the yu gardens

the yu gardens are a beautiful example of a traditional chinese garden, right in the middle of shanghai. surrounding the gardens are a bunch of shops selling souvenirs and arts and crafts. there is also a tea house outside the garden. inside is an amazingly tranquil beautiful space that i love walking around in. i was lucky enough to get a guided tour of the gardens the first time i visited, and if you can arrange this, it will really enhance your appreciation of the gardens. in addition, there are artisans who are skilled in various traditional arts--most very painstaking and detailed. you can watch them practice their craft and then purchase the artwork from them. really interesting.