Yu Garden & Bazaar - Classic Chinese Garden in Shanghai

Yu Garden, also known as Yuyuan Garden (豫园), is the most celebrated classical Chinese Garden in Shanghai downtown area. It also enjoys the reputation of "the crown of beauty in Southeast China", offering charming and pleasant views. Visiting Yu Garden is just like visiting the exquisite Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou which listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Besides the exquisite scenery, Yu Garden is rich in culture. It is also one of the Four National Cultural Markets, along with Panjiayuan Garden (潘家园) and Liulichang Street (琉璃厂大街) in Beijing, as well as the Confucius Temple in Nanjing. The former chairman of China Jiang Zemin (江泽民) wrote “Famous Garden above the Sea” for Yu Garden. Also, heads of many countries have visited Yu Garden to appreciate the natural beauty, architectures, traditional culture.

Yu Garden is located at the northeast of the old city in South Shanghai. It is close to Shanghai City God Temple, Yuyuan Tourist Market and with close distance to Shanghai Bund and other famous attractions in Shanghai.

Distance from other main Shanghai attractions:

• About 1.3km from the Bund
• About 1.6km from the Nanjing Road
• About 2.8km from Oriental Pearl TV Tower
• About 2.8km from Jinmao Tower

For the geographic location, it is recommended to cover Yu Garden and nearby attraction Nanjing Road, the Bund and Jinmao Tower/Oriental Pearl TV Tower in one day.

How to Get to Yu Garden

Right close to the Bund, the landmark site of Shanghai, Yu garden is easily reachable by bus, subway, and taxi.

By Subway: Take Subway Line 10 and get off at Yuyuan Station. It is just one stop from Nanjing Road to Yu Garden. And Line 10 can also take you from Yu Garden to Xintiandi and Hongqiao Railway Station.

By Bus: Take bus No. 11, 26, 64, 66, 736, 920, 926, 930 and get off at Xinbeimen Station. Then walk along Anren Street to reach Yu Garden. Also, Shanghai sightseeing bus line 1 can reach Yu Garden.

Yu Garden was built in the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644), enduring over four hundred and fifty years. Pan Yunduan (潘允端), the owner of the garden, was the chief minister of Sichuan. In order to let his father enjoy his old age, Pan Yunduan began to gather stones, dig pools, build pavilions, on his own land in 1559. After more than twenty years of construction, Yu Garden has been built.

"Yu" has the meaning of "peace" and "safe". Yu Garden covering an area of over 70 acres in the Ming dynasty, was carefully designed by Zhang Nanyang (张南阳), a famous gardener in Ming Dynasty, and personally participated in the construction. The whole garden was magnificent in scale and beautiful in the scenery.

Pan Yunduan and his family lived a very leisure and happy life in this garden. Later, the garden was inherited by Zhang Zhaolin (张肇林), the husband of Pan Yunduan’s granddaughter, and then passed to different owners.

Now Yu Garden occupies 2 hectares, with different pavilions, lofty artificial mountains, and green trees. It is beautiful and exquisite. It reflects the garden style of Jiangnan garden architecture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is praised as "the crown of the garden in southeast China", and the great fame attracts many leaders and celebrities at home and abroad to visit Yu Garden.

Yu Garden, covering an area of 20,000 square meters, is a virtual maze of gardens, pavilions, lake, rockeries, bridges, dragon walls, gardens and traditional buildings, etc. Once you enter into the garden, surprises are hidden every corner you move with different views. Yu Garden is divided into six main scenic parts: Sansui Hall, Wanhua Hall, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Yuhua Hall and the Inner Garden. Each part has its own features and unique sights. And each area is separated from others by “dragon walls” with undulating gray tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon’s head.

Six Scenic Parts of Yu Garden

Travelers can follow a clockwise path from the main entrance and visit the six main scenic parts and final exit.

Sansui Hall (三穗堂, "Three Tassels Hall"): It includes Grand Rockeries, Iron Lion, Cuixiu Hall. The highlights here are the fine window and wood-beam carvings of rice, millet, wheat, fruit and other emblems of a plentiful harvest. This place was used for a meeting place for local officials and for proclaiming imperial announcements. You won’t miss Grand Rockery which consists of 2,000 tons of rare yellow stones fused together. Also, Yangshan Hall is the place for viewing the Grand Rockery.

Wanhua Chamber (万花楼, "Chamber of the Ten Thousand Flowers"): It includes Wanhua Chamber, Yule Pavilion, Double Lane Corridor and Gingko Tree of 400 years old staking out the front courtyard.

Dianchun Hall (点春堂, "Heralding Spring Hall"): Located in the northeast of Yu Garden, it includes Treasury Hall which is the most famous historical building in the garden, Kuailou Hall, and the Hall of Harmony.

Huijing Hall (会景楼, Huì Jǐng Lóu): It includes Jade Water Corridor, Three-Turn Bridge, Nine Lion Study.

Yuhua Hall (玉华堂, "Jade Magnificence Hall"): Don’t miss the essence - Yu Linglong (Exquisite Jade Rock) with the most celebrated stone sculpture in the garden.

Inner Garden (内园, Nèi Yuán): The quietest part of Yu Garden. After visiting Yuhua Hall, you’ll enter into Inner Garden which was constructed in 1709 and made of a part of Yu Yuan only in 1956. It includes the Hall of Serenity, the Towers for Watching Waves, and the Acting and Singing Stage.

Out of Yu Garden is the Huxinting Pavilion and Nine-turning Bridge. Nine-turning Pavilion is 18 meters long and 2 meters wide, totally composed of granites and jade stones. Huxinting Pavilion is sitting in the middle of the lake and travelers can enjoy a cup of tea in the tea house.

Yuyuan Bazaar

Yuyuan Bazaar is located next to Yu Garden, with beautiful Chinese architecture and design coupled with hundreds of shops selling pieces of jewelry, silk, antiques, arts, crafts, souvenirs, and local snacks.

It offers a good opportunity to see real Chinese life. The famous restaurant is the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant selling Xiaolongbao (small steamed buns). You can taste some local snacks here and buy some souvenirs for your families and friends. The market is also fun to explore at night with all the eaves of the building lit up and travelers can get some amazing night photos.

City God Temple of Shanghai (Chenghuang Miao)

City God Temple (城隍庙) is a Taoist temple located in Yuyuan Tourist Mart, connecting to the Yu Garden. It was first built during the Yongle (永乐皇帝) era of the Ming Dynasty, with a history of 600 years old. If you have free time, you can have a look at what immortals are being worshipped at the temple. No admission fee is charged.

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Comparison with Classical Suzhou Gardens

Traditional Gardens(江南园林). Suzhou Gardens represent the highest achievements of Jiangnan-Style Traditional Gardens. Their brilliant gardening skills and varieties of garden types have made the UNESCO list the Classical Gardens of Suzhou as World Cultural Heritage Sites. While Yu Garden generally has the same features as some of Suzhou gardens. So if you are keen on Gardening Art, you are suggested to visit Suzhou for seeing more gardens. If you just want to take a glimpse of Chinese garden culture, Yu Garden will also meet your purpose. Learn more about Classical Gardens of Suzhou.

Best known as an international popular tourist destination, Shanghai perfectly preserves mixed culture of the western and eastern. The duration and theme of your Shanghai tour can be flexibly arranged based on your time and interests. Usually, tourists spend 2 days on sightseeing the most famous landmarks, including the Bund, Yu Garden, skyscrapers like Shanghai Tower, World Financial Center, Wukang Road, Shanghai Museum, etc. With one extra day, you can enjoy family fun in Disneyland Park or visit Zhujiajiao Water Town in the suburb. Don't miss the Shanghai Maglev Train, wonderful nightlife and Shanghai Cuisine.

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