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Home > Travel > Asia > China > Shanghai > Shanghai Attractions
You're going to Shanghai? Must-visit Yu Yuan! 13 of 13 Ciao Users found the following review helpful
Rating from immortal_pheebs 5 Stars ()

Advantages beautiful traditional chinese garden, perfect

Disadvantages can get touristy sometimes

This garden will take your breath away. It transport you back to the 400 years ago, into the Ming dynasty. Walk through the windy path and pretend you are some rich man or respectable woman back in the days.

Getting there?
Easy peasy. I walked there, and although it was very hot, it was not hard to find. I think certain buses go to the garden from nanjing road.

Ticket price?
Reasonable. Expensive compared to other attractions, but DEFINITELY worth it.

What is it like?
Windy paths lead to various pagodas. I can't explain what is there to see, because you are not there to see vases or paintings or whatnots. You are there to soak in the atmosphere. You are there to walk along the bridge over the pond covered with lotus flowers, into the rock mountain with secret arches. You are there to walk underneath the zigzaging corridors with hanging lanterns, and see how that weeping willow touches the surface of the pond. It is the whole experience that counts. Of course, there are also some paintings, vases, furnitures to see. Most of the pagodas are fashioned in the classic Ming dynasty to show you how poeple lived back then.

Beware of?
The tourist shops within the gardens. Once you reach them, you leave the Ming dynasty into the horrible loud noises of Shanghai. You get saleswomen leeching onto you, telling you how nice this fan is. Or this paperweight. And so on. (NOTE: if you are really really hot, it might be worth to go into the shops just for their air conditioning). Also beware of the chinese tours. They like to congregate at the most beautiful points of the garden, and then the tourist guide will shout into her bright pink miniloudspeaker in a language you won't understand. (NOTE: if you do understand Mandarin, it might be worth follow a group if you wanted to sacrifice your ear drums for some information on the history of the gardens) The times to avoid them are lunch times (I went around 1.30 to 2pm and the garden was gorgeously quiet; around 3pm the tours started and I seek refuge in the quietest corners of the rock mountains).

In sum?
Must-go in Shanghai. It is really hard to escape from the skyscrapers, but there is Yu Yuan as a sanctuary in the middle of the city. Personally, I think this garden is even better than the ones in Suzhou (which is specifically famous for its gardens)

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Maybe you have a question about Garden of Contentment (Yu Yuan Garden), Shanghai? Ask here
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  • Soho_Black 13/07/2006 16:23
    Rated this review as
    		Helpful
  • immortal_pheebs 08/07/2006 14:15

    Response to Koshkha: I personally do think Yu Yuan is one of the more superior gardens in Western China - I loved it and thought it was wonderful. I went to the gardens in Suzhou, where gardens are supposed to be among the best in China, and thought Yu Yuan is definitely on par, and possibly better than those. Furthermore, Yu Yuan is one of the top government protected attractions in China. But that is my personal opinion. Sorry about being vague at times - I walked there from the Nanjing Road in Shanghai, and the price is reasonable compared to other fees in China (of course, compared to e.g. Kew Garden in London with £12 admission, Yu Yuan is cheap as chips). I didn't mention the market stalls outside because they are not part of Yu Yuan. Yes, they are very close, but since they are separated and are just not part of Yu Yuan and its atmopshere, I neglected them. Sorry - I was trying more to convey the overwhelming feeling that you get in Yu Yuan - the whole sense of time travelling that I felt.

  • koshkha 08/07/2006 12:49
    Rated this review as
    		Helpful

    I've been several times and whilst I do keep going back, it's not really that great - it's just not bad for Shanghai. Some of your comments are too vague to be useful - e.g. you walked there (well fine, but we don't know where you started from) and the price is 'reasonable' - by whose standards? One of the main reasons I go is for the market stalls around the outside of the gardens - I don't think you mentioned them. Buy 5 'Waving Chairman Mao' watches and maybe 2 of them will work when you get home. So please - more detail on locations and prices.

  • Ah_ying 06/07/2006 19:31
    Rated this review as
    		Very Helpful
  • VC81 06/07/2006 17:28
    Rated this review as
    		Helpful

    This sounds very worthwhile to visit. I am in Shanghai in November and will look out for it. Good review. Vic

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