Victor Sassoon, one of the earliest foreign explorers of Shanghai

In 1932, British real estate tycoon Victor Sassoon, one of the earliest foreign explorers of Shanghai, built an “Eden Garden” on today’s Hongqiao Road. This red-brick villa with semi-exposed wooden framework and a spire has an obvious rural British flavor. The lush grove nearby became its natural rear garden.

The bulk of furniture and ornaments in the villa were made of oak wood and teakwood imported from Britain, and all the locks and metal adornments are exquisitely handmade, making them rare pieces. As a historical site under municipal-level protection in Shanghai, the villa has been returned to the Sassoon family. Tourists can still admire the fantastic building outside its fences and then visit the nearby Shanghai Zoo.