Yuyuan Gardens is without a doubt one of the best sights in Shanghai. With the intricate rock gardens, carp-filled pools and wooden pavilions scattered throughout, it is like walking in a Chinese ink painting. The advanced level trick is to enjoy it without the crowds...
The problem with me telling you that Yuyuan Gardens is a must-visit on any trip to Shanghai is that everyone tells everyone else visiting Shanghai the same thing. Given Shanghai is one of the most visited cities in the world that can mean your fantasy of existing in the (fictional) painting "middle-class professional gazing at lotus pond" can end up more like "sweaty tourist engages in screaming match with grandmother from Wuxi". But there is a way to experience the gardens without the crowds.
Now I'm going to drop some real wisdom on you here. The secret to being able to visit the gardens with no queueing and no crowds is... (drumroll)... go early! Luckily for you, "early" in this context does not mean get there at 6am. No, that is insane and there will be no coffee shops open at that hour so forget it. Find out the opening hours (at the time of visiting it was 8am) and just show up 2 minutes beforehand. I have done this many times and it has yet to fail me.
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