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We are entering the Yu Yuan garden - This
unique area was created in the 16th century by a senior court official (Pan
family) in honor of his parents - but they died before it was completed. It has
survived remarkably well through the centuries. It predates the European
invasion and creation nearby of the International Settlement by some three
centuries. The complex contains ponds, walkways, bridges, rockeries and many
small buildings. During the Taiping Rebellion the "Little Sword
Society" occupied these buildings - thus giving it a special stature in
the eyes of the Chinese Communists during the Cultural Revolution.
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