The back of the hall containing Qin Yubo's altar is flanked by two imposing-looking dragons, and opens out onto a busy shopping street somewhere in Shanghai.
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Dragon guardian. |
As I turned to photograph the other dragon, lo and behold, there was a ticket booth and an entrance to the Yu Yuan Garden! For 40RMB (about $6), I walked through about two-thirds of the five-acre maze-like expanse until I decided I should find my way to an exit before closing time or risk spending the night sleeping with the fishes . . . the koi in the koi ponds, I mean.
The garden was completed in 1577 by Pan Yunduan, a government officer of the Ming Dynasty. Pan built the garden for his parents to enjoy in their old age. (How's that for filial piety?)
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An entry gate to the garden. |
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One of the numerous pavilions. |
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One of many koi ponds. |
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Map of Yu Yuan Garden that I came across as I was leaving. |
Based on the map, I entered the garden via a somewhat obscure side entrance, and exited through the main entrance. (Go me!) Either entrance requires that you swim through a sea of people in the Yu Tourist Market, whether you're trying to get in to the garden or out of it. But, on the bright side, the YTM has a Dairy Queen!
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They have DQs in China? Oh yes! |
I should have stopped at the DQ, but I was on a mission to find a restaurant for dinner. I had a list of three vegetarian places, all plotted out on my city map, so I wound my way westward to the Jujube Tree Vegetarian Lifestyle restaurant--tourist-friendly, but not "touristy." For a mere 34RMB (less than $6), I feasted on a delicious soup of "rice noodles and assorted vegetables" and a cold jellied milk dessert.
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I should have written down what this was called, but I didn't. It was tasty though. |
Then a nice 25 minute walk back to the hotel.
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