Zuibaichi Garden - A Classic Jiangnan Garden in Shanghai

Zui Bai Chi is located in the old town of Songjiang, and is a typical Jiangnan garden. It boasts lush […]

Zui Bai Chi is located in the old town of Songjiang, and is a typical Jiangnan garden. It boasts lush ancient trees and a serene environment, offering a rare elegance and tranquility amidst the bustling city.
Although Zui Bai Chi is not large, it is complete with pavilions, towers, rockeries, and ponds. One can enjoy the unique floral garden views through the latticed windows of the corridors. In summer, visitors can escape the heat and admire the lotus flowers, while in late autumn, they can witness the annual chrysanthemum exhibition. The garden also displays hundreds of plaques, inscriptions, and stone carvings by renowned artists.

Zui Bai Chi is one of the five major classical gardens in Shanghai (Yu Garden, Guo Yi Garden, Zui Bai Chi, Qiu Xia Pu, and Qu Shui Garden), and it is the oldest among them. Its predecessor was a private garden from the Song Dynasty, later becoming the residence of the late Ming Dynasty calligrapher and painter Dong Qichang. The existing garden was built by Qing Dynasty painter Gu Daxin on the original site.

Now a public park, Zui Bai Chi is divided into an inner and an outer garden. The outer garden is newly constructed, while the inner garden is the original classic garden. Entering from the west gate on Renmin South Road, one can reach the inner garden by walking deep into the park. Upon entering the outer garden, one is greeted by a brick-carved screen wall, whose carvings display the scenic spots of Zui Bai Chi.

Walking east along the shaded path, one can visit the recently relocated Qing Dynasty classical residence ‘Diaos Flower Hall’, whose wood carving ‘Battle of Red Cliffs’ is worth seeing. Further ahead lies a stone arch bridge, from which one can overlook the expansive lotus pond, especially fragrant and blooming with lotus flowers during the summer and autumn seasons. The outer garden also features a large lawn, a rockery waterfall named ‘Wu Se Spring’, and a teahouse called ‘Reading Hall’.

Passing through the cedar forest, one can enter the inner garden from the western corridor. At the center of the garden is a rectangular lotus pond, which is the Zui Bai Chi itself. Strolling in the corridors around the pond is quite pleasant. Although the inner garden is small, it is lush with flowers and plants, featuring many ornamental pines and bamboos. There is a large camphor tree over three hundred years old to the north of the pond, a peony garden to the east, and golden and silver osmanthus behind the Snow Sea Hall to the west.

Various flower pots are often arranged around the pond and pavilions, especially during the chrysanthemum exhibition in mid-November, which is worth attending to see hundreds of chrysanthemum varieties. Additionally, there is a bonsai garden adjacent to the south of the inner garden, which also offers beautiful scenery. The corridors in the inner garden connect various pavilions, including the Snow Sea Hall, Four-Sided Hall, Pondside Thatched Cottage, Sedan Hall, and Le Tian Xuan, among others. These pavilions are mostly Qing Dynasty constructions, exuding an antique charm and furnished with traditional redwood furniture according to the ancient layout.

Beneath the eaves of the Pondside Thatched Cottage hangs a plaque inscribed with ‘Zui Bai Chi’ by painter Cheng Sifa. In the southern part of the inner garden, there is an inscription gallery featuring many stone carvings by calligraphy and painting masters, including Zhao Mengfu’s ‘Red Cliff Ode’ from the Yuan Dynasty, Zheng Banqiao’s ‘Pretending to be Muddled’ from the Qing Dynasty, and a scroll written by Ming Dynasty painter Dong Qichang, all of which are distinctive features of Zui Bai Chi.
Opening hours: From January 1st to April 30th, it is open from 7:00 to 17:00. From May 1st to December 31st, it is open from 6:00 to 17:00.

Preferential policies:

For the elderly: Those aged 65 and above are free. Those aged 60 (inclusive) to 64 (inclusive) enjoy half price.

For retired cadres and military retirees: Free with valid certificates.

For active servicemen, martyr’s families, and military wives: Free with valid certificates.

For disabled (military) people: Free with valid certificates.

For children: Those aged 6 and below and with a height of 1.3 meters and below (must be accompanied by an adult when entering the park) are free. Those aged 6 (exclusive) to 18 (inclusive) with valid certificates enjoy half price.

For students: Full-time undergraduate and below students with valid student ID cards and other valid certificates enjoy half price.