The Low Down
Yu Garden (豫园), also known as Yuyuan Garden is definitely worth visiting in Shanghai for its architecture and culture. Before the communist rule tightened in 1949, Shanghai was divided into foreign concessions where foreigners were not subject to Chinese laws; Yu Garden was a Chinese-only area. The former French Concession is still a major area in Shanghai today with tree-lined avenues, art galleries, hip cafes and bars.
Walk through Yu Garden and you’ll see ponds filled with goldfish, pagodas, arched doorways, manicured trees and Tai Hu Lake stones. These are limestones characterized by large holes and are used in traditional Chinese landscaping.
Yu Garden Bazaar
Across from Yu Garden is the Bazaar. Local and foreign tourists flock to this bustling shopping area that sells kitschy souvenirs, toys, gadgets and antiques. There are even 2 Starbucks on location. It’s perfect for finding fun souvenirs, but I wouldn’t recommend shopping for jewellery or antiques here.
Yu Garden Bazaar is surrounded by a network of alleyways and narrow laneways. Don’t bother with a map since many of the smaller alleys aren’t labelled. The best way to explore the bazaar is to get completely lost in the maze. Don’t forget to look up once in a while to see the gabled roofs with upturned corners, gold finials, red lanterns, and lattice work in wooden window frames.
At night, the area is transformed into a magical little place where the roofs and eaves on the buildings are lit up.
What Not to Miss
At the heart of Yu Garden Bazaar is a zigzagging bridge that leads to Hu Xin Ting Tea House, a building sitting on stilts above the pond. The “nine-turn” bridge was designed to keep spirits away. The tea house is open for tea but many tourists prefer to take pictures outside on the bridge.
What To Eat
Have lunch at the Nan Xiang Steamed Bun Store (南翔馒头店, 豫园路店), located in the middle of the shopping complex. You can’t miss it because there are signs and you’ll see a huge line up of people drinking soup through a straw out of a steamed bun.
They are known for Shanghainese steamed buns. I recommend heading upstairs for a sit-down lunch instead of lining up downstairs at the takeout counter. Having lunch here is a much needed respite from the crowds.
Try the different varieties of tea served at Hu Xin Ting Tea House, a landmark tea house in China where Queen Elizabeth II visited on her state visit to China.
It’s also fun to visit the giant food court in the bazaar to see different Shanghainese snacks. Everything is served cafeteria-style and many families order lots of dishes to share. There are also endless food stalls around the bazaar selling snacks, dumplings and ice cream.
How to Get There
It’s quite easy to take the subway to Yu Garden. It’s a 5 minute walk from Yu Garden Station on Subway Line 10. If you’re coming from the Bund, Yu Garden is a good 20 minute walk along the major streets, Nanjing E Road and Henan Middle Road.
It may be best to take a taxi, which would drop you off in the right area. But many of the roads around Yu Garden close off in the evenings and on weekends making it challenging to get a taxi out of the area.
How Much Time to Spend
Plan to spend up to a half-day wandering around Yu Garden, allowing enough time to see the gardens, browse the shops and to have soup dumplings. I recommend going in the morning when it’s less crowded and staying for lunch. Alternately, visit in the late-afternoon and stay for the night view of the Bazaar when all the buildings are lit up.
Safe Travels!
xx Deb
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