[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

But - through a series of unexpected events - the property became a 2.5-hectare scenic recreational area offering leisure, catering and accommodation about an hour's drive from downtown.

Rooms still feature old-fashioned furniture and such antiques as sewing machines.

People dine, sip tea and chat over wooden tables amid rockeries, pavilions, fountains and sightseeing corridors.

Newlyweds entertain guests. Children ride horses. Friends converse.

"We take friends who visit Chengdu here," says Liu Feng.

Over 100,000 people visited the courtyard last year.

Spending averages over 300 yuan ($47) per head, says Xu.

It typically serves about 35 tables a day.

Xu didn't expect to make money when he started treating guests in 1987. Visitors were mostly potential clients for his plant-nursery business.

"They came to see my seedlings. I'd usually treat them to lunch," he recalls.

He hadn't thought of making money then. But he did spruce up the property to enhance business opportunities.

Xu planted more trees. The area started to look like a garden.

His place became a landmark in the village. Then word spread.