"Work began on this Aman 2,000 years ago, in what is now Jiangxi Province, 400-some miles west of the hotel’s present location on the outskirts of Shanghai. Intrigued? The story of Amanyangyun could hardly be more extraordinary. In 2002, Ma Dadong, a self-made billionaire, took a break from business in Shanghai to visit his parents. When he went back to work he took with him some curious souvenirs of his trip—50 disassembled houses from the Ming and Qing Dynasties and 10,000 camphor trees, the oldest of which were dated back two millennia, ancient earth still clinging to their roots. All were slated for destruction to make way for a dam. The houses were reassembled and transformed into 13 antique villas, 24 courtyard suites, and a ravishing cultural pavilion known as Nanshufang. Welcome to Amanyangyun. The old buildings have been cleverly complemented, extended or, in some instances, encased by new ones, discreet, restrained, and hard-edged, the work of Australian architect Kerry Hill. Nevertheless, there are certain elements of pure theater: the carpet of mood-enhancing mist that, at the press of a button, rolls across your villa’s ornamental garden, for example. Yet it is the old buildings and trees that provide the real drama here and impart a unique sense of spirituality and grandeur. FLASH POINT Nanshufang was originally a school and, in a way, still is. Here, guests can enjoy the pastimes of the Chinese literati: calligraphy, painting, music, incense appreciation and gongfu cha, or "labor-intensive tea-making." +86 21-8011-9999; aman.com; doubles from about $900." - CNT Editors
