- History
- Restoration of Fool’s Garden
- Importance of the Garden
- Hidden Gem
- How to Get There and Entrance Fees
- Conclusion
- Gallery
If you’re a content creator looking for a beautiful and affordable location to capture content or shoot portraits or wedding pictures, Fool’s Garden or Yuyuan (愚园) in Nanjing is a hidden gem that you shouldn’t miss. This 33,600-square-meter garden, located in the scenic area of Qinhuai in Fuzimiao, is characterized by water and rocks, making it one of the most beautiful gardens in the city.
History
The history of Fool’s Garden in Nanjing can be traced back to Xu Fu, a descendant of King Zhongshan Xu Da of the Ming Dynasty, who owned the garden more than 600 years ago. After changing ownership several times, the garden was purchased by Hu Enxie in the Qing Dynasty. In 1906, Hu Enxie resigned to build a garden to support his mother and named it Yuyuan, which means “the garden of foolishness.”
Hu Enxie built 36 scenes in the garden, including Qingyuan Hall, Chunhui Hall, and Water Stone Residence, among others. In 1915, Hu Guangguo, the heir of Hu Enxie, expanded the garden to more than 30,000 square meters and added 34 new scenes, bringing the total number of scenes to seventy.
Restoration of Fool’s Garden
The Fool’s Garden in Nanjing, underwent a five-year renovation process and was opened to the public in May 2016. The restoration focused on maintaining the original structure, historical style, and spatial scale of the garden based on hand-drawn drawings by famous architect Professor Tong. The flower wall and rockery were reconstructed according to historical photos, resulting in a restored historical appearance.
Importance of the Garden
Fool’s Garden is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and is one of the most hidden gardens in Nanjing. It is a perfect example of a Jiangnan garden of the late Qing Dynasty and is known for its water and rock features. The garden is also an important cultural relic that reflects the cultural heritage of the Qing Dynasty.
Hidden Gem
Fool’s Garden is a hidden gem that many tourists and even locals are unaware of. The garden is especially beautiful in the spring when the blossoms are in full bloom, and in the fall when the leaves turn colour. It was only after spending some time in Nanjing that I found out that this garden exists.
Hurry Up
At the moment there is a very large construction site in the south of the park. I think they are building a shopping center in the south of Fool’s Garden. I recommend you to go as soon as possible to Fool’s Garden before the big building is in the way and within your pictures. This building will probably also takes some of the sunlight of this lovely place.
How to Get There and Entrance Fees
Fool’s Garden is located on the west side of Ming Yang Street in Qin Huai District, Nanjing. It is open all year round, Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:30. The entrance fee is only 18 Yuan, which makes it a very affordable destination for content creators.
This garden is not included in the Nanjing Annual Card, but the 18 RMB are worth spending.
You can take public transportation to get there, including buses and subways (Apple Maps, Google Maps & Coordinates: 32°00’59.9″N 118°46’28.4″E).
Conclusion
Fool’s Garden in Nanjing is a treasure that content creators should not miss. With its water and rock features, seventy scenes, and affordable entrance fee, it is a perfect location to capture content or shoot portraits or wedding pictures. Whether you visit in the spring or fall, you’ll be sure to capture stunning photos that reflect the beauty of this historical and cultural garden. So, pack your camera and head to Fool’s Garden for an unforgettable content creation experience or for just spending a great hour or two outside.
Let’s get in touch on Instagram, feel free to send me a direct message. I would love to hear about your experiences in the Fool’s Garden.
You can find more Ideas for Travelling in this Section of my Homepage.
This post is also one of my new series about Nanjing. Go back to the post: Capturing Nanjing’s Best Photographic Spots for Instagram and TikTok: A Guide for Creators. (coming soon)
If you’re looking additionally for tips or information on ultra-wide-angle lenses for your photography or vlogging, I recently published a guide to Ultra-Wide Angle Lenses for Sony APS-C.
