Shenyuan Garden in Shaoxing
Shenyuan Garden (also Shen's Garden) is the only existing Song Dynasty style garden in the city. Shenyuan Garden is the private garden of the Shen family at the beginning, but is widely known for the love story between Lu You and Tang Wan.
Type: Garden
Chinese Name: 沈园
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00 (day performance), 17:30-22:00 (night performance) (Monday Sunday, January 1-december 31)
Admission Ticket: 40 RMB during the day; Shenyuan night: 138 RMB for class A seats ; 80 RMB for class C seats
Recommended Travel Time: 1~3 Hours
Best Time to Visit: Spring
Location: No. 318, Lu Xun Middle Road, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province(浙江省绍兴市越城区鲁迅中路318号)
Shenyuan Garden
Shenyuan is located in Shaoxing city, Zhejiang Province, Shenyuan Garden (also Shen’s Garden) is the only existing Song Dynasty style garden in the city. Built in Song Dynasty (960~1279), Shen Garden has been more than 800 years old.
Why is Shenyuan Garden So Special?
Unlike other Chinese gardens in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province which are appreciated for their architecture. Shenyuan Garden is the private garden of the Shen family at the beginning, but is widely known for the love story between Lu You and Tang Wan.
Main Attractions of Shenyuan Garden
Pavilions of Shenyuan Garden
Solitary Crane Pavilion is the center of Shenyuan Garden. Lu You compared himself as the solitary crane, implying his lonely and miserable life.
Six-Dynasties Well Pavilion has been there since the Tang Dynasty (618~907) and is the witness of the long history of Shen Garden. There is a well in the pavilion, whose roof has a hole to receive rain and sunshine.
You may come Appreciating Plum Blossom Pavilion to admire the flowers when winter comes, the whole garden is filled with the sweet fragrance of the plum blossom flowers. Lu You loved plum blossom very much and wrote more than 200 poems about this kind of flower.
Parks of Shenyuan Garden
To remember Lu You, people constructed the Poetic Atmosphere Park. There is the Rock with Chinese characters ‘Poetic Atmosphere’ is situated, which two Chinese characters are imitating Lu You’s handwriting.
The East park is also called the Love Park, with the Praying Terrace, the heart-shaped Precious Jade Pool, the Magpie Bridge, the Pavilion of Deep Love, and the lovers’ declaration on small wooden plates in it, creating a romantic atmosphere here.
Lianli park is a Chinese style garden with cute ponds, dainty pavilions, and rockeries assembled together, which make visitor feel fresh and comfortable.
How to get to Shenyuan Garden
Travel with ChinaDragonTours (top recommended)
If you want to get out of the traffic and hassle of navigation, you can book a private tour package that includes visiting, dining and transfer from us. Our local guide and driver will escort you to the Shenyuan Garden and most convenient way and take care of all the details. You just have to focus on the visiting.
Independent Traveler
Self Driving
Hangzhou → exit of Shanghai Hangzhou Expressway → Shaoxing Central Road → Luxun road to the scenic spot
Bus
- Take bus No.30 to Lu Xun’s Hometown Station (then walk about 200m);
- Shaoxing passenger transport center (then walk about 100m to Municipal People’s Hospital Station);
- Take No. 8, 88, 13, 315, 317, 318, 319 to Lu Xun’s Hometown Station (then walk about 200m)
