular in Europe and several buildings of this type were built in imitation of the style. In 1807, the Chinese Tower was in danger of being demolished because the then caretaker of the English Garden did not like it, but fortunately this was prevented. Otherwise, the English Garden would have lost one of its most characteristic sights.
A place for the whole family
The location also quickly became popular for the surrounding restaurants, such as the Chinesische Wirtschaft. The inn stood here in the Biedermeier period and had a dance floor and a bowling alley, which is why people met here not only to eat but also to have fun. Beer was served and there were regular dances and concerts.
The pub no longer exists today, instead there is now a new restaurant and of course the beer garden at the Chinese Tower. With 7,000 seats, it is the second largest in Munich after the Hirschgarten. There is also a playground and a carousel for children at the Chinese Tower. There was already a carousel here in 1823, but it was removed and replaced by a new one in 1913. The little ones spin around on hand-carved animal figures to polyphonic music.
Kocherlball and Christmas market at the Chinese Tower
The beer garden around the Chinese Tower is a popular meeting place for tourists in particular, while locals prefer to come to the events that regularly take place here. On the third Sunday in July, the traditional Kocherlball takes place here at 06:00 in the morning. Men and women in traditional costumes meet at the crack of dawn to waltz together. The tradition goes back to the cooks of the restaurant trade, who used to meet at the Chinese Tower on Sundays before work in the summer to dance together. The ball was banned in 1904 due to “poor morals” and was only revived in 1989.
During the Advent season, there is a Christmas market around the tower, with numerous huts offering sweet and savory treats. In addition to the usual stalls, you can also go curling or take a winter carriage ride. The carousel is of course also available to children at this time of year and the tower brass band plays Advent music. This year’s Christmas market starts on November 20 and runs until December 23 and is open from Wednesday to Sunday.