the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar

Asia » China » Shanghai
August 21st 2008

Published: August 21st 2008

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mouchon

Photo 1

golden dragons near the start of the Yuyuan Bazaar

Today I learned three things - that the Yuyuan Gardens are truly beautiful, the Yuyuan Bazaar truly unforgettable, and that generally a smile gets you very far here.

We spent the afternoon perusing the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar, located in the Old Town, a 10 minute cab from our place. I had heard of the Yuyuan Gardens from past travel shows I’d seen on Shanghai and knew of their beauty, but I didn’t know much else. Here’s a quick history lesson: The Yuyuan Gardens were created in the mid 1500s during the Ming dynasty. Now this example of feng shui at its best is a heritage monument and a first rate site to spend a day at in Shanghai. Entering the gardens (for 30 RMB, or $4.65, worth every penny!) you’re immediately transported to a sunshine day of many centuries past. The buildings are all ancient, with rolling roofs and tiles, trees and plants of many varieties grow abundantly, streams and waterfalls meander, and ancient water rocks carve out maze-like paths for you to wander at your leisure. After the hustle and bustle of the city everything seemed a little quieter, and a little slower. Over the rolling roofs and

Photo 2

entering through alleyways into the centre of the Yuyuan Bazaar

off in the distance you can see the tops of the futuristic skyscrapers, creating a rather surreal moment where you feel like you’re in an oasis while remembering that you’re actually in the core of downtown. The gardens gave off a beautiful energy, and I certainly see myself going back often, possibly with a book or a journal in hand.

The Yuyuan Bazaar, which are the streets surrounding the gardens, are just as architecturally appealing as the garden, and yet with a high paced energy and a ton of noise and people. There are stores everywhere that in my mind have “tourist trap” written all over them, selling chotsky and what-not, and yet it’s all rather charming, and if you’re up for some “barguing” it can be quite fun.

As for the smile bit, I find that generally people are very friendly here. I might not speak their language, and they not mine, but a smile is almost always returned, politeness appreciated, and a laugh easily shared. Inside the gardens we ended up meeting some lovely shopkeepers working at an antiques and jewelry shop. They saw Ollie’s shirt, which says “Canada” in both the English word and mandarin

Photo 3

notice the tips of the skyscrapers of Pudong peaking over

characters, and that started up a conversation. Their English was very impressive, and we had a lovely tour around the store, accompanied by 3 ladies who wanted to teach us about all the antiques, China, Chinese characters and pronunciation (I learned how to say “horse” and “Toronto”), and who were fascinated to learn all about Toronto and get a chance to practice their English with two friendly people. They wished us very well on our stay here and asked us to return to chat. It’s a great experience to get to know some locals in your adopted home, makes it feel more home-y.

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