Hexin Garden

Hexin Garden is an intimate private garden and antique museum tucked along Xijing Street in the historic water town of Zhujiajiao. Behind an unassuming street entrance lies a quiet estate of courtyards, halls, and landscaped waterways covering around 3,000 square meters. Assembled in the early 2000s by Chinese-American collector Zhao Guoliang, the garden was crafted by traditional artisans using salvaged historic bricks, classical stonework, and antique architectural components gathered from across China.

The garden takes its name from its centerpiece, the Hexin Pavilion. Originally built during the Qing dynasty in the Upper Yangtze region, the timber pavilion was dismantled piece by piece and rebuilt here to rescue it from flooding during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam project. Today it overlooks a koi pond, winding corridors, rockeries, and arched stone bridges designed in the classical Suzhou garden tradition.

Throughout the interconnected halls, the property also serves as a private museum of Ming and Qing dynasty craftsmanship. Visitors can view classical rosewood furniture, imperial-style wood carvings, stone sculptures, and a stele corridor housing fifty engraved stone slabs of the Qing-era calligraphy anthology Xiao Changlu Guan Jitie. Standing just around the corner from the larger and busier Kezhi Garden, Hexin Garden offers a much quieter, contemplative atmosphere.