Greenspace

I love cities.  I love the energy and the people watching and the food and all there is to see and do in a city.  But I need my greenspace. When I'm in a city I'm always looking for the places you can go to get away from the noise and the crowds.  Hubs and I spent a lovely lazy few hours meandering through one such space in Shanghai.  

G is for Garden

Yuyuan Garden 

Or Yu Garden as it is more commonly known.

The rain stopped and we soaked in the beauty that was all around.  

The roof lines here are their own form of poetry.

The gardens were completed in 1577 by an officer of the Ming Dynasty named Pan Yunduan. Nothing like a trip to China to remind you of all you don't know when it comes to history.

Pan Yunduan built the gardens so his parents would have a beautiful and peaceful space to spend their later years.   

I hope my girls are reading this.   

 

The garden has gone through many changes in the course of its 400+ year history.  It had fallen into a state of ruin and in the early 1700's some wealthy merchants purchased the garden and made improvements so a portion could be opened to the public. 

Lots of detail and intricate carving mark the Chinese rooftops.

During the Opium Wars of the 1800's the garden again fell into disrepair and many of the original structures were destroyed.  They were eventually repaired by the Chinese government in the late 1950's and were opened to the public once again in 1961.  

Head of the Dragon Wall...the rest of him tops the wall that wraps round the garden.  

Yu Garden is divided into six scenic areas and sits on about five acres which feels like much more.  

The serenity and ancient design are in stark contrast to the ultra modern towering skyline of Shanghai sitting just beyond its walls.

Zig Zag Bridge

Jade Rock

A picture perfect day in old Shanghai.