Shanghai Stories TOP3: the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse

by Stories, Wander

  In China, bodies of water are present in every garden. The same can be said for mountains. Here, as well, stands another artificial mountain, called the Huanyun Rockery. Translated, it means, to wash the clouds. The name is explained when you look into the pond in front of the mountain and see the reflections of the sky and the mountain. If the sky is cloudy, the clouds appear to be floating in the water!

  Since Yuyuan Garden was for some time under the rule of the City God Temple, it shouldn’t be surprising to see clear signs of that time here - the Lao Jun Hall (No. 25), which is dedicated to Lao Zi, the founder of Taoism.

  In order to reach the next scenic area, we must cross a stone bridge and go through a passage located between two buildings, displaying the word Yinyu. Translated, it means Leading to Exquisite Jade. The name is apt; standing on the bridge and looking through the opening, in the distance we see the Exquisite Jade Rock. The purpose of the passage is to focus the eye of the visitor, placing the Exquisite Jade Rock in a set framework.

  Yuyuan Garden - the fifth area

  The area we are about to explore is the richest of all; without exaggerating, we can say that the fifth scenic area contains the most interesting and beautiful places of the whole garden.

  First, we reach the Yuhua Hall, or the Hall of Jade Magnificence (No. 26), where Pan Yunduan used to read and study. Even today, the Yuhua Hall is home to a reading room dating from the Ming Dynasty.

  Growing bored of the books or tired of studying, Pan Yunduan needed only to look out the window. Then, he would have seen the Exquisite Jade Rock (No. 27), a masterpiece carved by nature itself, located on the other side of the pond. This jade rock is one of the most famous stone formations in all South China. Carved by flowing water over a long period of time, it is different from every angle. Even as the light changes, the rock becomes different!

  Beside the Exquisite Jade Rock, which is 3.3 meters high with 72 holes, there are two smaller rocks, meant to emphasize the height of the Exquisite Jade Rock. The rock stands 5.1 meters above the pond; the overall look resembles a mountain peak. The location, in turn, adds its own magic to the scene; the rocks seem much higher than they really are.

  If you think that these rocks were probably brought here by the builder of Yuyuan Garden Pan Yunduan, you are correct. Indeed, the original location of the Exquisite Jade Rock was on the eastern shore of the Huangpu River, which flows through modern Shanghai. There, where today stand skyscrapers, stood a temple. The family of Pan Yunduan’s younger brother’s wife, Xu Pei, oversaw this temple. After Pan Yunduan’s brother and Xu Pei married, her family gave the jade rocks from the temple grounds to their new relative so that he might use them in his garden. However, transporting the Exquisite Jade Rock across the river to the garden was not easy. On the important day, a storm struck the area and the boat ferrying the rock across capsized. Both the boat and the rock were lost to the river. Finally, the rock was rescued from the bottom of the river, but as it weighed 6 tons, it was an extremely difficult undertaking. The ground route was no less challenging. In order to transport the beautiful rock to its destination at Yuyuan Garden, the wall around Shanghai’s Old City was broken and a new gate built. The gate was named the Small South Gate, or Xiao Nanmen. Imagine that – a part of the wall was demolished, just because a rock had to be moved! All for the simple reason of moving a masterpiece of nature to its new home. This fact should help us better understand the magnitude of Pan Yunduan’s work, the importance of Yuyuan Garden and the value of the Exquisite Jade Rock.

  The mystery around the Exquisite Jade Rock is not yet done, however. It is said that if you burn incense on the Exquisite Jade Rock, each hole in the rock will start to smoke; and, if you place a watering can on top of it, water will start pouring out of the holes in the rock. Who would not want a rock with mystical, even supernatural abilities! Indeed, Pan Yunduan was a lucky man to have acquired a natural wonder of such appearance and character.

  Behind the Exquisite Jade Rock, you see a stone wall. Similar to the city wall that was torn down to allow the Exquisite Jade Rock entry into Shanghai, this wall also commemorates the importance of the stone. On the other side of it stands the West Gate of Yuyuan Garden. The meaning is not only symbolic, however. In Chinese gardens, gates, important buildings, or scenic locations are accompanied by defensive walls. Similar walls can be seen in the hutongs and siheyuans of Beijing, but they are far from rare in South China. In the case of Yuyuan Garden, the purpose of the defensive wall was to create a certain effect – an effect rather like we experienced when we entered the main gate and moved up to the Sansui Hall. The desired outcome was the impression that the scenic area is surrounded by walls and buildings on every side; on the other side of the defensive wall, a broad scenic area was located. Here, entering from the West Gate, the visitor reaches an empty area, but then he or she passes the defensive wall and sees the Yuhua Hall and the Exquisite Jade Rock in front of it, one of the most worthwhile sights in the garden.

  On the other side of the wall, we can find four Chinese characters inscribed on the stones: Huan, Zhong, Da and Kuai. Translated, these means: “Happiness within the vicinity of the Zhao Wall”. The quote comes from Buddhist scriptures, and in this garden, it has a special meaning. Zhao Wall marks boundaries, separating territories governed by Buddhist laws from others. In effect, this sets aside a part of the garden where Buddhism rules supreme. As you recall, Pan Yunduan was a Buddhist. It’s to be expected that he would try to connect a part of his beloved garden to the religion in his heart. And now, we’ll try to delve deeper into the secrets of this small haven.

  On the eastern side of the Yuhua Hall, we find one of the most interesting places in Yuyuan Garden. As seen from afar, it’s a rather dark place; here begins the Jade Water Corridor, which crosses the pond. The corridor passes through the artificial mountain, recreating in the garden another sight seen in nature – caves. And indeed, it is very cave like. This Guyin Cave (No. 28) is unique; as the story goes, it is closely tied to poems of Lu You, dating back to the Song Dynasty in the 12th century. The poem goes like this:

  “I am surrounded by high mountains

  And rivers, meandering

  I feel my feet have left the path;

  Suddenly, there are flowers, and trees abloom

  I have reached the village.”

  Entering the Guyin Cave, you might lose your bearings, but before you can begin to feel scared, you will have exited the cave and returned to the verdant garden.

  Next, we see the Ting Tao Tower (No. 29), built for a single purpose – so that people could listen to the sound of the Huangpu River. Translated, the name Ting Tao means, roughly: “The Tower for Listening to Big Waves”. The reason for the tower is, again, the search for harmony – Yuyuan Garden contains places both for looking at and listening to the Huangpu River. Another step closer to the perfection Yuyuan Garden strives for.

  In addition to listening to the sounds of nature, the Ting Tao Tower is also famous for its carvings. Take a look at the east and west sides of the tower, and you will see carvings of famous Chinese stories. The west side tells a story of a fisherman, a woodcutter, a farmer and a scholar, carved on four stone tablets. This story has helped bring up generations of farmers, for whom the story is meant. It tells of fishing, wood gathering, farming and learning. In China, agriculture has always been very important and these stories are relevant even in modern times. The story was also used to teach children to read, and to motivate people to learn. Learning was and still is highly valued in China.

  The other story is about the four fairies. The stone tablets with these carvings are located on both sides of the tower, so if you want to see it all, keep it in mind!

  The story tells of eight fairies who wished to visit the Island of Fairies, or Xian Dao. The way there, however, was across the stormy Eastern Sea. The only possible way of crossing the sea was to cast into the waves a treasure of great magical power; each fairy had to give up something. One of them threw down
a sword; the second, a bamboo flute; the third, a lotus blossom, and so on. Once all eight of the fairies had thrown down their treasures, they could cross the Eastern Sea and reach the Island of Fairies. It is said that the pictures that tell this story have powers to help people.

  The third story, found on the west side of the tower, tells of the famous king of the Shu Kingdom, Liu Bei, who married Sun Shangxiang in the Ganlu Temple. The story is known by almost every Chinese, as Liu Bei is a principal character in the world-famous the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written in the 14th century. In the novel, Liu Bei symbolizes a noble ruler with Confucian views. If you have ever read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, you will perhaps recognize the story on the tower side.

  Inside the Ting Tao Tower we see furniture in the style of the Ming Dynasty, built out of rosewood. Additionally, the exhibition room towards the north contains calligraphy, paintings and other cultural relics from the Qing Dynasty. While Yuyuan Garden is not a museum, visiting the exhibition room for a small preview of these historic objects is certainly a welcome detour. There are also items from the more recent past; as you browse through them, you will see that many things were different in the ancient times.

  Now let’s take a stroll down the Jade Water Corridor (No. 30). This corridor is the longest ever built in the ancient style of South China. You will surely notice the fact that the corridor is named after jade. In Chinese, the word for jade is yu and you will find it everywhere in this garden. Yuhua Hall, Jiyu Shuilang, Yu Linglong, Yu Shuichi, Yu Linglong He, Jiyu Feng. All of these are located in the fifth scenic area, and are all characterized by some connection to jade.

  The Hanbi Tower (No. 31), located at the other end of the Jade Water Corridor, will likewise offer a pleasant surprise. Firstly, we have to point out that it is built out of special nanmu wood imported from Myanmar, previously knows as Burma. This material was often used in shipbuilding, but also in housing and carving. The Dacizhenru Hall located in Beihai Park in Beijing is also built of nanmu wood.

  The other point of interest is the outer wall of the tower, covered by more than a hundred wooden tablets. The tablets are engraved with pictures of plants. Additionally, 40 tablets are dedicated to telling us a famous love story. The pictures on the Ting Tao Tower told only brief excerpts from famous Chinese stories; the Hanbi Tower, on the other hand, tells the reader the whole of The West Chamber Romance, a famous play from the 13th century. It tells of a man who met a beautiful young woman at a temple. The man fell in love with her, but as her parents guarded her jealously, he could not approach her. Still, he burned with the desire to tell her how much he loved her. Finally, he came up with an idea. At a poetry reading, he read out a poem he had written to the woman he loved. The girl found out how much he loved her; and still they could not meet. Years passed. Stories of the beauty of the woman travelled far and wide. It was a stroke of misfortune that these stories were also heard by a group of bandits, who decided to lay siege to the woman’s house and to abduct her. The man found out about their plan, and went to a friend of his for help. This friend, a military officer of high rank, agreed to aid him, and they successfully defended her house from the attack. Then the girl’s parents agreed to let him court her. Had he not earned his chance to express his love to her face to face?

  In addition to detailed engravings, the interior of the Hanbi Tower also contains fine examples of the Qing Dynasty style furniture.

  On the western side of the scenic area, next to the Exquisite Jade Rock, we find a small, secluded courtyard accessible through a small round opening.

  Entering this courtyard, we see to the south the Depository of Books and Paintings (No. 32) – again, another building erected to increase the harmony in the garden. As you might recall, the northern section of Yuyuan Garden - the third scenic area, to be precise – held the Relic Hall. The building here was meant for use as a library. Although in English, the names of the respective buildings are different, in Chinese, they mean the same thing. Each name reflects the use of the building as a depository for treasures. One of the buildings is located in the northern end of the garden; the other is located towards the south, near the Yuhua Hall. Irrelevant? No. Again, you might remember that the favorite place for Pan Yunduan to read and study was the Yuhua Hall.

  In front of the Depository of Books and Paintings lies a green field. In Yuyuan Garden, every detail, no matter how seemingly unimportant, has a specific and premeditated meaning. So it is with the five rocks completing the field. The two farthest rocks either side are actually meant to perfect the view, and to emphasize the importance of the middle three. And the middle three rocks symbolize the three immortal sages of ancient China. The middle rock stands for Prosperity, or Lu. To the left of Lu stands Good Fortune, or Fu. And to the right of Lu stands Longevity, or Shou, holding in his hand the staff of a wizard. As an interesting side note, if you compare these three rocks with drawings of the sages, you can see a remarkable resemblance between them. The sages also figure prominently in the works of Li Bai, the most famous poet in China. He wrote thus: “Southeast of Lushan Mountain rises the peak of Five Old Men; from there, when the day is clear, you can see the golden roses of China.” This is the origin of the name Five Old Men Peak, which the peak carries today. And the rocks in front of us symbolize these same sages, even if only three of them are actually here.

  The rocks also have a reputation of bestowing blessings. Longevity can increase your lifespan, until you are as immortal as the South Mountain. Good Fortune brings joy into your house, until it can fill the Eastern Sea. In China, Eastern Sea is the name of the sea located between China and Japan; the name also symbolizes the infinitely large. If you wish to try and court their blessing, take a seat on the stone drums conveniently located nearby. Face the Deyue Hall – which, by the way, carries the Chinese character for Shou, or Longevity. If you are lucky, perhaps you will be touched by the spirit of long life.

  On the northern side of the courtyard stands the Deyue Hall, or Deyue Lou (No. 33). In English, the name means the Hall of Watching the Moon. As the activity was very popular, a separate building was constructed here for this purpose. Watching the Moon was considered both philosophical and poetic; the often-quoted Li Bai has composed some of his best poems on the topic of Moon.

  On the lower floor of the building we find the Longevity Corridor, or Shou Lang; on the second floor are exhibited fine examples of classical Chinese furniture.

  The Quizhi Pavilion (No. 34) is located on the western side of the courtyard. Although it might seem that the pavilion is secluded and lonely, and therefore probably unimportant, it is far from being the case. The pavilion is dedicated to Huang Daoci, who, during the Yuan Dynasty, advanced the cotton industry of China by giant steps. And cotton was a very important trade article. Whenever someone reads the history of Shanghai, he or she comes to cotton. The very reason for the existence of Shanghai is cotton – in the days of the Qing Dynasty, this region became home to extensive cotton fields. Before, Shanghai had been a quiet town without any importance whatsoever. Today, that seems hardly believable, doesn’t it?

  In the Qizhi Pavilion, we may acquaint ourselves with 16 classical wood engravings that tell the story of how cotton was produced – starting with the planting and ending with selling the cotton fabrics. The whole process is here in front of us. If you desire to know more of the history of Shanghai, a visit to the Qizhi Pavilion is a must.

  It has to be said that the fifth scenic area of the garden is by far the richest. It also offers the most complete insight into Chinese culture. By visiting the fifth scenic area of Yuyuan Garden, we saw artificial mountains and caves, crafted by masters; we heard old and classical tales; we managed to take a long look at the treasure of the garden, the Exquisite Jade Rock; we saw the furniture used in China of old; perhaps we even tried to chase immortality. Although it might seem, that surely, the garden must be travelled end to end by now, we have to point out that the sixth, and last, scenic area is still unknown
to us. Let us head there!

  Yuyuan Garden - the sixth area

  Yuyuan Garden represents an excellent cross-section of the treasures of Chinese culture. Because of this, pages and pages can be written about nearly every corner, building or bridge in the garden. The creator of the garden, Pan Yunduan, sought to build perfection; considering the amount of stories one can tell about the garden, he quite possibly succeeded.

  The sixth scenic area of Yuyuan Garden is in many ways different from the areas viewed earlier. The main reason for that is simple – this area was actually built almost 150 years later, during the Qing Dynasty. In 1709, the City God Temple, then owners of the garden, required a new back yard. What is now the sixth area of Yuyuan Garden was built for that very purpose. In many aspects, this means it stands apart as a garden of its own and that is apparent in the name of the area as well. Welcome to Neiyuan, or the Inner Garden.