In 1559, a Ming official named Pan Yunduan started the construction of Yuyuan garden (豫园) for his father. It took 19 years to build. As the Pan family’s fortunes started eroding, the garden gradually fell into disuse. Furthermore, several civil conflicts in the mid-19th century caused great damage to it. Since 1949 however, many re-constructions were performed on the garden until it was opened to the public in 1961.
Now it is one of the most visited tourist spots in ShangHai, with markets and the actual inner garden which can be visited. It is a good place to buy souvenirs and have some barbeque lamb.
