Yuyin Garden

 

Facts to Know About Yuyin Garden

Chinese Name: 余荫园 Pronunciation: Yúyīn Yuán

Other Name: Yuyin Mountain House or Yuyin Hill House

Time Needed: 2-3 Hours

Building Time: 1871

Occupied Area: 1,598 square meters

Address: North Street, Nancun Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

Building Function: Private garden of Wu Bin (1829-1897), a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level in the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912)

 

Entrance Ticket

Tourists	Price
Adults	18 yuan
Children (1.2 to 1.5 meters)	9 yuan
Seniors (Aged 60 to 64)	9 yuan

    

• Ticket Free of Charge Policy

1. Children under 1.2 meters(accompanied by an adult) are free of charge.
2. Seniors aged 65 or above are free of charge.

 

Service Hours

Garden Service Hours	8:00-18:00
Ticket Office Service Hours	8:00-17:00
Last Entry	17:00

 

What You Need to Know about Yuyin Garden

Located in North Street of Nancun Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Yuyin Garden, with a total area of 1,598 square meters, was originally a private garden built by Wu Bin in the Qing Dynasty from 1867 to 1871. He constructed this garden in the remaining land outside the ancestral hall of his family. He took “Yu Yin”, which means that the descendants would be blessed by their ancestors, as the name in gratitude for the blessings and grace of his ancestors.

 
The quaint architecture is known for its smallness and fineness and features the unique style of Lingnan(the region south of the Five Ridges) architecture. It is worth mentioning that Bodyguards and Assassins and other TV series have been filmed here.

 
Among the Four Great Gardens of Central Canton, Yuyin Garden is considered the most outstanding and the best example of private gardens in Lingnan (the region south of the Five Ridges). In 2001, the State Council approved to include Yuyin Garden in the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

 

Development of Yuyin Garden

In 1867, the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, Wu Bin started the construction of Yuyin Garden when he succeeded in the imperial examinations at the provincial level and completed it in 1871, the tenth year of the Tongzhi period.
 

In 1950, Yuyin Garden was used as offices by the local government. Thus the history of Yuyin Garden as a private garden came to an end.

In 1984, the Panyu County Government allocated funds for the first large-scale maintenance of Yuyin Garden since the founding of China. In 1985, Yu Yin Garden was opened to the public and attracted many visitors.
 

In 2004, the local government allocated special funds to repair the garden while maintaining its historical features. In December 2004, a new conservation project broke ground, which expanded the area of Yuyin Garden. Finally, it was completed and opened to the public on October 1st, 2006.

 

Why Visit Yuyin Garden

Yuyin Garden features smallness and fineness. Its compact but well-organized layout creates a fantastic landscape of a garden within a garden and a view within a view. The garden, built around the water, reflects the feat of garden art. Such a layout allows visitors to appreciate the beautiful view along the winding paths. If you visit Yuyin Garden, you will find that the unique Lingnan architecture says a lot about the cultural characteristics of unity and harmony between human and nature.

 

What You Should not Miss in Yuyin Garden

Wo-piao-lu Room

Wo-piao-lu Room was built as a resting room for the guests with simple decoration and unique windows. The louvered windows in the back make the room well-ventilated and well-lit while the quaint windows in the front provide visitors with a view of seasons changing through the blue and white window glass.
 

The Deep Willow House

The Deep Willow House as the meeting place was named from the verse of a Tang poem, “the leisurely door opens to the mountain road, and deep willow hides a reading hall”. It is the main building of Yuyin Garden.

 
There are two vivid wooden carvings, Cranes and Pine Trees, and Squirrels and Grapes, inside the hall. With 32 fan-shaped windows, the Deep Willow House looks more attractive and opulent. Besides, poems of the three great talents of the late Qing Dynasty and other famous people are engraved on the precious sandalwood screens.
 

Yuyuan Garden

Yuyuan Garden as the resting place, also known as Ladies Quarter, was built by the descendant of Wu Bin in 1922. It is a two-story building with an area of 435 square meters and exquisitely crafted sculptures, where visitors can climb up and overlook Yuyin Garden.
 

Wenchang Pavilion

Wenchang Pavilion, also known as Chamber of Cultural Prosperity, is a horticultural pavilion featuring the style of the southern garden. Such a different style reflects its diversity and compatibility. Additionally, fine pictures of figures, blossoms, and birds are painted in the octagonal pavilion.

 

What to Do in Yuyin Garden

• Taking Pictures in Hanfu

As a quaint Chinese garden, Yuyin Garden is a perfect place for you to take pictures in rented or self-provided Hanfu, the traditional clothing of Han Dynasty style. Of course, it is also a good choice to enjoy the view of others wearing the traditional Chinese dress in the garden.

 

Interesting Story of Yuyin Garden

It is said that the owner Wu Bin decided to plant bamboo in the garden because of the verse “it is better to eat without meat than to live without bamboo” expressing people’s deep love for bamboo, written by Su Shi, a famous poet of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).

 

You Can Travel in This Order

Entrance of Yuyin Garden → Guabang Mountain → Wenchang Pavilion → Ancestral Hall → Stack Room Behind the Lotus Pool → Deep Willow House → Wo-piao-lu Room → View on the bridge → Exquisite Waterside Pavilion → Yuyuan Garden

 

What You Should Pay Attention to

Visitors should follow the weather forecast because Guangzhou is a rain-prone city. It is not recommended to visit the garden on a stormy day, as water will accumulate in the garden.

 

How to Get to Yuyin Garden

By Bus

Take bus Pan 30 and get off at Yuyin Garden Station.
 

Take bus Pan 10, Pan 69, Pan 72, Pan 75, Pan 186, or feeder bus 9 and get off at the Nancun Hospital Station. After that, you need a 15-minute walk. Walk eastward about 80 meters along the Wenminglu, go across the road and turn left, walk 260 meters along the Shixingonglu, go through the roundabout and go straight for 80 meters into the Jiushixinlu, walk about 260 meters into the northern part of Shixingonglu, walk straight about 70 meters into the Yuyinlu, walk about 220 meters to the destination.
 

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去余荫园。 English: Please take me to Yuyin Garden.

If you take a taxi to Yuyin Garden from the center of Guangzhou (DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Guangzhou), it takes about 1 hour (about 100 yuan).

If you take a taxi to Yuyin Garden from Guangzhou Railway Station, it takes about 1 hour (about 100 yuan).

If you take a taxi to Yuyin Garden from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, it takes about 1.5 hours (about 170 yuan).