Lilac Garden

　　Situated on Huashan Road, it is one of the most renowned and well-preserved historic mansions in Shanghai. The reputation of Lilac Garden stems not only from its architecture but also from the legendary status of its former owner. This garden combines Western-style garden villas with classical gardens of southern China, featuring three Western-style garden villas. Among them, Building No. 1 is the Lilac Villa, where Li Hongzhang and his concubine Lilac once lived. The second floor is a late 19th-century American-style villa structure. It is now known as Lilac Garden and is listed as one of Shanghai’s outstanding modern architectural heritage sites.

　　As one of Shanghai’s top ten most exquisite garden villas, Lilac Garden at 849 Huashan Road, at the intersection with Wukang Road, embodies the elegance of Huashan Road from a century ago. Today, this courtyard, entwined with wisteria and wrapped in the embrace of ancient vines, still tells an old and romantic tale through its fragrant blooms. It is rumored to have been the private garden of Li Hongzhang, the powerful Beiyang Viceroy of the late Qing Dynasty, who later passed it on to his youngest son, Li Jingmai. Another version claims that Lilac Garden was originally the residence of Lin Kelauf, the British Taikoo foreign firm's manager, before being sold to Li Hongzhang’s youngest son, Li Jingmai. But regardless of which story is true, both are linked to Li Jingmai. For now, we’ll follow the first account. From the late 1860s, as a leader of the Westernization Movement, Li Hongzhang established modern military industries, textile mills, and shipping companies in Shanghai—such as the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, the China Cotton Cloth Weaving Bureau, and the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company. He often stayed in Shanghai, accompanied by his favored concubine, Lilac. Li entrusted Sheng Xuanhuai to purchase a property for her in Shanghai. Understanding the implication, Sheng acquired a 2.67-hectare plot on Haig Road (now Huashan Road) and commissioned the American master architect Isaiah Rogers to design the estate. Rogers was a pioneer in modern architecture, adept at integrating new features like sanitation, fire safety, and heating systems with architectural aesthetics. He designed a novel villa and a large American-style garden, planting numerous lilac bushes—hence the name Lilac Garden.

　　The two villas in the garden are late 19th-century American-style structures (later known as Building No. 1 and Building No. 3). Their exteriors and interior layouts are identical, with a central bay projection. The upper floor features an open veranda-style balcony in a red-and-white color scheme, making the building stand out vividly against the surrounding greenery. The lower floor serves as the entrance hallway. However, Building No. 1 has a concave shape, while Building No. 3 is semi-circular. The lower level of Building No. 1 includes three main rooms facing south: a dining room, living room, as well as a kitchen, storage room, and servant quarters to the north. The upper floor contains three main rooms, with a protruding large balcony in the center serving as a bedroom, alongside a small study and reception room. Lilac and other plants are planted in front of the building. Building No. 3 functions as a library called “Wangyun Caotang.” It has fragrant camphor trees planted in front. The library houses a rich collection of books and antiquities. Later, the estate was inherited by Li Jingmai, who redecorated the interiors with a blend of Chinese and Western styles, featuring many imperial gifts and artifacts from both China and abroad. The walls displayed both traditional portraits and Western paintings. The most striking feature was the entrance carpet—a massive white tiger skin. After Li Jingmai’s death, his son, Li Guochao, donated over ten thousand volumes of books from the collection to Aurora University Library before going abroad. These included military treatises, local chronicles, genealogies, manuscript copies of the “Yuanrou Quanshu,” and “The Complete Works of Li Hongzhang.” Aurora University highly valued the donation, setting up a dedicated room with custom-carved tall bookshelves and naming the space the “Li Family Library.” The university’s journal even published an article by the librarian introducing the collection. After the 1950s restructuring of academic departments, these books were transferred to Fudan University Library—a story for another time.

　　To the south of Lilac Garden lies the garden proper, offering an unobstructed view of its vast expanse, where both Western and Chinese landscaping styles can be admired. The garden features large lawns and towering camphor trees, with three red-and-white British-style garden villas (one of which, Building No. 2, was built after the liberation) nestled among lush greenery. Meandering paths wind through the garden, shaded by tall bamboo. At the garden’s entrance, the buildings are surrounded by a winding, undulating low wall stretching over a hundred meters with 18 rises and falls, often referred to as “a coiled dragon lying in the garden,” hence also called the “Dragon Wall.” The wall has arched gateways known as Dragon Gates, with pebble-paved pathways leading inside.

　　The two villas are late 19th-century American-style structures, with identical exteriors and internal layouts. They feature a central bay projection, with balconies upstairs and entrance hallways downstairs. However, Building No. 1 is concave-shaped, while Building No. 3 is semi-circular.

　　Lilac Garden lies to the south of the villas. The garden is filled with lilac bushes, hence its name. Of course, it is also named after Li Hongzhang’s concubine, whose name was Lilac. The garden contains a lake called the Nameless Lake, featuring a zigzag bridge and an octagonal pavilion in the center with a simple-glazed roof and a phoenix sculpture on top, thus called the Phoenix Pavilion. The lakeside includes dry boats and rockeries, designed in traditional garden style but also reflecting Western garden aesthetics—a perfect blend of East and West. There is also a winding Dragon Wall topped with glazed tiles, adorned with over a hundred intricately carved dragons in various poses. Around the lake, Taihu rocks are arranged into animal shapes, “resembling yet not resembling,” adding playful charm. The garden also features winding paths, small bridges, and stone caves.

　　The garden has a lake with a zigzag bridge across it. In the center sits an octagonal pavilion with a simple-glazed roof and a phoenix statue on top, called the Phoenix Pavilion. It faces a dragon head sculpture in the distance, symbolizing the harmony of dragon and phoenix. There is also a boat house by the lake. The garden is filled with green trees, flower beds, and rockeries, blending Chinese and Western elements. The shaded rocks, fragrant blossoms, and dreamlike scenery create a serene atmosphere. A variety of plants are planted throughout the garden, such as wintersweet, wisteria, plane trees, camphor trees, and osmanthus, but the most captivating are the blooming lilacs. Thus, many prefer to believe that this elegant garden was built for a woman named Lilac.

　　Address: No. 853 Huashan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai (West Gate 1)

　　Type: Historic Residence of a Celebrity

　　Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

　　Ticket Information:

　　No admission fee.

　　Transportation

　　Take a bus to Huashan Road & Wukang Road, or take Metro Lines 1, 7, or 10 to Changshu Road or Shanghai Library Station

　　

　　Li Jingmai (1876~1938)　　Li Jingmai (1876–1938), from eastern Hefei, Anhui Province, styled Jigao, also known as Yousu or by his alias Chengyuan. He was the youngest son (third child) of Li Hongzhang. In the 31st year of the Guangxu reign (1905) during the Qing Dynasty, he served as the Minister to Austria. The following year, he was appointed as an official of the Guanglu Temple. In the 33rd year, he returned to China and held positions such as Ancha Shi (judicial commissioner) in Jiangsu, Henan, and Zhejiang. In the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign (1910), he went to Japan and Europe with a delegation to study military affairs. After the Xinhai Revolution, he settled in Shanghai and engaged in business. Known for his financial acumen, he amassed great wealth and became widely known for it. Later, he participated in the Zhang Xun Restoration, but fled back to Shanghai after its failure. He passed away in June 1938 at the age of 63. "Hefei Li......" More+

　　Li Hongzhang (1823~1901)　　Li Hongzhang (February 15, 1823 – November 7, 1901), styled Shaotian or Yisou, also known as Li Zhongtang or Zhangtong, was a prominent late Qing statesman. He served as Viceroy of Zhili and Beiyang Trade Minister, and was granted the title of First-Class Marquis of Suyi. Alongside Zeng Guofan, Zhang Zhidong, and Zuo Zongtang, Li Hongzhang was known as one of the “Four Great Ministers of the Late Qing Revival.” He was also ranked among the “Three Great Figures of the 19th Century World” alongside Bismarck and Grant. During his tenure, he suppressed the Taiping Rebellion, promoted the Westernization Movement, actively advocated for the establishment of a modern navy and founded the Beiyang Fleet. However, he ultimately had to sign a series of humiliating treaties—such as the Treaty of Vietnam and the Treaty of Shimonoseki—as a diplomatic representative. Li... More+