Yuyuan Garden: a national monument that stands at its finest because of its people
China offers a good variety of beautiful places and sites. It lets you see a whole new world in a fresh view. It also allows you to peek the past, present, and future in one glance. One of these wonderful areas that must be visited is Yuyuan Garden.
Yuyuan Garden is located in the center of the Old City in Shanghai. It is considered by many as one of the finest Chinese gardens. Established in 1559, it was then a private garden --- a tribute by a son to his father who is a high-ranking official during the Ming Dynasty. Over time, the Yuyuan Garden fell in disrepair. It was in 1760 that merchants bought the garden, despite Yuyuan Garden's extensive damage. It faced another challenge during the Opium Wars when the British army occupied in its temple. Another trying era for the Yuyuan Garden was during the Taiping Rebellion when imperial troops occupied the place. The damage brought by the Japanese in 1942 was very massive and destructive for the Yuyuan Garden. Between 1956-1961, the Shanghai government repaired Yuyuan Garden that it opened to the public in 1961. This has become a national monument since 1982.
Though one cannot be sure how today's Yuyuan Garden differ from the original structure, the site that it is now continues to amaze many local visitors and foreign guests. Tourists will surely love the Suzhou style where the six general areas of the garden are laid out. They will enjoy passing by the Grand Rockery, Heralding Spring Wall, Inner Garden, Jade Magnificence Hall, Lotus Pool, and Ten Thousand-Flower Tower. The "dragon walls" of Yuyuan Garden separate these six areas.
It is time to walk through the relaxing paths of Yuyuan Garden. Enjoy some peaceful moments at this great garden situation in a great city. People will find the place undisturbed by time, despite the ruins and damages it has braved. The Yuyuan Garden, somehow, becomes a mirror of the city's people. It shows the many trials and obstacles that life storms them with, but they have started afresh. Now, Yuyuan Garden does not only stand as a fine garden because of its structure, but because of its people and history that go with it.
So, if you're on your way to a relaxing, entertaining, and culturally related vacation, then you're in for a memorable ride when you step on the garden of Yuyuan.
