This is the Merchant Guild Hall. Built in 1715 during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, it tells the story of Shanghai’s shipping development before the Opium War. It’s just 3 kilometers from the Bund, and only 642 meters from the tailor market, which is popular with foreigners. Yet, it remains largely unknown.
However, today, the main character isn’t the building itself, but rather the small garden right beside it.
In Chinese gardens, three things are essential: vitality, Yi Jing, and Feng Shui.
Vitality is obvious to the naked eye, so I won’t dwell on it. Yi Jing is a poetic state of mind, an artistic conception that is hard to convey, so I’ll let the words on the screen do the talking. As for Feng Shui, it’s a bit complex. But in short, it’s about letting nature flow through the air, or arranging the space to live comfortably with nature.
All of this revolves around one core idea: “Though created by human hands, it looks as if it was formed by nature itself.”
I’ve traveled all across the Jiangnan region, the heartland of Chinese gardens, and this corner is one of the finest examples I’ve ever seen, even if it’s a reconstruction or a newly built one.
Category: Exploring Shanghai
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One of My Favorite Small Gardens
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Another Reason Why Chinese People Visit Temples
A few days ago, I told a friend from New Jersey about an experience I had at the Jade Buddha Temple. He thought I was a Buddhist.
I explained that I went there just for the vibes and the lotus flowers. He didn’t question further, but I could see the confusion on his face.
Well, for many Chinese people, visiting a temple is just like an architecture student visiting St. Peter’s Basilica.
Buddhism and Taoism, blended with Confucianism, are deeply woven into our language and history, so we’ve been learning about and influenced by them since we were kids.
That’s why many people go to temples for cultural reasons, not religious reasons.