The Huxin Pavilion stands as an octagonal, wood-framed structure perched directly in the center of a lotus pond, accessible by the famous zigzagging bridge. Known as the Mid-Lake Pavilion, this building dates its current form to seventeen…
Yuyuan Classical Garden Art
This self-guided walk guides you through the intricate design of Shanghai's historic Ming Dynasty garden to decode the Taoist philosophy and symbolism behind its rockeries, dragon walls, and quiet ponds.
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1. Huxin Pavilion
2. Jiuqu Bridge
The Jiuqu Bridge is a distinct stone and wood walkway that zigzags across a tranquil pond within the Yuyuan Tourist Mart. Its path consists of nine sharp angles, a design based on the traditional Chinese belief that evil spirits are unable…
3. Sansui Hall
Sansui Hall is the most spacious building in Yu Garden, standing nine meters tall with five distinct bays. You can identify it by its sweeping eaves and the intricate wood carvings of rice, millet, and other crops that decorate its beams…
4. Huge Rockery
The Great Rockery stands within the historic Yu Garden as a massive, fourteen-meter-high formation of artificial stone. Constructed during the Ming Dynasty, the feature is built from thousands of tons of yellow stone, carefully arranged to…
5. Dianchuntang
Dianchuntang, or the Hall of Heralding Spring, is distinguished within the Yu Garden by its position in the northeastern section, sitting just east of the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Flowers. This Qing Dynasty hall, named for a line in a poem…
6. Yuhua Hall
Yuhua Hall is a graceful, Ming Dynasty-style structure located within the Yu Garden in Shanghai. Its name, which translates to Jade Magnificence Hall, reflects its role as a space of refinement. Inside, the hall contains furniture crafted…