Yu Yuan Garden, Beautiful Architecture
A trip to Shanghai without Yu Yuan Garden is incomplete. The Yu Yuan Garden is a beautiful, serene, and history-filled space situated in a very busy part of Shanghai. Surrounding the gardens are shops selling goods to locals and tourists alike.
It is a wonderful place to spend 2-3 hours strolling and taking in the pretty landscapes, but we do recommend visiting early in the morning as it fills it quickly with tourists by early afternoon. We arrived between 8 and 9 am and only felt crowded toward the end of our visit.
The entrance to the Yu Yuan Garden is across a zigzag-shaped bridge in the center of the shopping area. To enter the Yu Yuan garden you must pay a small entrance fee. The entrance fee costs RMB 40 for adults, senior citizens, and students cost RMB 20.
Step back into the Ming Dynasty as you enter the Yu Yuan Gardens. This beautiful home and gardens take you back over 500 years to how old Shanghai once was. It’s an incredible place to visit and a “must-see” if you really want to explore Shanghai.
Built-in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty, The Yu Yuan Garden was a private garden of the Pan family the Ming Dynasty and has six scenic areas, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Sansui Hall, Yuhua Hall, Wanhua Chamber, and the Inner Garden.
It has a wonderful collection of classic Chinese traditional buildings with exquisite sculptures and carvings, glittering pools, with an exquisite 5-ton Jade Rock. The garden may seem small, but there is a lot to see through the corridors, archways, and along zigzag bridges.
We spent more than 3 hours around the area. There are lots of pools with fish (Koi) and turtles as well as interesting architectural features.
Everything is well preserved and showcases the beauty, of landscaping, rockery, and buildings all blending in harmoniously. This place can get really busy, but people are not in a rush to walk through it. Take your time and enjoy the serenity of the ponds, courtyards, and displays of old Chinese furniture.
The Yu Yuan Garden is absolutely gorgeous. We would definitely say it is worth a visit. It doesn’t cost much to go in either. It is also in a great location to do other things like visiting the temple, go try some street foods, and looking for good-priced souvenirs.
We bought most of our souvenirs around that area and of course never be shy to bargain. It’s a way of life in Chinese culture.
Location:- No. 137 Anren Street, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Website:-https://www.chinahighlights.com/shanghai/attraction/yuyuan-garden.htm
Admission Fee:-
RMB 40 during the high season (from April 1 to June 30 & from Sep.1 to Nov 30); RMB 30 during the low season (from Dec 1 to Mar 31 & from July 1 to Aug 31).
Opening Hours:- Mar to Oct: 08:30-17:30; Nov to Feb: 08:30-17:00
Transportation:-
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, and 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.
