Before I visited Melbourne’s World Heritage Site, the Royal Exhibition Building, I had no expectation after reading few negative reviews and I already knew that I had no chance to see the interior since the university booked the building as examination venue for the whole week. I entered this UNESCO complex from the rear side of Carlton Park. This side of the park was peaceful with many lawns and big trees along the pathways, typical English styled garden, actually I quite enjoyed the park as I already gave up the idea of exploring its OUV on botany. Then I saw the gigantic complex of modern Melbourne Museum. Maybe there was no special exhibition during my visit, I did not feel that the museum got more attention from the Royal Exhibition Building. Actually, I deeply impressed the contrast of these two buildings.

While I was watching groups of skaters practicing their moves in front of the eastern gates of the Royal Exhibition Building, suddenly all the gates opened and people came out, maybe the morning exam was finally over. Fortunately, I got a chance to peek inside to see the interior of the building! From a quick look the building did surprisingly remind me Wartburg Castle’s famous Sängersaal but much bigger, simpler and more industrial looking. Then I continued to see the famous Hochgurtel Fountain in front of the building. This side of the garden was really lively with many people, locals and tourists. I even saw many tour groups who came for just quick snap in front of the building and go. The fountain is beautiful and really big, maybe the nicest thing of the garden. The exterior of the Royal Exhibition Building is actually eccentric with many styles and I don’t think it is a nice example of this kind of architecture. While I walked around the garden, I met a group of botanical students who came to make report, and I did ask them on the botanical OUV of the garden. They told me that the garden actually has large collections of unique local bush trees and wildflowers especially in the southwest part of the garden and the best time to see these plants is late spring or early summer, so in the eyes of botanists, the garden has some value of botany, but in my opinion, those bush trees and wildflowers were just normal decorative plants around the gardens.

For World Heritage Site value, I could not easily understand its OUV. Its history with EXPO is nowhere to see, the hall that full of desks for examination made me think of library instead. All in all, Royal Exhibition Building is not a really bad place to visit, but the site alone is not interesting as it should be and there are many places in Melbourne that far better for tourists, but together with the nearby area of Carlton, a lovely place to walk around, drinking coffee and eating in nice café, the visit can be worthwhile.