Nanjing Yu Garden (Hu Family Garden)

Nanjing Yu Garden (Hu Family Garden)

Nanjing Yu Garden (Hu Family Garden) is a cultural heritage site protected by Nanjing Municipality.

The "Hu Family Garden" was originally named Yu Garden. It is located at No. 2 Hu Family Garden in the southwest corner of Nanjing, fronting Mingyang Street and backed by Hualu Hill. Stretching about 240 meters from north to south and 100 meters from east to west, it consists of two parts: the residence and the garden. The most distinctive feature of the entire garden is its use of water and rock arrangements. As one of the renowned gardens of late Qing Dynasty Nanjing, it is known as the “Lion Grove of Jinling.” Its design can even be compared to that of Zhanyuan Garden, hailed as the “No. 1 Garden of Jinling,” and its architectural value is no less than that of the Ganxi Residence, also known as the “Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Rooms.”

The Hu Family Garden was originally a private villa owned by Xu Fu, a descendant of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan of the Ming Dynasty. Later, the garden changed ownership to the Huizhou merchant Wang family, and then to Wu Yongguang. After the Qianlong era, the garden gradually fell into decline. In the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), Hu Enxie, a notable figure of the Qing Dynasty, resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown. He purchased the site of the former West Garden and built Yu Garden in the early years of the Guangxu reign. The garden featured structures such as the Qingyuan Hall, Chunhui Hall, Shuishiju, Wuyin Jingshe, Fen Yin Xuan, Songyan Pavilion, Qingshan Ban Du Lou, Miju Corridor, Yiqin Baishi Zhi Zhai, Jingli Furong, Jian’an, Chengshi Shanlin, Jiyun Xuan, Yanqing Pavilion, Rongan Xiaoshe, Qiushui Jianjia Pavilion, Qiyun Pavilion, Chunshui Xuan, Liutan Bo Guang, Kegeng Caotang, Xiaotai, Yangsi Shanzhuang, Zai Shui Yi Fang, Shuyu, Xiaocanglang, Zhuwu, Xiaoshan Jiaochu, Anwo, Qiting, Mu Ting, Xipu, Meiyen, Yu Lake, Luping, Jiehua Bridge, and Duhel Bridge—totaling 36 scenic spots—marking the garden’s heyday, when it was known as the “Lion Grove of Nanjing.”

To the public, Hu Enxie had reached the pinnacle of his career as a provincial governor, with ample prospects for further promotion. Yet he chose to resign and return home, which many considered extremely “foolish.” Moreover, to assert his refined character, Hu intentionally “called himself foolish and renamed the garden Yu Garden.” In reality, he implied the idea that “true wisdom often appears as folly.” Since then, the garden has been commonly known among the people as Hu Family Garden. After the Xinhai Revolution, the garden was occupied by Zhang Xun’s queue-wearing soldiers and was destroyed during the battles of the Second Revolution. Though it was later restored, it was once again ruined during the Anti-Japanese War, and today only the original pond and some ruins remain.

The "Hu Family Garden" was the most famous of the private gardens in late Qing Dynasty Nanjing. In the past, it featured expansive woods, rockeries, ponds, and even small boats. But with the passage of time, the rockeries disappeared, the ponds were filled in for construction, and gradually, the garden lost its original form, becoming residential housing land.

There is strong public support for the reconstruction of the "Hu Family Garden." The Qinhuai District has launched a protection and restoration project for Hu Family Garden. According to the preliminary “Yu Garden Planning and Design Proposal,” the project will cover an area of 5.64 hectares, including preliminary demolition, building preservation, and landscape development. Based on the creation of the distinctive Yu Lake, the garden will be rebuilt according to its original private garden layout. The reconstructed Hu Family Garden will not simply restore a classical garden or renovate traditional residences, but aim to create a cultural landscape complex integrated into the overall Qinhuai Scenic Belt.

Address: No. 2 Hu Family Garden, Qinhuai District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (Mingyang Street)

Transportation: Within Nanjing, take bus routes 14, 19, 35, 62, 62-interval, 63, 75, 80, 81, 85, 94, 103, 128, 301, 313, 317, or 812, get off at Jiqingmen Station, and walk east along Mingyang Street to reach the garden.

Fengyou Temple Community: Located in the old southern part of the city, Fengyou Temple Community borders the Mingyang Street scenic boulevard to the east, Jiqing Road to the north, and the ancient city wall to the west and south, covering an area of approximately 0.28 square kilometers. It has 32 residential buildings, 2,677 registered households, and a population of 4,960. The area includes attractions such as Yu Garden, Phoenix Terrace, Apricot Blossom Village, and the ancient Waguan Temple. … More information about Fengyou Temple Community++