title: Chinese Private Garden -- Yuyuan Garden  Yuyuan Garden, located in the center of Shanghai's Old Town and next door to Mandarin Gardens Bazaar, is considered one of the the city's finest, most lavish Chinese gardens. A traditional private Chinese garden park, Yuyuan Garden is replete with beautiful pavilions (it has some 30 Ming (CE 1368-1644) and Qing (CE 1644-1911) Dynasty pavilions), lotus ponds, stone bridges and - of course - rock formations. The garden park was built in typical Suzhou style (i.e., the city of Suzhouin Jiangsu Province, not the city of Suzhou in Anhui Province) in CE 1559, during the reign (CE 1521-1566) of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty by a former treasurer of Sichuan Province, Pan Yunduan, in honor of his father. Considered the best garden in Southeast China, Yuyuan Garden has maintained its classic beauty over the centuries. Yuyuan Garden is believed to be built in the Ming Dynasty more than 400 years ago. Built in traditional Chinese style with numerous rock and tree garden areas, ponds, dragon-lined walls and numerous doorways and zigzagging bridges separating the various garden areas and pavilions. The garden park includes such highlights as the Hall of Jade Magnificence, the Hall of Heralding Spring, the Gathering the Moon Pavilion, the Pavilon of Spring, the Inner Garden, the Lotus Pool, and the Grand Rockery, to name only a few. The windows of the halls reveal glimpses of trees, ponds, streams and corridors. The eaves of the halls and pavilions are decorated with dragons, dogs and elephants in an amusing arrangement The overall arrangement of the individual elements of the garden, from the placement of the trees and ponds to the halls and pavilions, is carefully planned so as to enhance the garden's harmony and ambience, yet nothing about this arrangement seems forced or unnatural. In the past over 400 years, Yuyuan was restored and reopened several times. Because of the downfall of Pan's family after Pan Yunduan's death, Yuyuan was slowly out of use and was once in a mess. Although later the garden was renovated by the local rich people, several civil wars in the mid-19th century caused huge damage. In 1956, after Shanghai's liberation, the city government rebuilt the garden and recovered its elegance and beauty. Yuyuan Garden was at last reopened to the public in 1961. Yuyuan Garden's Huxin Ting teahouse is very popular with locals and tourists alike, and there are numerous nearby kiosks and stalls that sell delicious Chinese snacks and desserts. Interested to know more about this? Come and Join these tour now!! 1 Day Yuyuan Garden, The Bund and Xintiandi Tour 4 Days Shanghai Classic and Suzhou Garden Tour Yes!ChinaTour - Best Tour Agency in Beijing |
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