Yu Garden is located in the northeastern part of the old city of Shanghai, bordered by Fuyou Road to the north and Anren Street to the east, and connected to the Old City God Temple and Yu Garden Bazaar to the southwest. It is the only remaining Ming Dynasty garden in the old city. The garden is renowned for its picturesque pavilions, rugged rock formations, and shimmering lakes, earning it the reputation of being 'the most beautiful garden in Jiangnan.' Yu Garden was originally built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty as a private garden for the Pan family.
Originally named Gujiazhai Park, it was initially restricted to French expatriates, hence commonly known as 'French Park'. In recent years, a large number of flowers and trees have been added, with a total of 140 species and more than 10,000 plants. The park boasts the highest proportion of towering plane trees in the city, along with other precious trees such as horse chestnuts, lindens, and sweetgums.
Shanghai Grand View Garden is a large-scale ancient-style garden complex designed based on the descriptions in the famous Chinese Qing Dynasty novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. The garden was planned and designed by Liang Yousong from the Shanghai Garden Institute. The central axis of the garden includes the 'Provincial Villa' stone archway, stone lanterns, Qin Fang Lake, Ti Ren Mu De, winding paths, palace gates, 'Grand Illusion' relief screen wall, wooden archway, and more. On the west side, there are Yi Hong Courtyard, Long Cui Nunnery, Li Xiang Courtyard, and stone boat. On the east side, there are over 20 architectural attractions including Xiao Xiang Pavilion, Heng Wu Courtyard, Liao Feng Pavilion, and Dao Xiang Village.
Jing'an Park is a people-oriented park with modern garden features. The park integrates leisure, fitness, entertainment, and sightseeing. The current Jing'an Park has received numerous honors, such as 'Double Excellence Park' and 'Seven No's' Civilized Park. Attractions include the 32 century-old trees on the central avenue, the Ginkgo Plaza at the northern main entrance, and the historical and cultural space in the east.
It is rare to find such a green park within the urban area of Shanghai, and it is not a small park either. Naturally, there are quite a lot of people, and it is very popular. There is also a beautiful artificial lake inside, where many newlyweds take wedding photos. This place has basically become a popular spot for wedding photography in Shanghai.
Apart from the delicious food in Nanxiang, don't miss a visit to Guyi Garden. This Ming Dynasty garden, over 450 years old, features winter plums, spring peaches, summer lotuses (the gentleman among flowers), and autumn osmanthus. It also boasts green bamboo throughout the four seasons (the garden is named after bamboo) and various flowers and plants (including bicolor flowers from Mexico).
