YuyuanGarden

　　YuyuanGardenisafamousclassicalgardenlocatedinAnrenJie,Shanghai.Thegardenwasfinishedin1577byagovernmentofficeroftheMingDynasty(1368-1644)namedPanYunduan.YuinChinesemeanspleasingandsatisfying,andthisgardenwasspeciallybuiltforPan'sparentsasaplaceforthemtoenjoyatranquilandhappytimeintheiroldage.

　　Inthe400yearsofitsexistence,YuyuanGardenhadundergonemanychanges.DuringthelateMingDynasty,itbecameverydilapidatedwiththedeclineofPan'sfamily.In1760,somerichmerchantsboughtYuyuanGardenandspentmorethan20yearsreconstructingthebuildings.DuringtheOpiumWarofthe19thcentury,YuyuanGardenwasseverelydamaged.TheYuyuanGardenyouseetodayistheresultofafiveyearrestorationprojectwhichbeganin1956.ThegardenwasopentothepublicinSeptember,1961.

　　YuyuanGardenoccupiesanareaof20,000squaremeters(aboutfiveacres).However,thesmallsizeisnotarepresentativeoftheattractionsofthegarden.Thepavilions,halls,rockeries,pondsandcloistersallhaveuniquecharacteristics.Therearesixmainscenicareasinthegarden:SansuiHall,WanhuaChamber,DianchunHall,HuijingHall,YuhuaHallandtheInnerGarden.Eachareafeaturesseveralscenicspotswithinitsborders.

　　Uponenteringthegarden,youwillencounterarockery,whichiscalledtheGreatRockery.Withaheightof14meters(about50feet),itisthelargestaswellastheoldestrockeryinthesouthernregionoftheYangtzeRiver.Onthetopoftherockery,youcangetabird'seyeviewofthegarden.CuixiuHallsitsatthefootoftherockery.Itisaquietandelegantplacesurroundedbyoldtreesandbeautifulflowers.VisitorswillfindcurioshopsintheCuixiuHall.

　　SansuiHallwasbuiltin1760andwasoriginallyusedtoentertainguests.Lateritbecameaplacetoholdceremoniesforthegentlemenandbookmen.Withaheightofninemeters(about30feet)andfeaturingfivehalls,itisthelargestandmostcommodiousstructureinthegarden.ThenameSansuiisderivedfromthebookHistoryofthelaterHanDynasty,andmeans'propitious'and'lucky'.

　　WanderingintheareaofYulePavilionandWanhuaChamber,youwillfindpavilions,corridors,streams,courtyardsaswellasmanyothernaturalfeatures.WanhuaChamberisadelicatelychasedbuildingsurroundedbyderiouscloisters.Springbamboosgrowbesidethecloisters.InfrontofWanhuaChamber,therearetwooldtrees.Oneisamaidenhairtreewhichis21meterstall(about70feet).Itissaidthatthetreewasplantedbythehostofthegarden400yearsago.

　　TheDianchunHallareaislocatedeastofWanhuaChamber,andincludesHexuHall,RelicHall,AncientWellPavilion,andtheActing-and-SingStage.DianchunHallwasoncetheheadquartersofXiaodaoHui,arevoltedgroupwhofoughtagainstthegovernmentoftheQingDynasty(1644-1911)during1853-1855.ThecoinsmadebyXiaodaoHuiandthebulletinstheyproclaimedarecurrentlydisplayedinthehall.

　　ThetruetreasureofYuyuanGardenistheExquisiteJadeRock.LocatedacrossfromYuhuaHall,itisoneofthethreefamousrocksinthesouthernregionoftheYangtzeRiver.(TheothertwoareDuanyunFenginSuzhouandZhouyunFenginHangzhou.)Therockis3.3meters(about10.8feet)inheightandhas72holes.Whatisinterestingaboutthisrockisthatifyouburnajossstickjustbelowtherock,thesmokewillmagicallyfloatoutfromalloft