Thanks to the painstaking restoration work in creating Amanyangyun, a reincarnated historic walled village and lovingly planted evergreen woodland exists just outside Shanghai. The trees themselves were moved after being threatened by flooding and relocated to China’s central coast, 800 kilometres away. Reforesting initiatives are a significant chapter of this compelling architectural and arboreal story, as part of the decade-long conservation project to move the ancient trees to this new location.
Tree-planting is now a much-enjoyed activity for guests, who are invited to name their seedlings. What makes these special memories so appealing is also the prospect of revisiting with their families in the future and encouraging a deeper reverence for nature for the next generation.
Nature’s Patterns
A passion for landscaping and an admiration for the seasonal changes ensures an ever-interesting setting, where the constantly evolving flowers, scents and birdlife engages guests with the magnificence of nature. Amanyangyun's biodiversity is tended by 30 gardeners and plays home to begonias, magnolias, crape myrtles, gardenia, black pines, ginkgo biloba, persimmon, bayberry, feather maples, maplewood, camellia and carpinia.
The abundance of flora is also an enticing stop-off for more than two dozen species of birds such as long-tailed shrikes, yellow-billed grosbeak, warbling white-eyes and kingfishers and kestrels. The WWF identifies this as a valuable habitat for rare and protected birds which rest here on their migration routes.
Guests are invited to take a tour of Amanyangyun’s organic gardens where seasonal vegetables grown include tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkins, carrots, courgettes, herbs and fruits such as pomegranate and yangmei. Another way of showing respect to healthier ecosystems and more sustainable lifestyles is through the farm-to-table restaurant, Arva. Here, the signature dish is the fresh salad of baby carrots, radishes and beetroot, and diners can personally pick ingredients with the chef.
Water is an especially valued element at this riverside resort, and there’s a deep connection to it here at Amanyangyun. River cleans are hosted by the team, with special attention paid towards nurturing the precious carbon-capturing water grasses. Amanyangyun's design honours this reverence through water features throughout the grounds, and a recycling system results in the cleanest high-quality water throughout. Sourced not from a standard municipal system but freshwater, the water supply at Amangyanyun is part of a closed loop.
Conscious Design
Air quality is a concern globally, particularly in urban regions. The added benefit of the resort’s forest is that it keeps the atmosphere extra clean. The woodland sanctuary also spares the surrounding area from development, encouraging healthy soil and a natural habitat. As it is around the world, extreme weather systems mean that temperatures are becoming less predictable, and Amanyangyun’s forests not only provide a year-round escape suited to all seasons but are a precious pocket of natural capital.
The resort’s meticulously reconstructed Ming and Qing Dynasty Villas were moved to the outskirts of Shanghai from their original home hundreds of miles away. Carefully transported from China's Fujian province, the pavilions were rebuilt in their original form, acting as a perfectly preserved homage to their centuries-old architecture. Inspired by this historic design, Kerry Hill Architects imagined the surrounding courtyards and wooden latticework in a way that blends simplicity with storytelling. Evolutions and eco-conscious updates have included a transition to LED lighting, and endeavours to continually reduce energy consumption across the property.