Yu Garden at City God Temple in Shanghai
An oasis of serenity amidst the bustling city of Shanghai. Yu Garden is located next to the City God Temple and one of the most beautiful places in China.
- What: Yu Garden (Yuyuan Garden)
- Where: 218 Anren St, Huangpu, Shanghai, China [Map]
- When: 9am to 5pm daily
- Price: ¥40 RMB ($6 USD / $8 CAD)
- Notes: Take the purple subway to Yu Garden station.
- Related: Eating Live Shrimp in Shanghai
Buy Tickets for Shanghai
When you first step into Yuyuan Garden, you'll be struck by its serene beauty. Entrance to this phenomenal place is only 40 yuan, which is about $8 USD. Just a heads-up, they don't give you a map at the entrance, so it's a good idea to snap a picture of the map as you walk in.
Shanghai Map Download
Attractions • Restaurants • Rooftops
Bars • Nightclubs • Walking Routes
and Bonus Tips.
Right outside the garden is the City God Temple area, which is basically a cool mix of old Chinese temples and a bunch of shops — like over 100 of them. If you're into fried food, you're in luck because you can pretty much get it on any corner here.
City God Temple in Shanghai, China
The Yuyuan Garden itself was built way back in the Ming Dynasty, around 1559 to 1577. It's also known as the Yu Garden, which translates to "Garden of Peace and Comfort". The place got pretty banged up during the Opium Wars in the 19th century, but luckily, it's been fixed up since then.
The garden's pretty big, covering about 2 hectares or 5 acres. It's the kind of place where playing hide-and-seek as a kid would have been awesome. One of my favorite parts was the cobblestone roads, and there’s this tiny teashop on-site that's just adorable.
Yu Garden in Shanghai, China
A word of caution though: watch out for street vendors who might try to rip you off. Always take a moment to figure out the price in your currency before you buy anything in a rush.
Another thing to be aware of is this teahouse scam that's common in Shanghai, especially around tourist areas like Yuyuan Garden. Some folks might try to get you to join a teahouse ceremony, and if you're not careful, you could end up getting scammed for anywhere between $75 to $300. This actually happened to me, but don’t let it put you off visiting this amazing place. Just keep your wits about you and enjoy everything Yuyuan Garden has to offer.
My name is