Plan at a glance
Location, tickets and two visit periods
Shen Garden is at No. 318 Lu Xun Middle Road in Yuecheng District, Shaoxing, next to Lu Xun Native Place. The usual entrance is on Lu Xun Middle Road. The garden is compact, and a daytime visit usually takes 1-2 hours. If you choose the night programme, allow about 1.5 hours for entry, viewing and the performance, and adjust the schedule to the day's arrangements.
The daytime ticket is RMB 40 per person. Students and visitors aged 60-70 can receive half-price admission, and eligible visitors may enter free; tickets can be bought on-site. The night programme, Shen Garden at Night, is about RMB 98-120 per person and includes a live Yue opera performance. Daytime and nighttime visits are separate arrangements, and a Lu Xun Native Place reservation cannot replace a Shen Garden ticket.
Opening hours and reservations
Daytime hours are 8:00-17:00, with last entry at 16:40. The night programme is usually 18:30-21:00, with performances possibly beginning at 19:00 or 19:40; use the ticket information for the exact time. Night-performance dates, seats and prices may change, so book and select seats separately in advance.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
View Visit Optionsvia Trip.comChoose your visit
Song garden and poetry sites
Shen Garden suits visitors interested in Song-dynasty gardens, the story of Lu You and Tang Wan, poetry inscriptions and compact courtyards. The Chaitou Feng Stele, Duanyun Stone, Hulu Pond and Guhe Pavilion are the main daytime sights. Gardens, water, inscriptions and waterside pavilions are concentrated in a compact area.
The Chaitou Feng Stele is best viewed with time to absorb its poetic context, while Duanyun Stone and Hulu Pond work well near the beginning of the visit. Guhe Pavilion faces the water: it offers garden views during the day and a different atmosphere after the lights come on at night. Actual lighting and performance arrangements follow the day.
Night visits and Yue opera
Visitors who want a live Yue opera performance can choose Shen Garden at Night as a separate cultural experience. The night ticket includes the performance, but seats need to be booked in advance; it is not an add-on that can be watched with a daytime ticket.
If you care more about garden details, inscriptions and quiet walking, a daytime visit is easier to follow at your own pace. Couples, poetry readers, history and culture visitors, and small-garden photographers can choose the period according to whether they want the performance.
Build your day
Short daytime route
For about 1 hour, enter through the main gate and visit Duanyun Stone, Hulu Pond, the Chaitou Feng Stele and Guhe Pavilion before leaving. This suits visitors who have just finished Lu Xun Native Place, have limited time or only want the garden's main historical sites.
Complete daytime route
First-time visitors can allow about 2 hours and follow the sequence of the entrance, Duanyun Stone, Wenmei Threshold, Six Dynasties Well Pavilion, Guhe Pavilion, Song Well Pavilion, Hulu Pond, Chaitou Feng Stele, the Nanyuan Lu You Memorial Hall and the Dongyuan Lovers' Garden before leaving. The garden is compact and mainly walked on foot, but there is a lot of stone paving, so leave extra time for photographs and stops when it is busy.
Night route
For the night visit, enter around 18:30 according to the ticket information, see the garden and Hulu Pond under the lights, then watch the live Yue opera in the scheduled time slot before leaving. Performance start and end times and seats may vary by date, so do not treat 19:00 or 20:30 as fixed daily show times.
Get there
Metro, buses and walking
Take Shaoxing Metro Line 1 to Lu Xun Native Place Station and walk about 5-10 minutes to Shen Garden. Bus 52 or 52A stops at Shen Garden Station. Walking from Lu Xun Native Place is also easy, but short distances can take longer on weekends and public holidays because of crowds.
Shen Garden and Lu Xun Native Place are next to each other and can be combined within the same historic core. Before entering Shen Garden, return to its own ticket and entrance arrangements. The two sites can be connected on foot, but their tickets, reservations and evening performance remain separate.
Driving and parking
Parking at Shen Garden is limited. Consider a car park around Lu Xun Native Place or the underground garage at Shaoxing Second Hospital, then walk to the garden. Narrow old-city roads and the area near the entrance are unsuitable for waiting in a car, especially on weekends and public holidays.
Know before you go
Surfaces and visit expectations
Shen Garden is small, so a complete visit usually does not take long. If you are not especially interested in the story of Lu You and Tang Wan, focus on the garden, inscriptions and historic remains rather than adding stops just to extend the visit. There is a lot of stone paving, which can be slippery after rain or in damp weather.
Night performance, guides and crowds
The night performance requires a separate advance seat booking, and prices and seats vary by date. Budget according to the confirmed ticket information; audience interaction, actor proximity and the view from a particular seat may change.
The garden is usually busier from 10:00 to 15:00 on weekends. Enter in the morning or choose the night programme. People may solicit guide services at the entrance; use the scenic area's audio guide or visit independently instead of buying an expensive unofficial service.
Tickets for nearby attractions
Lu Xun Native Place is about a 10-minute walk away. Calligrapher's Hometown, Bazi Bridge and Cangqiao Straight Street can also follow as old-city options. Their proximity or convenient transport does not mean that they share a ticket with Shen Garden; arrange the order according to each site's entry time and your energy.
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