Shanghai Minhang Guteng Garden 上海闵行古藤园

We have been planning for a few weeks now to visit this garden called GuTeng Garden 古藤园 in Minhang District 闵行区. At first we have given our driver the address at 闵行区临沧路148号(东川路江川路间). However, after asking around our driver could not find any of his friends who know this place. Finally I checked the website for a more detail information and printed out the streets map. Go to Minhang district and find its main road called DongChuan Road 东川路. Our driver knows this road because it is the main road. From here go straight until it hits 临沧路. Turn left into a very small and narrow back street. The garden is just right on the righthand side of this road. When we arrived here today, the narrow road is under renovation.

This garden requires no entrance ticket to enter. There are plenty of free parking space just in front of this garden, thus parking was not a problem.

Main entrance to this garden

Upon entry to the garden, there was a large yellow color sign like all gardens in Shanghai that displays the name of this garden, "古藤园".

This is a red pavilion with a rock formation just in front of it and also a small lotus pond. We have taken a leisure time at this pavilion.

Guide map of this garden (left) and path leading round it

After the pond, we came across the first stone arch gate in this garden. Due to the fact that it just stopped raining awhile back before we arrive, there were lots of mosquito. We have to look at the scenery and at the same time swapping and killing them in the air, on our legs and hands.

First stone arch gate

Weather forecast signboard for visitor as shown above in the photo on the right was that it was a rainy day. Luckily for us during our time in this garden it did not rain.

River of sort of canal along one part of the garden

More family photo with the arch

After taken the hit by mosquito, we left the first stone arch and headed for the center of this garden. Here, there is the main attraction of this garden - a 470 years old Wisteria sinensis sweet 紫藤. It is a protected ancient tree. This is where the garden had gotten it's name.

470 years old Wisteria

Ancient tree protection notice

Many view and angle of this tree captured

It was amazing to see that a tree this old and ancient still surviving well after 470 years. You can still see the vines growing on the shelter roof built to let it grow. Imagine how many emperors and period it had endured and experience through. How many poets, ministers and common people had came visit and sat in front of it admiring its splendor.

After this Wisteria garden, we went on to the second stone archway of this garden. This is a larger archway compared to the first one.

Second stone archway

Pillars on both sides of this stone arch

Stone arch capture from back angle

A small red building a the back of the second stone arch

Beyond the second stone arch, we strolled along the interior of this garden and admiring the garden scenery.

Signage showing ways around the garden

Circular gate in the garden

More scenery of this garden

Lotus in the pond

Clover shaped doorway

There is a tea house by the lake. When we were here, there was quite a lot of old timers having a gathering and party. Seems that this garden is although not famous to tourist, it is quite famous and frequented by the locals.

Corridor surrounding the pond

Tea house in front of the pond

I managed to use the special feature of my Canon digital camera and captured few panorama photos of this garden.

First panorama photo below was taken with a view of the tea house in front of the lake and also the red veranda or corridors leading around the pond.

Panorama view #1

Second panorama photo below is covering more view of the pond at the left side. It also extended the view to the pavilion where I was standing to capture this view. If you see carefully, you could see little Ethan enjoying his biscuit.

Panorama view #2

Overall impression of this garden is utmost satisfaction. It is a place worth visiting although not commonly known to tourist. Be sure to be well prepared with road names and maps before coming here as the road leading to here can be misleading. Don't miss the small narrow back lane to this garden.