Shànghǎi: Yùyuán Gardens

13th April 2013.

The Yùyuán Gardens were founded by the Pan family, rich Ming-dynasty officials, from 1559–77. 

The gardens have  been  been damaged during various wars over the centuries, but have now been repaired by the Shànghǎi government, opened to the public in 1961 and declared a national monument in 1982. 

We learnt that there are four main elements to classical Chinese garden design – plants and water (fairly easy to work out) and also rocks and pavilions (a bit harder to guess).  These elements create an idealized miniature landscape, which is meant to express the harmony that should exist between humankind and nature.

1. Plants

I suspect this tree hasn’t grown into this classical shape all by itself.

 

2. Water

The water often includes fish.

 

3. Rocks

This garden was particularly big on rocks, which have criteria of their own:

“A centrepiece is the Exquisite Jade Rock, a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumours about its origin include the story that it was meant for the Imperial Palace in Beijing, but was salvaged after the boat sank off Shanghai” (Wikipedia),

 

4.  Pavilions

This garden had lots.

 

A garden should not reveal everything at once.  The visitor should be drawn in to the next area by receiving a glimpse of it through a window, or a promise of something new around the next bend.

Each area in this garden is separated from the others by "dragon walls" with undulating grey tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon's head.

 

The garden features the Bridge of Nine Turnings. 

When stepping onto the bridge, the visitor cannot see the other end.

 

Chinese gardens are made for reflection and escape from the outside world.  We certainly enjoyed a peaceful time in this garden before moving on to the  frenetic pace of the Yùyuán Bazaar outside.