The tragedy of the story lies in the fact that Pan Yunduan did not have the time to keep building the garden. He worked in a distant city in Western China, and before the garden was completed, Pan En died. By that time, Pan Yunduan had spent 23 years building the garden, yet it was incomplete. The building was only sped up when Pan Yunduan retired in 1577. The numbers tell us that when Pan Yunduan retired, his father was still alive; but a project of this magnitude could not be completed in the time left to them. Yuyuan Garden was completed at the end of the 16th century – a bit before Pan Yunduan himself died in 1610. Luckily, he had some time to enjoy the garden in its full glory. In his old age he spent his days in Yuyuan Garden, surrounded by books and paintings.
With Pan Yunduan’s death in 1610, the heyday of the garden came to an end as well. In the context of the time, Yuyuan Garden was an exceptionally large private garden, and it was very expensive to maintain. Although the Pan family was wealthy, a few years after the death of Pan Yunduan, the garden proved too much for their wallets and Yuyuan Garden entered a slow decline. By the darkest hour, there was not much left of the garden. It was being sold off, piece by piece. The remaining buildings became the property of the Qing Dynasty.
Salvation came in the form of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He announced a fundraising to buy back all the pieces of the former Yuyuan Garden. By 1784, the garden was again in one piece and restored to its former glory. As the garden lacked an owner, the emperor decreed that the garden would be under the authority of the Taoist City God Temple, located nearby. Yuyuan Garden became Xiyuan, or the Western Garden, as it was located west of the City God Temple. Thus, the garden was restored to its former glory and magnificence. Sadly, these good times only lasted for 50 years. From the middle of the 19th century, China was subject to various uprisings, insurrections and invasions, each and all leaving their marks.
This new era began with the First Opium War from 1839 to 1842, when British troops invaded Shanghai and turned Yuyuan Garden into a military encampment. The second wave of horrors came ten years later, when China was suffering under the Taiping Rebellion from 1850 to 1864. Yuyuan Garden was conquered by the Small Swords Society; the buildings there were converted to warehouses or command centers. As the troops loyal to the Qing Dynasty launched their counterattack, Yuyuan Garden became a battlefield and was almost leveled.
This was not the final act. A few years later, when the Taiping Rebellion was still in full force, the armies of France and the British Empire allied with the Qing Dynasty forces in order to keep the Taiping out of Shanghai. The remaining buildings of the garden were again turned to military use. When the rebellion was finally quelled, Yuyuan Garden was divided between several small enterprises. The once harmonious garden became an entertainment district, complete with teahouses, hotels, markets and bars.
The fate of Yuyuan Garden was decided in 1937, when Japan began its offensive to capture Shanghai. Yuyuan Garden was overrun by huge numbers of refugees. This marked the next end of Yuyuan Garden; the second golden age that had begun in the 18th century was over.
It’s remarkable that after all this, Yuyuan Garden still rose from its ashes! This time after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. In 1956, extensive renovations were started; as late as 2003, the work was still not complete. This illustrates how grievously the garden was damaged, and also how thorough the Chinese rebuilding effort was. Still, even with all this, the modern Yuyuan Garden is only half of what it once was. In the 16th century, it was a much grander place. All that, simply for an opportunity to give a man’s father a place to spend his old age! This is a stellar example of Confucian morals – after all, Pan Yunduan was not a courtier in the imperial court, where money was no issue. He was but an official, although highly educated and well respected.
Enough of history, for now. It’s time we paid a visit to the garden ourselves. As a rule, we’re used to seeing the entrances to Chinese gardens and parks in their eastern, western, northern or southern ends. In Yuyuan Garden, the entrance (No. 1 on the map) is located in the west, but it lies a bit tucked away. The reason for this is the peculiar shape of the garden. The gate itself cannot be called ordinary, either.
First of all, two dragons top the gate, with fish tails coming out of their mouths. More interesting is the fact that the statues on the roof are not animals, as is usual in China, but human statues. If you have had the opportunity to visit Chinese temples or governmental buildings, you have seen different animal statues located on their roof corners. Here, you can see human statues instead – and each of these statues is accompanied by a story, one longer and more famous than the other.
In the centre of the gate, placed between animals, birds, and plants, you can clearly see two Chinese characters, meaning Yuyuan, or the Garden of Peace and Harmony. Very soon, we will be entering through this gate, but for now, let us tell you a famous story about two of the statues on top of the gate.
Looking carefully, you see, on the top of the gate, statues of Jiang Taigong and Wuji. These two are legendary people who lived in Central China during the 11th century BCE. The one fishing is Jiang Taigong, the first strategic mastermind in China. His wisdom and cunning helped China overcome many enemies. In China, he is as famous as Sun Tzu (or Sun Zi), the author of The Art of War is in the Western world.
The story tells us that once, Jiang Taigong was very angry with the king of his country. Back then China was governed by kings instead of emperors. This continued until the birth of the Chinese Empire in 221 BCE. These kings were rulers of the mortal world; the emperor, on the other hand, represented the will of Heaven, and stood for all the forces outside the moral realm. The power of a king was limited, as he only ruled the people. Being a true Son of Heaven, the emperor ruled people and the heavenly forces. In truth, he ruled the whole world. As the kings were mere mortals, it stands to reason that many of them were flawed – mortal, prone to errors, weak in character. The king of Jiang Taigong’s country was a tyrant and this he could not accept. He decided to leave his home and did so. Once in the neighboring country, he realized that he was a stranger and the local king did not consider him important at all. He set out to correct that and went down to the river to fish. He sat down and took his fishing rod, but did not attach the bait. He held the hook above the water, saying to himself: “Fish, if you do not wish to live, please, bite the hook!” This behavior was deemed very strange, and people gathered around the river to watch the odd fisherman. One day, the wood gatherer Wuji passed by, and stared at Jiang Taigong for a long time. He said: “If you continue like this, you will not catch any fish – not even in a hundred years!” Jiang Taigong remained calm. He replied: “I am not fishing for fish; I’m fishing for the king.” This story reached the king’s ears, and soon he decided to visit the river himself to see the strange fisherman. Soon, the king and Jiang Taigong were getting along just fine, and the king realized that the man was not some weird hermit, but a very wise man, and a noble to boot. The king invited Jiang Taigong to join his court; and after some time, Jiang Taigong helped the king cast down the tyrant ruler of his former home country.
Similar stories, legends and connections are present with each of the statuettes, decorations, poems and maxims you encounter at Yuyuan Garden. Each detail and element of design has a particular meaning that Pan Yunduan wished to convey. Truly, Yuyuan Garden will give you a cross-section of Chinese culture and history, a glimpse at holy Buddhist scriptures, Taoist poetry and traditional paintings. Hopefully, you will also gain some new perspectives. And let’s not forget the simple beauty of it all, well worth capturing with your camera.
Just remember not to hurry. The six areas of the garden are worth every hour spent here!
Yuyuan Garden - the first area
Welcome into the magnificent Yuyuan Garden! Altogether, the garden is divided into six areas, separated by walls, one more interesting than the other.
The first building you will see on entering is the Sansui Hall
(No. 2). During the Qing Dynasty, this building was used to hold meetings for state officials, scholars and religious leaders. As Yuyuan Garden belonged to the City God Temple, this is eminently reasonable.
Within the Sansui Hall, we meet one of the most characteristic beliefs in China. You are certain to notice a large white stone tablet, covered with glass, in the centre of the hall. The tablet is covered in writing. This is the story of how Yuyuan Garden came to be, written by none other than Pan Yunduan himself. In China, it’s customary to have all scenic areas accompanied by pavilions where one can relax and enjoy the view. These pavilions, in turn, are viewed as incomplete without a story of how they were built, written by some high official or a famous scholar. It is feared that without such a written record, memories would be quick to fade. On the other hand, if someone of average ability composes the writing, neither the building nor the view can ever expect to become famous. The white tablet, then, represents the soul of Yuyuan Garden, making sure that the garden will retain its fame.
Just behind the Sansui Hall, we find the Yangshan Hall, or the Mountain View Hall (No. 3). This is certainly one of the most scenic locations in Yuyuan Garden. On the North side of the Yangshan Hall is a balcony overlooking the Grand Rockery. The view seems like it’s taken straight out of a traditional Chinese painting. You see an artificial mountain, with the rocks brought here from hundreds of kilometers away.
The still water at the foot of the mountain, the pavilion on the mountain itself, the jagged peak, and the forest covering parts of the mountain – it’s a microcosm of the Chinese landscape, and a favorite subject of Chinese painters. With a little effort, one can even imagine clouds drifting around the peak. Sadly, the artificial mountain is not high enough to attract real clouds.
Such natural harmony is traditional in Chinese gardens. Now we will tell you the story of how Pan Yunduan created this particular view.
Yuyuan Garden - the Grand Rockery
The Grand Rockery (No. 4), or Da Jiashan, located in the first scenic area of Yuyuan Garden, is one of the most picturesque sights found in the garden. As we enter Yuyuan Garden through the main gates, the first impression will probably be one of angst – you find yourself in a closed space, cornered by walls and buildings. It will seem as if the close proximity of all those constructions is invading your personal space; you won’t feel like taking a breath, enjoying the views or taking a stroll. While there are trees, flowering plants or masterful decorations everywhere, they are all somehow too close; instead of enjoying the view, you may wish to exit as soon as you can.
Fortunately, this angst will pass as we walk through the courtyard in front of the first building, the Sansui Hall, and reach the Yangshan Hall located behind it. Having stopped, we can enjoy a view that is the polar opposite of the first impression. Here, the visitor will feel an urge to be a simple fisherman, such as Jiang Taigong: to sit and fish and enjoy the view of the Grand Rockery in front of us. And if you should feel the same, then remember – catching any fish is actually irrelevant; the important thing is to imitate Jiang Taigong, or in other words, to coexist with nature, in harmony. According to Taoism, one of the most widespread religions in China, this constitutes the ideal way of life. The average Western workaholics with their speeding on the highways of life may consider it a pure waste of time; Taoists, though, feel that this is the best way to clean and purify one’s mind. It’s one of the ironies of life that we work in order to escape primitivism and thus move further and further from nature and in doing so, the goal of our efforts becomes to return to a simpler way of living. Or as a story goes – a person living in the country works hard in order to move to the city, and once there, works even harder in order to afford a place in the countryside, where to relax.
In either case, here we are near the Grand Rockery, safe from hurry and mundane troubles. It feels like we’ve entered a painting; and in order to further improve on that impression, the balcony of the Yangshan Hall is built to lean out over the water, in which it’s supported by 12 wooden pillars. The relatively large Yangshan Pond is located in front and below the balcony; different streams and rivulets connect it to the other ponds in Yuyuan Garden. And in the background of it all towers the Grand Rockery.
You probably remember that among other things, Pan Yunduan was a highly educated official with a passion for art. The idea to build an artificial mountain as similar as possible to a real one came from landscape paintings. Desiring a place where he could, for a time, wander among the water, the trees and the mountains, free from everyday life, Pan Yunduan set out to build just the place. In the 16th century, when the construction of the Grand Rockery began, this area was an empty field on the shores of the river Huangpu. Over the next years, Pan Yunduan successfully created one of the most idyllic miniatures of nature – one that’s survived to our day! For Pan Yunduan, no obstacle was too great. Even the yellow rocks, the rockery is composed of, were brought from a special location hundreds of kilometers away. You may know that artificial mountains as such are not Pan Yunduan’s original idea. No, many of the traditional aspects of Chinese philosophy, customs and religions are tied to such artificial mountains found everywhere in the country.
In appearance, the Grand Rockery much resembles the mountainous areas of China - but smaller, of course. To the Chinese, mountains are important for both cultural and historical reasons. Long treks are done in hills and mountains; many are the descriptions of mountains found in literature and art. Mountain peaks are connected to beliefs and religions. Several of such peaks have gained fame through the writings of poets or wise men. In paintings full with Taoist elements, we can often see wise men meditating or discussing philosophy between mountains wreathed in mist.
An important nuance in such mountain scenes is the vagueness in contours, which helps to express sentiment and obscure the border between plant life and clouds. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to visit Zhangjiajie in Central China; if you do, then you will note that it appears to be the living embodiment of such paintings. The mountains there, in combination with the forests and clouds hugging their sides, offer grand views. In ancient China, by the way, clouds were not merely clouds; they were the water of mountains.
Coming back to the Yangshan Hall, and the present, we find ourselves again on the balcony. Before us lie the mountains and waters of the garden; the only disadvantage is the lack of clouds, as the Grand Rockery is but 14 meters high. Clouds only appear in Yuyuan Garden on very rainy and foggy days, and hopefully, today is not one of them. Still, the connections between them are rather thought provoking. Mountains and water make up the landscape; the water of mountains, on the other hand, equals clouds.
It would be best if everybody read a poem or studied a landscape painting before visiting the garden. As our examination of the garden points out, again and again, the impression one gets is much enhanced by the correct state of mind. A few lines of poetry can be found inside the Yangshan Hall, above the doorway leading to the balcony.
The text says, is Old Chinese – which, by the way, was read left to right instead of right to left as modern Chinese. “In this place are high and rocky mountains, here are tall forests of trees and bamboo, here are slow and meandering rivers; I am surrounded by the harmony of it all.” Standing here on the balcony and looking out at the Grand Rockery, we should get a similar feeling.
Originally, the Grand Rockery included a waterfall, from where water cascaded down until it disappeared under the bridge to our left. Today, we still see the bridge, the water beneath it, and the pond itself, but the waterfall has vanished. If it was still here, the view from the balcony of the Yangshan Hall would match the lines in the poem exactly. Ages ago, when Pan Yunduan was making his plans for this garden, he had a specific vision he desired to create. Or rather, recreate – the view from the balcony matches almost perfectly one of the most famous Chinese landscape paintings, dating from the Song Dynasty. Let’s examine the view in more detail.
Directly in front of you
is a large body of water, beyond which you see tree-covered mountains in the distance. While the Grand Rockery is not that high, the illusion of looking at a place very far away is solid – the balcony is located below the peak of the rockery and furthermore, the pond stands between you and the mountain. The most classical of Chinese landscape paintings had to fulfill these three criteria, or three ‘distances’. Firstly, a smooth surface leading away into the distance, generally water. Secondly, the depth that leads away into the distance, generally the border between the mountain and the water, or the touching point between the horizontal and vertical lines. Thirdly, the height leading into the distance, or the peak of the mountain itself. In combination, the three distances make the watcher feel as if he is somewhere very far away from all this. One must admit, considering the limited space in Yuyuan Garden, the illusion of distance from the balcony of the Yangshan Hall is very well maintained. Zhuangzi, a famous Chinese sage who lived during the third century BCE, maintained that such places are best for forgetting the worries and the temptations of your everyday life and for joining the spirit of nature.
Now, however, a brief return to the wordplay evident in “the water of mountains”. One component very important in Chinese paintings is clouds – the “the water of mountains”. Usually, seeing the Grand Rockery in cloud cover demands a strong imagination; in the case of rain, or fog, the effort to see it as a mountain peak among clouds is somewhat smaller. But why, exactly, are clouds so important? According to the traditional view, clouds are the essence and spirit of mountains. Clouds give the mountains their vitality, and make them live. Every artist trying his or her hand with landscape paintings should consider this view. It’s the clouds that make mountains move, and create the view, and the painting as well; a sense of change in progress.
Shanghai Stories TOP3: the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse Page 4