The Ancient Rattan Garden sits on the coastal sand ridge that existed before Shanghai became land. The site was originally a rural marketplace. Commonly called 'Wisteria Shack', it got its name from an ancient wisteria tree there. It is believed that Emperor Qianlong had tied his horse to the tree. The garden's current address is No. 148, Lincang Road in Shanghai's Minhang District, on the east bank of the Shagang River. Right behind the entrance is the Screen Wall wrapped around by wisteria rattans. It has the characters 'Ancient Rattan Garden' written on it in gold color. After passing the Screen Wall, you'll be overwhelmed by the view in front of you. Your first impression could be: What an exquisite garden!
Willows sway gently and red maple leaves are here and there. After walking past the little hill beside the Sea Watching Pavilion is a memorial arch called Green Jade Arch, which is 5.4 meters (17.7 feet) tall, 2.65 meters (2.9 yards) wide and has the 'one-gate, two-column and three-eaves' style. An imperial decree tablet with the carving of two dragons playing with a pearl is embedded at the center of the top eaves. This arch was built during Emperor Qianlong's reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), some 250 years ago. Originally located in a private garden in Shanghai's Luwan District, it was relocated to Minhang and resurrected at the end of 1999 when the garden was constructed.
You'll see the famous ancient rattan tree after walking a short distance north along the bank of the Shagang River. The straight and curved branches of this rustic wisteria, which has witnessed more than 400 years of history, extend on the broad and tall cement rack like a spiraling dragon.
One of our ancestors described the scene this way in the 'Shagang Rattan Song': 'Thousands of flower strings hang from the branches when spring changes to summer. The sun is warm and the wind is gentle. The bustling bees and dancing butterflies cruise around in this fabulous weather.' This vividly portrays the gorgeous picture of the blooming wisteria.
There is an ancient poem on every half-height wall surrounding the ancient rattan tree. Apart from the 'Shagang Rattan Song', there are 'Zhuye Ruins', 'Gang Bridge Wisteria', 'Zigang Winter Lookout', 'Hengjing Snow Leopard', and others.
Here is one example.
Gang Bridge Wisteria
Rattans grow next to the Gang Bridge
The flowers provide shade and make the night cool
The rain nurtures the green leaves
The wind spreads the fragrance of the purple flowers
Although the place is remote and the village small
Visitors come to enjoy the scenery
Where entwining branches crowd the racks
And strings of flowers hang in the glow of the setting sun
By Huang Jiakun of the Qing Dynasty
Legend has it that the ancient Yiyang wisteria was planted by local resident Dong Yiyang, a Ming-Dynasty (1368 - 1644) poet, more than 470 years ago, hence the name 'Yiyang Ancient Rattan'. In 1992, in order to protect this oldest wisteria in Shanghai, the Minhang District People's Government and the Shanghai Garden Authority provided funding to construct the wisteria Greenland. In 1999, they jointly rebuilt the Ancient Rattan Garden. The garden, occupying 4,948 square meters (1.2 acres) of land and requiring CNY 8 million to build, was completed and opened to the public in December 1999.
To the north of the ancient rattan tree stands an exquisite memorial arch called the Arch of Filial Respect and Chastity, which is Shanghai's only renovated 'three-gate, four-column and five-eaves' memorial arch of the Qing Dynasty. It is 8 meters (26 feet) tall and 7.23 meters (7.9 yards) wide at the base. The main structure is made of granite with full carvings at the front and the back. The columns are engraved with couplets. The couplet of the middle two columns says 'The virtuous energies of heaven and earth define the code of conduct. The blessing rays of the sun and the moon shine in splendor.' The stone tablet at the upper center has the words 'Imperial Decree' engraved on it. Reportedly, it was built in the twelfth year of the reign of Qing Emperor Qianlong to honor local resident Madam Sun, who had raised her children on her own for 27 years. The original location was at No. 23, East Front Street in the Minhang old-street district. It was fully renovated in 1997 and declared a Minhang District cultural relic on August 17, 1999.
Behind the Arch of Filial Respect and Chastity is the Song Well Pavilion, a half pavilion with curling eaves backing onto a wall. It got its name because it contains the engraving of the 'Octagonal Stone Well Document' of the fifth year (1232) of the Shaoding reign of the Southern Song Dynasty.
After visiting the northwest side, let us return to the center of the garden. The Purple Cloud Chamber next to the pond is a two-story building with multiple eaves, a nine-ridge roof with green shingles, red walls and carving-decorated windows. The lower level is a cafeteria and the upper level has an exhibition room and a VIP room. This is the main building structure of the garden.
There is the Chongde Flat Bridge, which was built in the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915). Also, the Spiraling Dragon Stone Base, a drum-like foundation stone with a dragon engraved around it, is an old temple building component. With a diameter of 76 centimeters (29.9 inches), it is considered very large and rare in Shanghai. The garden is decorated with cultural relics such as the engraved Flag Pole of the Ming Dynasty, making the Ancient Rattan Garden a garden full of cultural connotations emulating those in the region south of the Yangtze River.
Apart from the ancient rattan tree, the garden also features the Wisteria Corridor, the Wisteria Screen Wall and wisteria trees, as well as many exotic flowering plants to provide all-season enjoyment. Spring flowering plants include wisteria, magnolia, peach, cherry, begonia and pomegranate. In summer, there are lotuses, hortensia and hydrangea; in autumn, there are osmanthus, maple and ginkgo; in winter, there is wintersweet. Delicious trees include sophora, leucocephala and Huangshan koelreuteria paniculata. Evergreens include podocarpus, camphora, pittosporum, Japanese banana and bamboo.
The Ancient Rattan Garden utilizes space wisely to deploy the pavilions, corridors, whitewashed walls and portals to form multiple garden settings of different sizes with artificial hills, ponds, cascading streams and vegetation. The design uses small scale to demonstrate a large view, and offers changing scenery from location to location, fully exemplifying the artistic style and uniqueness of garden construction south of the Yangtze River.
It is not easy to have such a peaceful, exquisite and elegant park in the middle of Minhang District, which is only a short distance from the bustling streets of Shanghai where real estate is as precious as gold.
Entrance Fee: Free
Transportation:
A. Take Buses Nan-Song Special Line, Nan-Jin Line, Jia-Song Line, Jia-Huang Special Line, Ming-Dong Line & Xin-He Line and get off at Shagang Bridge, and walk along the Jiangchuan Road for about 350 meters (380 yards), you will find the garden.
B. Take Subway Line 5 and get off at Wenjinglu station, and then take a taxi (CNY 15) to the garden.
C. Taxi: CNY 140 from the Bund to the garden; CNY 130 from Nanjing Road.
More Top Tourist Attractions in Shanghai:
Huangpu River & Bund Nanjing Road
Oriental Pearl TV Tower Yuyuan Garden
Qibao Ancient Town Zhujiajiao Town
Jade Buddha Temple Shanghai Museum
