The Xi's from Dongting, Suzhou was known to almost all the residents in old Shanghai. The three generations of the Xi's had been managing HSBC for over half a century. The family owns a large mansion in the classic Chinese style near East Dongting Mountain of Wuxian District, Suzhou City. It is called the "Xi's Garden (Xijia Huayuan)". In Shanghai, the Xi's also had a large mansion in the style of German castles. It is also called the "Xi's Garden".

Xi Zhengfu was the first renowned person from the Xi family in Shanghai. He was diligent and intelligent, and proficient in the northern dialect, Guangdong dialect, and Pidgin English. Very soon, he grew from a "drummer" to the second comprador of HSBC, Shanghai. After his death, his eldest son Xi Yucheng succeeded his position in 1904 and his eldest grandson Xi Derui in 1923. Therefore, there is no doubt how prominent they were in Shanghai.

The "Xi's Garden" many people are familiar with is located on the Dongping Road; however, the real "Xi's Garden" is in fact a luxury mansion on the Huaihai Road.