Shanghai Yu Garden has a history of more than 470 years, is one of the representatives of the classical gardens in Jiangnan, covers an area of more than 30 acres, and Lu Xiangyuan, Rishibu Garden, known as ‘the three famous gardens in Shanghai in the Ming Dynasty’, Yuyuan Garden was originally a private garden in the Ming Dynasty, built by Pan Yunduan to pay tribute to their parents, meaning ‘to delight their parents and enjoy a good life’. It was built by Pan Yunduan to honour his parents, with the meaning of ‘enjoying his parents and enjoying his life’, hence the name ‘Yuyuan’.
The garden has a typical Jiangnan garden style, reflecting the artistic style of the southern gardens of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which is ‘quiet and beautiful, exquisite and delicate’. The garden has preserved a large number of ancient trees and furniture of the Ming and Qing dynasties, calligraphy and paintings of celebrities, clay sculptures, brick carvings, plaques and couplets, and other cultural relics, condensing a wealth of the essence of traditional Chinese culture and art, Yuyuan Garden, with its unique architectural style of Wu-Yue and the layout of the integrity of the city is known as ‘urban mountains and forests’, hidden in the city, elegant in the realm! It is the jewel of Jiangnan Gardens.
Every year on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, Yuyuan Garden hosts a grand Lantern Festival, attracting countless tourists and becoming one of the favourite activities of Shanghai citizens during the Spring Festival.
