Yuyuan Garden located in the center of the Old City next to the Chenghuangmiao area in Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, is considered one of the most lavish and finest Chinese garden

Chinese garden

The Chinese garden, also known as a Chinese classical garden, is a style of landscape garden which has evolved for more than three thousand years, and which is inspired by Chinese literature, Chinese painting and Chinese philosophy...

s in the region. The garden is accessible from the nearby Yuyuan Garden Station on the Shanghai Metro

Shanghai Metro

The Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China's largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway and light rail lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a rapid transit system...

 line 10.

History

The garden was first established in 1559 as a private garden created by Pan Yunduan, who spent almost 20 years building a garden to please his father Pan En, a high-ranking official in the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

, during his father's old age. Over the years, the gardens fell into disrepair until about 1760 when bought by merchants, before suffering extensive damage in the 19th century. In 1842, during the Opium Wars

Opium Wars

The Opium Wars, also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars, divided into the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860, were the climax of disputes over trade and diplomatic relations between China under the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire...

, the British army occupied the Town God Temple for five days. During the Taiping Rebellion

Taiping Rebellion

The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...

 the gardens were occupied by imperial troops, and damaged again by the Japanese in 1942. They were repaired by the Shanghai government from 1956–1961, opened to the public in 1961, and declared a national monument in 1982.

Design

Today, Yuyuan Garden occupies an area of 2 hectare

Hectare

The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...

s (5 acre

Acre

The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...

s), and is divided into six general areas laid out in the Suzhou

Suzhou

Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...

 style:

• Grand Rockery - rockery made of huangshi stone (12 m high), featuring peaks, cliffs, winding caves and gorges. This scenery was possibly created by Zhang Nanyang in the Ming Dynasty
  Ming Dynasty
  The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
  
  . This area also contains the Sansui (Three Corn Ears) Hall.

• Heralding Spring Hall (Dianchun) - built in 1820, the first year of the Emperor Daoguang
  Daoguang Emperor
  The Daoguang Emperor was the eighth emperor of the Manchurian Qing dynasty and the sixth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1820 to 1850.-Early years:...
  
  's reign. From September 1853 to February 1855, it served as the base of the Small Swords Society
  Small Swords Society
  Small Swords Society was a political and military organisation active in Shanghai, China and neighbouring areas during the Taiping Rebellion....
  
   (Xiaodao Hui).
• Inner Garden - rockeries, ponds, pavilions, and towers, first laid out in 1709 and more recently recreated in 1956 by combining its east and west gardens.
• Jade Magnificence Hall (Yuhua) - furnished with rosewood
  Rosewood
  Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, marimbas, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general,...
  
   pieces from the Ming Dynasty
  Ming Dynasty
  The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
  
  .
• Lotus Pool - with a zigzag bridge and mid-lake pavilion.
• Ten Thousand-Flower Tower (Wanhua)

Garden areas are separated by "dragon walls" with undulating gray tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon's head.

Features

Sansui Hall Yangshan Hall Huge Rockery Cuixui Hall Relaxation Stone Boat Yule Pavilion Double Lane Corridor Wanhua Chamber Gingko Tree

Nine Lion Study Ancient Well Pavilion Relic Hall Dianchun Hall Acting and Singing Stage Kualiou Pavilion Hexu Hall Huijing Tower Toasting Pavilion

Yuhua Hall Deyue Chamber Jade Water Corridor Depository of Books and Paintings Exquisite Jade Rock Huanlong Bridge Inner Garden Jingguan Tower Guantao Tower

Dress Circle Keyl Hall Stone Boat Big Stage Mid-Lake Pavilion Nine Zigzag Bridge Master Lao Hall Ting Tao Tower Exhibit Hall Hanbi Tower