Xu Garden, Historic garden in Xuanwu District of Nanjing, China

Xu Garden is a park in Nanjing featuring a central lake shaped like a boat, traditional pavilions, and detailed wooden elements throughout its structures. Multiple bridges connect different sections, and the entire layout reflects principles of classical Chinese garden design and spatial arrangement.

Xu Garden began as the private garden of Zhu Gaoxu, Prince of Han and son of the Yongle Emperor, in the early 15th century. Under the Qing it served the Viceroy of Liangjiang, and the Kangxi Emperor visited five times between 1684 and 1702. It became the West Garden of the Taiping Heavenly King's Palace, was destroyed by Qing forces in 1864, and was rebuilt on Zeng Guofan's orders from 1870. In 1912 it housed Sun Yat-sen's provisional presidential office.

The name Xu Yuan comes from the garden's association with Zhu Gaoxu, Prince of Han, whose residence garden it originally was. The Paulownia Melody House was built for listening to rain on the paulownia trees and served as Zeng Guofan's reception hall in the early 1870s. The Qianlong Emperor named the stone boat in the pond "unmoored boat", and it has become the garden's symbol.

The garden provides multiple viewpoints for observing the traditional layout and design, with pathways and bridges throughout the grounds for exploring at a leisurely pace. Comfortable walking shoes help when spending time strolling through the different sections and outdoor areas.

The gray stone boat in the pond, 14.5 meters long, is carved to imitate timber woodgrain. The Qianlong Emperor named it the "unmoored boat" (bùxì zhōu), and it became the garden's symbol. It is not a replica of another garden's boat but a structure of this pond itself.