🌸 Main Garden, Yu Garden | Classical Beauty in the Heart of Old Shanghai 🇨🇳🪷🧱

📝 1. Overview
The Main Garden (内园 / Nei Yuan) of Yu Garden (豫园) is the core of Shanghai’s most famous classical garden, showcasing the elegance, symbolism, and harmony of Ming Dynasty garden design. Built in the 16th century by a government official for his aging father, the garden’s Main Garden area includes many of its most iconic features—from zigzag bridges and koi-filled ponds to pavilions, moon gates, and ancient rockeries. It’s a living scroll of Chinese poetry, philosophy, and nature.

🌟 2. Highlights
🪷 Exquisite Jade Rock (玉玲珑) – A 3.3m porous Taihu rock, legendary for its beauty and balance
🌉 Nine-Turn Bridge (九曲桥) – Symbol of longevity, it zigzags over koi ponds and leads to the famous teahouse
🏯 Sansui Hall (三穗堂) – Originally for receptions, now an exhibition space with intricate woodwork
🐉 Dragon Wall Dividers – Undulating tile roofs shaped like dragons that “divide” garden sections
🌳 Walled Courtyards & Mini Forests – Bamboo groves, gingko trees, and plum blossoms in spring
📸 Classical Reflection Ponds – Designed to mirror pavilions and stones for layered beauty
🖼️ Calligraphy & Carvings – Embedded cultural motifs on stones, pillars, and doors

💡 3. Tips
📸 Best photo spots:
📷 In front of Exquisite Jade Rock – Frame it with background pavilions
📷 Along Nine-Turn Bridge – Especially at sunset with red lanterns
📷 Dragon Wall close-ups – Perfect for texture and symbolism shots
🕐 Visit early morning or late afternoon for fewer crowds
🎟️ Entry to Yu Garden: ~¥40–¥50; includes access to Main Garden
🧥 Wear comfortable shoes—the stone paths are beautiful but uneven
🎧 Consider a guide or audio app to catch the deeper symbolism

🍽️ 4. Nearby Eats – Top 3 near Yu Garden / Main Garden

1. Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant (南翔馒头店)
   🥟 Home of the original xiaolongbao
   📍 Right by the Nine-Turn Bridge
   🕒 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
   🌟 Grab steamed buns to-go or eat upstairs for the full set
2. Lu Bo Lang (绿波廊)
   🥢 Elegant Chinese dining in a historic teahouse setting
   📍 Near the Yu Garden main gate
   🕒 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM
   🎎 Great for sampling Shanghai classics with a view
3. Yu Garden Tea House (湖心亭茶楼)
   🍵 Traditional tea service in a lakeside pavilion
   📍 Middle of the Nine-Turn Bridge
   🕒 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
   🧧 Sip tea while watching koi and crowds pass below

🍽️ 4B. Sub-Zone Picks – Main Garden Areas
🏯 Sansui Hall Area
Reception space turned gallery
Decorative ceilings and painted beams
🪷 Exquisite Jade Rock Area
Centerpiece Taihu stone + rock garden surroundings
Symbol of elegance and literati taste
🌉 Nine-Turn Bridge Zone
Classic zigzag over water
Photo ops with tea house in background
🐉 Dragon Wall Zone
Carved dragons “swimming” across rooftops
Separates garden zones and adds mystery

🚗 5. Access
📍 From The Bund / Nanjing Road
🚇 Line 10 to Yuyuan Garden Station, Exit 1 → ~5 min walk
📍 From Pudong
🚇 Line 2 to East Nanjing Road → transfer to Line 10
📍 Local Travel
🚶 Entire Yu Garden is walkable; allow 1–1.5 hours for Main Garden
🛏️ Stay in Old City / Yu Garden hotels for cultural immersion and walkable access

Main Garden at Yu Garden is where Shanghai whispers its oldest stories—a space of peace, poetry, and Ming-era majesty surrounded by koi, carved stones, and timeless beauty. 🧱🌿🐉