Pearl of Shishahai

The Garden of the Mansion of Prince of Gong extends 150 meters north and south and 180 meters east and west, and occupies an area of 280,000 square meters. Its main buildings boast a total floor space of 5,000 square meters.

The garden blends the style of the lower Yangtze valley with the architectural pattern of the north, and incorporates elements of Western architecture into a classical Chinese garden style. The compound is strewn with rock formations and trees groves, and the buildings are as a rule splendidly ornamented. The garden, which the prince titled "Emerald Grace Garden", is situated in the midmost privacy and deepest heart of a wood. It was the best of the more than 100 princely mansions during its day.

For this reason it was also lauded as the "Celestial Mansion in the Mundane World", or "Pear of Shishahai".