A Day in Shanghai During the Pandemic: January 29, 2020

**Yu Garden and the Lake Pavilion:** Yu Garden: Originally a private garden from the Ming Dynasty, i[...]

**Yu Garden and the Lake Pavilion:**

Yu Garden: Originally a private garden from the Ming Dynasty, it was first built in the Ming Dynasty and has a history of over four hundred years. ‘Yu’ means ‘peace’ or ‘security’. The name ‘Yu Garden’ implies ‘Yu Yue Lao Qin’, which means ‘Yu brings joy to the elders’.

The lake pavilion: Built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was officially changed to a teahouse in the fifth year of the Xianfeng Emperor and has experienced 160 years. The lake pavilion has the reputation of ‘the first teahouse in Shanghai’. The New Year’s ingot tea is also their traditional specialty! Many years ago, when I first started learning about tea, I went to the lake pavilion to drink a cup of Taiping Houkui tea!

**Precautions and Isolation:**

My phone battery was dead, so I went to the nearby Quanji Hotel to charge it. Every visitor had their temperature taken before entering. Listening to their conversation, it seemed like there were no guests, just the service staff.

**Subway Experience and Reflections:**

At 5 PM on the Line 10 subway summary: During my 15-kilometer walking journey, I only saw occasional groups of two or three people without masks, and the entire route was very quiet. I bought oden at Nanjing Road; perhaps due to low foot traffic, it was overcooked.

During my time at the Bund, I helped a foreign girl take a photo, and at Yu Garden, I took a picture of a father and daughter. Otherwise, I had no contact with others and generally maintained a safe distance. News continues to report on the situation these days, but regardless, it’s best to stay in as much as possible because you never know who you might encounter, who has been to Wuhan, or who might carry the virus!

**A Word of Caution and Encouragement:**

Human-to-human transmission, coupled with a two-week incubation period, is very dangerous! Everything will get better, Tomorrow is another day! Wuhan, keep fighting!!! Take care, everyone!!!

—