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

by Stories, Wander

  The gate to the Inner Garden stands apart, next to the West Gate of Yuyuan Garden. It’s black, and bears the name Neiyuan in golden lettering.

  Pass through the gate, and through another, smaller, doorway, and you find yourself in a courtyard.

  An artificial mountain dominates the centre of the courtyard; on the sides of the mountain are three buildings.

  The northernmost building is called the Jingguan Hall, or the Hall of Serenity. The southernmost bears the name Huan Yun Lou, or the Dress Circle. To your right, you can see Guantao Lou, or the Tower for Watching the Waves. But we will examine each of them in turn.

  The Hall of Serenity (No. 35) is the most important building in the Inner Garden. The name, like many others, comes from a Tang Dynasty poem “The heart looks toward the silence at the centre.” In this case, the “central silence” is represented by the imposing artificial mountain located right here. It could be said that the Hall of Serenity was built for one purpose only – to offer a place where people could enjoy the beauty and silence of the mountain. And even though this part of Yuyuan Garden was not built, nor planned, by Pan Yunduan, the Qing Dynasty craftsmen went to great lengths to maintain the Taoist style used by Pan Yunduan. Here, like elsewhere in the garden, the focus lies on the beauty and inner silence of nature.

  The mountain in the Inner Garden is rather colorful. Its stones come in different shapes and sizes; from their midst, trees more than two centuries old reach towards the sky. Although the mountain lacks a name of its own, it does contain stones that do have names. You can see the stones named Nine Lions Playing the Ball, Peacock Spreading Its Beautiful Tail, and The Rhinoceros Looking at the Moon. There are also stones resembling tigers, monkeys, goats, sheep and turtles. And this semblance is not random – according to Chinese traditions, all these animals bring people good luck. In the fifth scenic area, you perhaps asked for long life, or good fortune; here, you can ask for your other wishes to be fulfilled or your undertakings to succeed.

  On the western side of the artificial mountain stands the highest building in Yuyuan Garden – the Tower for Watching the Waves (No. 36). During the Qing Dynasty, it was the highest building in all Shanghai. Perhaps it is due to the fact that this tower was constructed many years later than other buildings in the garden; and in the 18th century, when it was built, it was deemed important to build it high enough to see over the Huangpu River. A lot of time has passed since then, today even a 30-floor tower wouldn’t show you the waves on the Huangpu River.

  The Inner Garden also holds the southernmost point of Yuyuan Garden – a classical Chinese theatre. The Ancient Stage or Gu Xi Tai (No. 37), was opened for visitors in 1988. This stage is considered to be the No. 1 theatre stage in China south of the Yangtze River. Every year, there are performances of classical Chinese music, huju or the Shanghai opera, and kunqu or the Kunqu opera. Kunqu is a variation of Chinese opera, and while it may be seen in both North and South China, it is mostly still a performance characteristic of Shanghai.

  The upper part of the stage is covered with decorations. Let’s step closer – under the eaves and above the steps we see two golden dragons playing with a ball. We met those same dragons at the gate between the third and fourth scenic areas. Above the dragons are pictures of classical Chinese stories; surrounding the stage are 28 golden birds with spread wings. The two stone columns flanking the stage are inscribed with golden Chinese characters. The words were uttered by Yu Zhengfei, a famous Kunqu opera star. The writing on the right means “People will live as long as the sky”. The writing on the left translates as, “Clouds wear clothes like flowers wear their blossoms”. As you can see, the wishes for longevity are present here as well. Actually, in China it’s very common to exchange pleasantries in the form of wishes for long life; it is an important way of expressing respect for the elderly.

  On both sides of the Ancient Stage runs a corridor filled with seats for more than 200 people. The furniture is, again, in the Ming Dynasty style.

  Across the courtyard from the Ancient Stage stands the Dress Circle, or Huanyun Lou. In times past, the most important visitors watched the shows from here.

  The buildings located next to and behind the Ancient Stage are not officially part of Yuyuan Garden.

  After visiting the classical Chinese theatre, we now visit the top of the artificial mountain. Here we find another boathouse called the Stone Boat, or Chuanfang (No. 38). As with the boathouse we saw in the second scenic area, this one is also built to resemble a boat. The main difference between the two boathouses is that the landscape in front of the Stone Boat is designed to resemble waves.

  Descending from the top of the mountain and taking the narrow staircase towards the east we come across several stone tablets (No. 39) mounted on the outer wall of Yuyuan Garden. You might recall that the main entrance near the Sansui Hall contained inscriptions telling the story of how the garden was built. The tablets here tell the story of how the Inner Garden was built. We have said before that history is very important in China; in a way, writing down the history of a place ensures that the soul of the place lives on for a long time. Since the Inner Garden was built later than the rest of Yuyuan Garden, it was deemed important to have its particular story told as well.

  And finally, we are left with only one more site to see. The Nine Dragon Pond (No. 40), or as it’s called in Chinese, Jiu Long Chi. The way there goes over narrow paths that slowly turn into corridors. It is easy to get lost here; but don’t worry – the nine dragons located nearby will help to keep us on the right track again. The Nine Dragon Pond and its small waterfall is in many ways similar to the Dragon Wall located in the third scenic area. The name of the pond, however, is connected to the fourth scenic area – there we saw the Nine Lion Pond. Again, this represents an effort to create balance in the garden. The lion and the dragon, by the way, are the most common animals in both Chinese architecture and mythology.

  This concludes our wondrous marathon through Yuyuan Garden. Looking back, it seems we’ve learned many things about Chinese cultural history. And considering the Taoist principles at work in the garden, surely something of that mindset stuck to you as well. Don’t be surprised, then, if the first minutes after leaving the garden and entering the boiling cauldron of humanity known as Shanghai you will feel strangely out of place. Indeed; once Yuyuan Garden is behind you, it will seem like a dream, a refreshing drink in this urban desert.

  Map of Yuyuan Garden

  Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse

  address: 257 Yuyuang Road, Shanghai

  There are innumerable teahouses in China. Yet of all these, there is always the one most suited for the occasion, the one offering the most special experiences.

  You will probably agree that China and tea go hand-in-hand. To visit China without visiting a traditional teahouse is like visiting China and eating with a fork – you came, you saw and you left without experiencing life as it’s lived there. You will not have embraced China; it has merely reflected off your eyes, to vanish as soon as you leave.

  And don’t think you can drink real tea at your home. Everyone in China knows that the tea bags so popular in the West are mere bags of crumbs and not tea at all. True tea can only be enjoyed in its birthplace. And as tea, and even the word tea originates in Southeast China, you are in the right place. Perhaps you don’t wish to venture into the provinces of Fuijian or Zhengjiang, where you will need a good knowledge of the Chinese language. In their stead, Shanghai can prove to be the best, the most authentic and definitely the most exotic stop on your tour. Don’t miss your chance to visit a teahouse and participate in the ritual drinking of this fine beverage. A small dot on the map does not mean your experiences are equally forgettable.

  If your travels take you to the crowded streets of Yuyuan Bazaar, then our goal is nearby. While we wander about in the Bazaar, finding the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse may seem impossible – for starters, it’s difficult to spot from a distance.

  The architecture of the
teahouse is virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the metropolitan Bazaar. But if we take a moment to think, we’ll get a pretty good idea of where to look for it. It would not make sense for the teahouse to be located in the middle of the bustle of the Bazaar. Instead, it should stand next to a lake or even better, stand in the middle of one! As soon as we realize that, we’re very nearly there.

  And once we find the main gate to Yuyuan Garden, we have arrived. All we need to do is to cross a zigzagging bridge – as intoxicating as the strongest tea offered in the teahouse. Marathon runners follow a yellow line marking the optimal trajectory; here, such a line would be useless, as nothing would stop the horizon from rotating around as we negotiate the sharp turns. But let us not despair, and instead watch the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse draw ever nearer.

  Can you remember the story of the eight fairies who wished to cross the Eastern Sea? Like them, you need to steel your mind. Like the legendary Island of Fairies, the Teahouse awaits!

  The original purpose of the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse was to offer a place for battle-weary soldiers to relax, to enjoy the view and to forget the bloodshed and tears of warfare. Brought to a modern context, it can offer us a respite from the noise and activity of the Yuyuan Bazaar located next door. Can there be a better resting place from all the bargaining and shopping done at the Bazaar?

  Like Yuyuan Garden itself, the teahouse is an example of how harmony can be achieved. The winding road, the water, the bridge and the cosiness of the teahouse, it stands for everything that is remarkable in Yuyuan Garden.

  If at all possible, take a seat on the second floor. Granted, this is a bit more expensive, but it offers a better view and takes you above the crowd buzzing below. And if you find a seat you like, sit back, relax and allow yourselves to be overwhelmed by the strange little cups, the different varieties of tea, of smells, of tastes and of the ritual movements of the waiter. The dizziness felt at the bridge returns, stronger than ever – everything is so different!

  Often, and mistakenly, the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse is thought to be a part of Yuyuan Garden. Actually, the teahouse was built much later than the garden – to be precise, during the rule of the Qing Dynasty in 1784. Furthermore, it was not built to be a teahouse, but as a place to conduct official business meetings. It was only a century later when the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse became a teahouse. Coincidentally, this makes it the oldest teahouse in Shanghai. In the 150 years of its existence, it has played host to both Chinese and foreigners, to both common people and distinguished visitors.

  If you have visited Yuyuan Garden, you will have a pretty good idea of how classical Chinese pavilions look. In China, there’s a saying: “Without a pavilion, a garden is not a garden”. Or in other words: “Without a pavilion, the view of the garden remains incomplete”. The guiding principle is that a pavilion offers a place to sit, to rest and to enjoy the view on the garden. No pavilion means no view. And although compared to modern buildings, pavilions are small and delicate; they represent a moment spent in idyllic rest, surrounded by fresh air and nature. It would be hard indeed to experience the same from the balcony of a house built of concrete!

  But pavilions are more than simply the cherry on top, or the dot on the letter “i”. The tradition of pavilions is firmly based on pragmatic ideas. For example, there were periods in Chinese history when pavilions were built next to larger roads, village gates or crossroads. A law even decreed that on main roads, there was to be a larger pavilion every 5 kilometers and a smaller pavilion every 2.5 kilometers. This network of pavilions offered people a place to rest, a place to hide from the rain, or a place to talk to fellow travelers and inquire about the conditions of the roads ahead. Pavilions had an important role to play in communication, uniting travelers with different backgrounds and destinations, not to mention their effect on postal services.

  And it’s the same with the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse – it unites people through the common experience of drinking tea. Chinese society is divided into different sections; as these sections unite in certain activities, like drinking tea, they once again become a part of a larger whole.

  Although the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse is not much like a classical Chinese pavilion, it still fulfills the purpose of rest and interaction. Keep in mind its original purpose, and take a look at the roof. If you pay close attention, you will see three different shapes here – two that are characteristic of classical pavilions, an octagonal and a square variant with a conical roof. Next to them is the most common roof element, a simple horizontally cut roof with sloping sides. It is a quite uncustomary sight – in Chinese architecture, everything is usually very clearly defined. To see those three forms coexist atop the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse is a strange feeling – one that is strengthened by the use of both two-layered and one-layered roofs between the two floors.

  To mix things up even more, one side of the building is markedly different from the other in this aspect.

  Sitting on the second floor of the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse, the rest of the world seems to run about somewhere below you. You can enjoy an excellent view of Yuyuan Garden, as well as the bridge we took on our way here. But imagine – 200 years ago, the visitors on the second floor of the teahouse could enjoy a view of the Huangpu River, located half a kilometer away. Today, we cannot see any farther than 100 meters, and the sound of the river is more likely to be our imagination, set to overdrive after drinking a cup or two of strong Chinese tea. And if that is the case, then the magnificent tea has done what it was supposed to!

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