the first week of October is a Chinese holiday, in 2010 we saw the result
in 2010 both the zigzag bridge and the pond are full
Chinese New Year in 2007
in 2004 we see people play a boardgame outdoors
the Yu Yuan Market extends to outdoor stalls
in 2010 skyscrapers tower above the Chinese style buildings
but dumplings are also a great favourite
and so does Starbucks
in 2010 this symbol of capitalism nicely blinds in
a cleanup crew in the Huxin pond in 2007
After he failed an imperial exam, Pan Yunduan decided to build a yu yuan (pleasant garden) for his beloved father. The project
took several decades and almost ruined the Pan family, but when it was finished in 1577 the gardens were the largest and
greatest in Shanghai.
Since then the
Yu Yuan saw good and bad times, the last major restoration was done from 1956
to 1961.
The garden and its nearby market with souvenirs and antique shops is one of Shanghai's prime tourist attractions and
can be extremely crowded.
Points of interests are the inner gardens with its famous stones, rockeries and pavillions. The
sections are separated by dragon walls. Another famous attraction is the Jiu Qu Bridge that zigzags in nine turns to the
Huxin teahouse in the pond.
We fist saw the Yu Yuan in 1997 and later when we lived in Shanghai we went
there often to snoop the antique shops.
Our last visit was in October 2010.
the garden in 1997
the Huxin teahouse in 1997
he sells flutes
the Huxin teahouse in 2010
a symbolic picture of old and new in 2010.
in the Yu Yuan Market you can buy interesting objects
