Kezhi Garden

Kezhi Garden is the largest private garden estate in the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao, located on the western edge of Shanghai. Construction began in 1912 under the wealthy local merchant Ma Wenqing and took 15 years to finish, earning the property the local nickname of the Ma Family Garden.

The name Kezhi translates to study and cultivation, derived from the traditional Chinese philosophy that scholarly learning must stay rooted in the discipline of farming the land. Following this principle, the estate was divided into two distinct parts: a residential and academic section dedicated to study, and an agricultural garden. The residential area features sweeping reception halls, a theatrical stage, a two-story library, and a corridor embedded with stone steles inscribed with Ming-dynasty calligraphy, while the working farm quarter was planted with fruit trees, vegetables, and rice paddies to remind younger generations of the value of honest labor.

Built in the early years of the Republic of China, the grounds blend classic Jiangnan landscape aesthetics with early Western details, incorporating patterned European tiles and imported glass alongside winding waterside paths, lotus ponds, and towering limestone rockeries. It provides an unusually expansive, peaceful retreat compared to the bustling canal alleys just outside its gates.