Chinesischer Turm e.V.Servus from the English Garden
Chinese Tower Munich: History, Beer Garden and Kocherlball
In the middle of Munich's English Garden, a 25-metre wooden pagoda rises above the chestnut trees: the Chinese Tower, known locally as the Chinesischer Turm. A restaurant has served guests at its feet since 1 April 1792, which makes the beer garden tradition here older than the Kingdom of Bavaria and older than Oktoberfest. We are the Chinesischer Turm e.V., a small Munich association that keeps this tradition alive, every first Saturday of the month, under the chestnuts.
- What
- 25-metre wooden pagoda, built 1789-1790, landmark of the English Garden
- Where
- Englischer Garten 3, 80538 Munich, southern English Garden
- Beer garden
- Around 7,000 seats, Munich's second largest, run by the Haberl family
- Famous for
- Beer garden culture since 1792, brass bands playing from the tower, the Kocherlball every July
- Getting there
- Bus 54/154 to "Chinesischer Turm", U3/U6 to Giselastrasse, tram 18 to Tivolistrasse
Why is there a Chinese tower in Munich?
Because in the late 18th century, all of Europe was in love with China. Chinoiserie, the fashion for Chinese-style art and architecture, shaped palace gardens from Versailles to Vienna. When Munich laid out the English Garden as one of the world's first public parks, the planners wanted a striking centrepiece. The result was this pagoda, built 1789-1790 by Johann Baptist Lechner after plans by the military architect Joseph Frey. Its model was the Great Pagoda in London's Kew Gardens, which in turn imitates a famous pagoda in Beijing. The full story, including the fire of 1944 and the faithful reconstruction of 1952, is on our page about the history of the Chinese Tower.
The beer garden at the Chinese Tower
With around 7,000 seats, the beer garden around the tower is the second largest in Munich. It works the classic Bavarian way: you may bring your own food, you buy your beer on site, and on summer evenings a brass band often plays from the first floor of the tower. The beer garden is operated by the Haberl family; current opening hours and the menu are on their website chinaturm.de. Our association is not the beer garden operator. We are the people at the long table who make sure the traditions around it stay alive. What those traditions look like in practice is explained on our page about Bavarian beer garden traditions.
The Kocherlball: Munich dances at dawn
One Sunday every July, thousands of people in traditional Bavarian dress gather under the tower at 6 o'clock in the morning to dance waltzes and polkas as the sun rises. The Kocherlball began in the late 19th century as the ball of Munich's domestic servants, who only had the early Sunday hours to themselves. The next Kocherlball takes place on Sunday, 19 July 2026, from 6 am. Admission is free, traditional dress is encouraged. Dates, history and practical tips are on our Kocherlball page.
A timeline in five lines
1789-1792: built and opened
The tower is built, and on 1 April 1792 the restaurant at its base opens, earlier than the Kingdom of Bavaria (1806) and the first Oktoberfest (1810).
19th century: beer garden culture is born
Under the chestnut trees, the customs emerge that define Munich beer gardens to this day. Servants meet at dawn to dance, the origin of the Kocherlball.
1944 and 1952: destruction and rebuilding
The tower burns down in July 1944 after air raids and is rebuilt true to the original in 1952.
2019: the association is founded
After decades as an informal circle of regulars, the Chinesischer Turm e.V. is registered on 19 January 2019 (VR 208108, Munich district court).
Today: 234 years of tradition
More than 30 members, a Stammtisch every first Saturday, and the Kocherlball year after year.
Visiting the Chinese Tower
The tower stands in the southern English Garden, about ten minutes on foot from the Haus der Kunst. Bus lines 54 and 154 stop directly at the tower, tram 18 stops at Tivolistrasse, and the U3 and U6 underground lines take you to Giselastrasse, followed by a pleasant 15-minute walk through the park. The park itself is car-free. Full directions, accessibility notes and tips are on the page visiting the Chinese Tower.
About the Chinesischer Turm e.V.
The Chinesischer Turm e.V. was founded on 19 January 2019 and is registered at the Munich district court under VR 208108. We are deliberately small. Membership works the Bavarian way: come to the Stammtisch on the first Saturday of the month, get to know the people at the table, come back a few times. If both sides feel it fits, there is a membership application. We document life at the tower on Instagram @chinesischerturm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese Tower in Munich?
A 25-metre wooden pagoda in the English Garden, built 1789-1790, and one of Munich's best-known landmarks. It stands at the centre of the city's second largest beer garden.
Why is there a Chinese tower in Munich?
Chinese-style architecture was the height of fashion in 18th-century Europe. The tower was modelled on the Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens near London, itself inspired by a pagoda in Beijing.
How tall is the Chinese Tower?
25 metres, with five wooden storeys. The tower is not open for climbing.
When is the Kocherlball 2026?
On Sunday, 19 July 2026, from 6 am at the Chinese Tower beer garden. Admission is free.
How do I get to the Chinese Tower?
Bus 54 or 154 to the stop "Chinesischer Turm", or U3/U6 to Giselastrasse and a 15-minute walk. Address: Englischer Garten 3, 80538 Munich.
Who runs the beer garden?
The Haberl family (chinaturm.de). Our association is a separate, non-commercial organisation devoted to the traditions at the tower.
Explore further
Official city information is available on muenchen.de, an architectural history on Wikipedia.