Yi Garden

Yi Garden

Yi Garden is a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yi Garden

Located west of Chengxiu South Bridge, it is a residence garden originally built in the late Ming Dynasty, covering an area of approximately 3,300 square meters. During the Qing Dynasty, it was part of the residence of Zhao Mei and was called “Yin’er Garden.” In the Daoguang era, it was sold to the Luo family and renamed “Luo Family Garden.” During the Guangxu era, the Luo family sold the garden to Xu Wei, the magistrate of Gu’an County (now Wuxing County) in Zhejiang Province, who named it “Yi Garden.” In 1937, it came into the possession of Gao Junfan and was locally known as “Gao Family Garden.” Today, “Yi Garden” serves as the Shanghai No. 4 Welfare Institute.

“Yi Garden” is the smallest existing classical garden in Shanghai, yet it includes all essential elements such as artificial hills, ponds, bridges, pavilions, towers, studies, boats, corridors, ancient trees, and bamboos. After a century of weathering, the garden is dotted with ruins, overgrown with miscellaneous trees, and its rockeries are in precarious condition, while the pond has become a dumping ground. The Shanghai No. 4 Welfare Institute funded and organized the restoration work. Liang Yousong, a distinguished disciple of Liang Sicheng and the chief engineer of the Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Institute, personally planned the landscaping for Yi Garden.

It is said that the rain view is the highlight of “Yi Garden,” and “Listening to the Rain in Yi Garden” is one of the Twenty-Four Scenic Spots of Songjiang. Even on non-rainy days, when you can’t hear the rain, leaning on the railing of the winding bridge, gazing up at the centuries-old trees atop the small hill that exude historical mystery, and then looking down at a few fresh lotus shoots just emerging from the pond, you’ll be struck by the lush greenery. This sparse arrangement of lotus stems gathered in clusters has become a distinctive feature of the pond. A few fish swim around the lotus leaves, adding even more charm.

Beside the pond is an artificial hill, a yellow-stone rockery crafted by Zhang Nanyuan, a renowned rockwork master from Songjiang. The rockery resembles a cliff, hovering above the ground, with a stone path spiraling upward to its summit. From there, a winding path leads down through a secluded route to a stone chamber about ten feet wide, with a stone bed nearby for visitors to rest.

One must also mention the “Twin Towers” by the pond. The so-called “Twin Towers” are two buildings facing each other north and south within the garden. According to local folklore in Songjiang, the southern building is the “Opera Tower,” while the northern one is the “Viewing Tower.” Both towers are built with brick and wood structures, about five meters high, featuring five bays and seven rafters, with upturned eaves and floral pillars hanging from the corners under the eaves, connected by hanging ornaments, giving them an elegant and graceful appearance. The interior of the “Viewing Tower” is exquisitely furnished; the downstairs is a flower hall facing the pond, with the entire room decorated in rosewood. The upstairs is the area for watching performances, even more delicately appointed. Shi Tuo, a famous Chinese writer and archaeologist, once visited Yi Garden and remarked, “A Ming Dynasty opera tower preserved in such an intact state is probably unique in the country.” In 2014, it was listed as a Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.