Shen Garden

沈园

A Southern Song garden where Lu You and Tang Wan wrote the poem "Crown of Hairpins" on a wall. It is the only surviving private Song-dynasty garden in Shaoxing, and the live outdoor Shaoxing opera night show is the most popular attraction.

Shen Garden sits on Lu Xun Middle Road, just east of Lu Xun's Hometown. It was originally a private garden of the Shen family during the Southern Song dynasty. It became famous because the poet Lu You and his former wife Tang Wan met here, and Lu You wrote the poem "Crown of Hairpins" on the wall. It is the only Song-dynasty garden in Shaoxing that survives today. The garden has three areas. The historic zone contains Song-dynasty remains, including Lonely Crane Studio, the Six Dynasties well pavilion, the Song well, Gourd Pond and the Eight Chanting Tower. In front of Lonely Crane Studio, the wall inscription carries two "Crown of Hairpins" poems by Lu You and Tang Wan. This is a must-see. The East and South Gardens were expanded in the 1980s and include the Poetry Realm Garden, the Lu You Memorial Hall (which displays his life and poetry), Wuguan Hall and Anfeng Hall. The garden has lush old trees and pavilions beside water. Plum and crabapple blossom in spring, and osmanthus blooms in autumn. The night tour is Shen Garden's signature. The live show "A Night at Shen Garden" lasts about 60 minutes and usually runs at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. It presents the love story of Lu You and Tang Wan through Yue opera and Kunqu opera. Lights in the garden reflect on the waterways. Tickets cost around 100 to 150 yuan, and you should book early during peak season. Daytime admission is 40 yuan. A combined ticket that includes East Lake, Lanting and other sites is better value. A visit takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. It is a five-minute walk from Lu Xun's Hometown, so the two can form an afternoon-to-evening route. Getting there: about an eight-minute walk from Lu Xun's Hometown Station on Metro Line 1. Tips: Guides often explain the "Crown of Hairpins" wall, so you can listen in for free. Night show seats are limited, so enter early. Stalls selling yellow rice wine popsicles and stinky tofu stand at the garden gate.

Shen Garden

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