Yuyuan Garden - Outer Garden

The Outer Garden of the Yuyuan Garden, dating from 1559, was extended in 1577. In 1760 the overgrown gardens were bought and partially redesigned by a group of merchants. The popular taste of the time is reflected especially in the main hall Sansui Tang with its roof ornaments, figurative representations in bas-reliefs and window openings, and in the walls adorned by dragons. The best known building is the Hall of Spring (Dianchun Tang), where the Company of the Little Swords (Xiaodao Hui) had its headquarters between 1853 and 1855, when it ruled Shanghai. Of great historical importance are the artificial rocks in this part of the garden, the only work of the master garden designer Zhang Nanyang that has been preserved. It was created not