Year of construction: 1925

Type: Personal garden comprising of villas and Diaolou

Located in Genghua Village about 13 kilometers from the city center of Kaiping, Li Garden was constructed in 1926 by Xie Weili, a Chinese emigrant to the United States. It covers 11,000 square meters with artificial waterways, bridges, pavilions, and corridors.

There are several yellow brick blue-tiled buildings in the garden, which demonstrate the fusion of Western and Chinese designs. There are 6 villas and 1 Diaolou, of which Panwen Villa and Panli Villa are the most magnificent.

The rooftop is traditional Chinese architectural style -- glazed tiles and layers of eaves, while the lower part of the villas is Western-style. Indoors, there are Italian stairs, Japanese pendant lamps, fireplaces, edible water, and hygiene facilities imported from abroad as well as Chinese rosewood furniture, large-scale mural painting , relief, and the like.

The gardens flourish with a variety of flora, including the Chinese redbud, kapok, cypress, and other precious flowers and plants. This exquisite combination of architecture and wildlife makes Li Garden both idyllic and panoramic.

Xie had four wives throughout his life, of whom the most beloved was said to be his second wife. The villa Yupei was named after this woman. The furniture and cosmetic remain in their places as ever, yet the people have gone, leaving behind the lingering romance.

　Mingshi Lou

Year of construction: 1925

Type: Julou

Owner: Fang Runwen

Life is peaceful here: Villagers chop sugar canes, geese seek shade beneath banana palms, and crabs cluster beneath bridges.

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