The villa was originally the site of the Jingu Garden of the Qian Family belonging to Guangling King of Wu Yue State during the Five Dynasties (386-589). It was gradually abandoned in the late Qing (1644-1911) period. After the foundation of new China, the villa underwent many restorations, particularly with the fund invested by the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute in the 1980s. The villa eventually resumed its former grandeur and become the site of China's Suzhou Embroidery Art Museum.

Huanxiu Country Villa occupies an area of about 3 mu (1 mu = 1/15 of a hectare) with the rockery as its main landscape, supplemented by ponds. The main construction is a hall that covers an area of over 1 mu. The rockery was piled up during Emperor Qianlong's reign to resemble a natural formation. With an exquisite structure and a design of great originality, the well-preserved rockery is listed as one of the four unique places in Suzhou City, and provides important insight into the study of Chinese rockeries.

In the southeast corner of the villa is the Lake Stone Rockery scenic area. The rockery, which stretches over a large area and has an ingenious design, is the most famous rockery in the Suzhou gardens. The Lake Stone Rockery was erected with the help of a craft that followed the natural land formations. A 60-meter-long winding path brings valleys, caves, bridges and cliffs together in harmony. Moreover, the peaks are nuzzled by limpid waters, creating an enchanting scene.

The second rockery sits in the northwest corner and is separated from the main rockery by a pond. Green pines and cypress trees, flowers and grass grow in the garden adding a tranquil color to the scenery. A pavilion stands to the east of the rockery. From the pavilion, at a great distance, one can catch the villa in full view. In the west corner is an overlapping rockery that contains exquisite caves, gullies and cliffs.