Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai

Apparently these gardens were built around the 1550s by a man who wanted to create a tranquil and beautiful place for his elderly parents. The scenery was spectacular, and it's offset by the wierd realization that this garden is smack in the middle of this massive city. As such, it comes off feeling like a place of refuge, which makes sense considering the intent of the original builder. The gardens were swarmed with tourist crowds, which made it a little difficult to appreciate the place the way it was probably meant to be enjoyed. We were able to find pockets of solitude, and snapped over a hundred photos of the gardens and structures.