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The Yuyuan gardens
The Yuyuan gardens are situated
not far from the Bund in the southwestern side of the city.
The Yuyuan is certainly tacky- a kind of China meets Disney
with an added twist- but nevertheless well worth a visit.
The Gardens themselves were completed
in 1577 by the Pan family in Shanghai. The original Gardens
were destroyed twice in the 1800s and have now been restored.
They are usually pretty busy but, are worth looking at if
you can either come during the week or are prepared to face
the masses. The gardens cover a significant space and include
a few halls, springs and other buildings of interest.
The area surrounding the Gardens
makes up the Old City God's Temple Area and was known in
colonial times as the "Chinese City".Today, the
area directly around Yuyuan has been "renovated"
somewhat tastelessly and is a mass of tourist shops and
naff decorations. The Queen of England visited here recently
and took tea in the famous Huxinting Tea House. The tea
house is something of an institution around these parts
and while quaint and interesting, is extortionately over-priced.
What is nice about this area are
the numerous antique markets and the small side streets
which have yet to be renovated by the authorities. There
is a great antique market just off Shanghai "Old street"
and another on a small alley called Dongtai Lu. Be prepared
to bargain hard in these places though. Some of the stuff
is genuine but other "antiques" are less authentic
and its slightly worrying that the most popular English
word in these places seems to be "very old, very cheap"!
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