Yu Garden or aka Yuyuan Garden was built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty by Pan Yudan. He wanted a tranquil and happy place for his parents. However, the expense of building this place ruined the Pans.

This Chinese garden currently spans over five acres of Shanghai.
It previously suffered damage during the Opium War but has since been restored in 1956. It was declared a national monument in 1982.

The ancient Chinese architecture is still preserved in these buildings.

From the verdana, you can see the Exquisite Jade Rock. This 5-ton porous rock is known for the way water flows out of its holes.  
The bridge to the Pavilion of Listening Billows is built to represent a dragon’s back.
Within the garden is its own theater.

The one feature I loved from this garden, was the Dragon’s wall, curved just like a dragon’s back.

After exploring this ancient Chinese garden, stop by Nanxiang Mantou Dian for some xiao long bao.

Location: 218 Anren St, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China, 200010