Qiuxia Garden is located in the Jiading District, and is as renowned as Yu Garden, Guyi Garden, Zuibaichi, and Qushu Garden among the classical gardens of Shanghai. The garden features a compact layout centered around a clear pond, surrounded by stone mountains and towering ancient trees, offering a unique experience of ‘scenery at every step’.
Originally constructed during the Ming Dynasty, Qiuxia Garden was formed by merging three private gardens — Gong’s Garden, Shen’s Garden, and Jin’s Garden — along with the City God Temple. Most of the structures within the garden date back to the Ming Dynasty, while the City God Temple traces its origins to the Song Dynasty. The garden is divided into four scenic areas: Peach Blossom Pond, Ningxia Pavilion, Qingjing Pond, and the City God Temple. The main attraction is the Poolside Thatched Cottage in the Peach Blossom Pond area. Every autumn, the garden is adorned with red maples, making it an ideal spot for maple viewing and photography. Upon entering the garden from the south gate, one first reaches the City God Temple area in the southeast of the garden, which features the main hall, ‘Gong’ corridor, and the sleeping palace, all of which were rebuilt during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. The main hall is grand and now serves as the ‘Shanghai Folk Culture Exhibition Center’, while the sleeping palace is decorated with an elaborately furnished large bed and other household items. Additionally, the well pavilions on either side of the garden’s south gate are original structures of the City God Temple. The Ningxia Pavilion area, located in the eastern part of the garden and originally the site of Shen’s Garden, features interconnected courtyards and corridors, with a large number of trees and flowers planted. The area is centered around a large screen mountain made of Taihu stones, surrounded by structures such as Ningxia Pavilion, Liaoyan Hall, Youcheng Hall, Fushu Hall, Huancui Pavilion, Pingshan Hall, and Shuyu Studio. The Peach Blossom Pond area, in the southwest of the garden and part of the original Gong’s Garden, is centered around the Peach Blossom Pond. To the south, there are structures such as Evening Fragrance Residence, Jixia Pavilion, Poolside Thatched Cottage, and Yiwei Hall. To the west, there is Conggui Pavilion, and to the north, there are Jimountain Pavilion and Biguang Pavilion, among others. These structures are either built on the mountains or constructed by the pond. The Poolside Thatched Cottage, resembling a boat, is also known as the ‘Boat That Does Not Sail’, offering a beautiful view of the Peach Blossom Pond. The Qingjing Pond area, in the northern part of the garden and the site of Jin’s Garden, is connected to the Peach Blossom Pond in the south. To the north of the pond, there is Sanyin Hall, to the east, there are Liuyun Residence, Qiushui Pavilion, and Qing Pavilion, and to the west, there are Qingpine Ridge, Suihan Pavilion, and Bu Pavilion. Qingpine Ridge is a small mound made of piled soil, planted with pine, maple, magnolia, and wintersweet trees, and features artificial mountains, waterfalls, and pavilions, making it an excellent spot for rest and relaxation. The garden is open all year round from 08:00 to 16:30. Preferential policies include free admission for military personnel: retired cadres, retired military personnel, active-duty soldiers, martyrs’ families, disabled (military) individuals, and veterans. Seniors aged 65 and above (including 65) enter for free; those aged 60 to 65 (including 60 but excluding 65) enjoy a 20% discount. Children aged 6 or below or under 1.3 meters in height enter for free.Free admission for children under 3 meters in height, and those holding the ‘Jiading Elite Talent Service Card’ (each cardholder can bring up to 3 additional people for free). Free admission for firefighters, including active, retired, and disabled firefighters (including government professional firefighters) and students from fire rescue academies. Free admission for full-time university undergraduate and below students. Half-price admission for individuals aged 6 to 18 years old (excluding 6 years old and including 18 years old). Half-price admission for holders of the ‘Shanghai Trade Union Membership Card’ (only valid for the cardholder). Additional 20% discount for holders of the ‘Shanghai Trade Union Membership Card’. Supplementary note: Visitors must provide valid documents such as ID cards, senior citizen cards, social security cards, residence permits, military officer certificates, disability certificates, student cards, and fire certificates (or electronic versions of these documents) to enjoy the above discounts.
