| The fish-tail dragon flies high above this building seen from the Inner Garden 内园. Notice how the angles of the building maximize the amount of light and the number of different scenes that can be seen. The eaves of the building are an excellent example of southern Ming style architecture.
After the Anti-Japanese War and the revolution, Yu Yuan was in a sorry state. The American occupation forces in Japan had returned all of the artifacts that could be identified, but a century of upheaval and revolution starting with the Small Dagger Society left Yu Yuan bare. In 1956, the Shanghai government began a restoration project to preserve what was left and rebuild the central core. Originally 70 Chinese acres (11.5 acres), it is now 30 Chinese acres (4.9 acres). It was opened in 1961 with additional shopping areas around the garden built in the southern Ming style.
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