Shanghai guide to Yu-Yuan-Garden,Shanghai

Shanghai guide to places to see in Shanghai

A little about Shanghai Yuyuan garden:

Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan’s parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.

Located in the center of Shanghai’s Old City is Yuyuan Gardens, one of the few remaining old tourist sites in Shanghai. Surrounding the gardens is Shanghai’s bazaar, a maze of small streets and alleyways where vendors sell their wares and food stuffs to the visiting tourist and locals.

In the 400 years of its existence, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden had undergone many changes. During the late Ming Dynasty, it became very dilapidated with the decline of Pan’s family. Pan Yunduan had a square pavilion constructed in the lotus pool. Later as the Pan’s declined in their fortune, the cloth tycoon Zhu Yunhui and others built a hexagonal pavilion on the site of the square pavilion in the 49th year of Qianlong Emperor (1784). Named “Pavilion in Lake Center”, it served as a venue for cloth businessmen to gather and talk. In the 5th year of Xianfeng Emperor (1855), it was converted into a tea house, which was successively named “Yeshi Tea House”, and “Wanzai Tea House. Finally restored to the name of “Pavilion in Lake Center”, it is the oldest tea house in Shanghai.
In 1760, some rich merchants bought Yuyuan Garden and spent more than 20 years reconstructing the buildings. During the Opium War of the 19th century, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden was severely damaged. The Yuyuan Garden you see today is the result of a five year restoration project which began in 1956. The garden was open to the public in September, 1961.

Shanghai Yuyuan Garden occupies an area of 20,000 square meters (about five acres). However, the small size is not a representative of the attractions of the garden. The pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters all have unique characteristics. There are six main scenic areas in the garden: Sansui Hall, Wanhua Chamber, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Yuhua Hall and the Inner Garden. Each area features several scenic spots within its borders.

Upon entering the garden, you will encounter a rockery, which is called the Great Rockery. With a height of 14 meters (about 50 feet), it is the largest as well as the oldest rockery in the southern region of the Yangtze River. On the top of the rockery, you can get a bird’s eye view of the garden. Cuixiu Hall sits at the foot of the rockery. It is a quiet and elegant place surrounded by old trees and beautiful flowers. Visitors will find curio shops in the Cuixiu Hall.

Sansui Hall was built in 1760 and was originally used to entertain guests. Later it became a place to hold ceremonies for the gentlemen and bookmen. With a height of nine meters (about 30 feet) and featuring five halls, it is the largest and most commodious structure in the garden. The name Sansui is derived from the book History of the later Han Dynasty, and means ‘propitious’ and ‘lucky’.

Wandering in the area of Yule Pavilion and Wanhua Chamber, you will find pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards as well as many other natural features. Wanhua Chamber is a delicately chased building surrounded by derious cloisters. Spring bamboos grow beside the cloisters. In front of Wanhua Chamber, there are two old trees. One is a maidenhair tree which is 21 meters tall (about 70 feet).It is said that the tree was planted by the host of the garden 400 years ago.
The Dianchun Hall area is located east of Wanhua Chamber, and includes Hexu Hall, Relic Hall, Ancient Well Pavilion, and the Acting-and-Sing Stage. Dianchun Hall was once the headquarters of Xiaodao Hui, a revolted group who fought against the government of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) during 1853-1855. The coins made by Xiaodao Hui and the bulletins they proclaimed are currently displayed in the hall.

The true treasure of Yuyuan Garden is the Exquisite Jade Rock. Located across from Yuhua Hall, it is one of the three famous rocks in the southern region of the Yangtze River. (The other two are Duanyun Feng in Suzhou and Zhouyun Feng in Hangzhou.) The rock is 3.3 meters (about 10.8 feet) in height and has 72 Holes.

What is interesting about this rock is that if you burn a joss stick just below the rock, the smoke will magically float out from all of the holes. Similarly, when you pour water into the rock from top, the water will flow out from each hole creating a spectacular sight to see. Pan Yunduan was very fond of the Exquisite Jade Rock, and he built Yuhua Hall facing the rock so it was convenient to sit in the hall and admire it. The furnishings in the hall were made of top grade rosewood of the Ming Dynasty, appearing both natural and graceful.

The Inner Garden was a separate garden built in 1709, but is now a part of Yuyuan Garden in the south. The Inner Garden is compact and exquisite, and the rocks, pavilions, ornamental ponds and flower walls offer some of the most attractive sceneries in Yuyuan Garden.

Today, Yuyuan Garden occupies an area of 5 acresand is divided into six general areas laid out in the Suzhou style:
• Grand Rockery – rockery made of huangshi stone (12 m high), featuring peaks, cliffs, winding caves and gorges. This scenery was possibly created by Zhang Nanyang in the Ming Dynasty This area also contains the Sansui (Three Corn Ears) Hall.
• Heralding Spring Hall (Dianchun) – built in 1820, the first year of the Emperor Daoguang’s reign. From September 1853 to February 1855, it served as the base of the Small swords Society (Xiaodao Hui).
• Inner Garden – rockeries, ponds, pavilions, and towers, first laid out in 1709 and more recently recreated in 1956 by combining its east and west gardens.
• Jade Magnificence Hall (Yuhua) – furnished with rosewood pieces from the Ming Dynasty.
• Lotus Pool – with a zigzag bridge and mid-lake pavilion.
• Ten Thousand-Flower Tower (Wanhua)
Garden areas are separated by “dragon walls” with undulating gray tiled ridges, each terminating in a dragon’s head.

Admission Fee: CNY 40 (Apr.1-Jun. 30; Sep.1-Nov.30)
CNY 30 (Jul. 1-Aug.31; Dec.1-the next Mar.31) Opening Hours: 8:30-17:30 (tickets unavailable after 17:00) Bus Route: Take bus 11, 26, 64, 730, 736, 801, 929, 932, 945, 969 or Fangchuan Line, and get off at Xinbeimen (Renmin Road Lishui Road) Station.
Take City Sightseeing Bus and get off at Yuyuan Garden. By Subway: Take Subway Line 10and get off at Yuyuan Station. Leave from Exit 1.

Shanghai Fried wontons recipe

1 pound won ton skins
1/2 pound fresh ground pork
1/2 pound fresh prawns
4 dried mushrooms, soaked for 2 hours
8 water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 stalks green onions, finely chopped
2 small eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Shell and devein prawns. Mince fine. Stem mushrooms and mince caps. Mix with prawns, pork, water chestnuts, green onions, half of the beaten eggs and all of the seasonings. Place won ton squares on working surface so corners face up, down, left and right. Place 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each skin. Do not over fill or it might be raw and cook all the way thru before the skin gets to dark. Dip a little of the beaten egg onto the bottom corner, bring top corner to meet bottom corner. Press to seal. Moisten left corner and bring right corner to meet it. Press to seal. Heat 4 cups oil in wok. Fry wrapped won ton until golden about 2 minutes. Turn over once. Drain and serve hot.

12 fresh uncooked large shrimp
1 egg
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper
3 slices sandwich bread
1 hard-cooked egg yolk
1 slice cooked ham (about 1 ounce)
1 green onion
2 cups vegetable oil

Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails intact. Remove back veins from shrimp. Cut down back of shrimp with sharp knife. Gently press shrimp with fingers to flatten.

Beat 1 egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended. Add shrimp to egg mixture and toss until shrimp are completely coated.

Remove crusts from bread. Cut each slice into quarter. Place one shrimp, cut side down, on each bread piece. Gently press shrimp to adhere to bread. Brush or rub small amount of egg mixture over each shrimp.

Cut egg yolk and ham into 1/2 inch pieces. Finely chop onion. Place one piece each of egg yolk and ham and a scant 1/4 teaspoon chopped onion on each shrimp.

Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 375F. Fry 3 or 4 shrimp-bread pieces at a time in the hot oil until golden, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Drain on absorbent paper.

Ingredients:

2/3 lb. tiger prawns, shelled and deveined, dry
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. snow peas

Marinade:

1 1/2 tsp. sherry
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. water

Sauce:

1 Tbsp. chicken broth
3 Tbsps. oyster sauce
3 Tbsps. water 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsps. hoisin sauce

Directions:

Combine marinade in bowl. Add prawns and mix well. Let stand for 1/2 hour. Heat wok over medium heat, add oil. When oil is hot, stir fry garlic for 15 secs. Add prawns and stir fry until pink. Remove from wok, and place on plate. Add salt and snow peas to oil in wok. Stir fry 30 secs. Do not over cook. Add sauce’s ingredients and stir slightly until thickened. Add cooked prawns. Stir to coat everything with sauce. Serve hot with cooked rice.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons white sugar
7 tablespoons salad oil
1/3 cup egg whites
3 tablespoons water
a few fortunes printed on paper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stir together sifted flour, salt, cornstarch and sugar. Add salad oil and egg whites and stir until blended. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Drop level tablespoon of batter for 6 cookies. Use back of spoon to spread batter evenly into 4-inch circles. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove one cookie at a time from the oven with a wide spatula; working quickly follow these four steps:
1. Flip cookie onto cotton gloved hand.
2. Hold fortune in center of pliable cookie while folding cookie in half.
3. If you have a fortune printed the just fold it in
4. Grasp ends of cookie and draw gently down over edge of muffin pan to crease at center of cookie. 4. Fit cookie in muffin pan (points down) to hold shape as it cools. If cookie hardens too quickly, put it back in the oven for about 1 minute. Store in airtight container.