Bamboo Sea Retreat: Three Days of Slow Time in Anyunyue Nanshan

The first rays of early morning sunlight passed through the seams of bamboo leaves, casting mottled light and shadow on the wooden floor. I pushed open the window of Anyun Yue Nanshan Resort Hotel, and the moist mountain breeze wrapped in the fragrance of bamboo leaves came to my face. In the distance, the layers of green waves of Nanshan Bamboo Sea are looming in the morning mist, like a long scroll of ink waking up. The hotel’s complex is discreetly hidden in the mountains, the volcanic rock-studded walls show a natural grayish-brown color, and the layers of texture resemble the rings of the earth. When checking in, the swallow butler handed me a cup of local white tea that was steaming hot. The broth was clear and sweet. "We use breathing volcanic rock on the walls," he explained, pointing to the walls of the lobby, "it can absorb sound and reduce noise, and can also regulate the air humidity." Looking up, the top of the high lobby hangs the uniquely shaped Fu Lu Shou lamp, the light and shadow on the ground cast a reflection of Nanshan Mountain, even with the solid wood front desk of the mountain peak carvings form a wonderful echo. · The courtyard hot spring suite we stayed in is more than 70 square meters, with wood tones as the main tone and linen fabric, which is minimalist and Zen. The most surprising thing was that when I pushed open the floor-to-ceiling windows, the milky hot spring water in the private courtyard was filled with hot air. The housekeeper says it’s a potassium bicarbonate type hot tub, which is particularly effective at relieving fatigue. In the evening, I dipped myself in the pool, watching the dusk cover the bamboo sea with golden veil, and suddenly understood why Tao Yuanming wanted to "pick chrysanthemums under the eastern fence and see the southern mountains leisurely" - this healing feeling of being close to natural skin is a gift that city life can never give. Early the next morning, he was awakened by the chirping of birds and went straight to the restaurant on the second floor. The space of more than 300 square meters continues the new Chinese style, with wooden grilles sifting sunlight into fine gold powder. On the buffet, Liyang's characteristic "three black and three white" exudes tempting aromas - black rice, black tofu, black pork, served with white celery, white tea and white fish. The head chef came over to recommend the casserole fish head: "The herring from Tianmu Lake has been stewed for four hours." The milky white fish soup is fresh and rich in the mouth, with the freshly baked black rice dumplings, and the taste buds instantly crossed to the stove of a farmhouse in the south of the Yangtze River. · While exploring the hotel in the afternoon, I met the designer’s ingenuity in the inner patio. The water curtains cascaded down from above, reflecting the colorful light in the sunlight. Staff member Xiao Han smiled and said that this is the design of "Southern Patio and Sky". The sound of water flow and the rustling sound of bamboo forests are intertwined, and there is even a kind of "bright moon shining among the pines, clear spring stone flowing up" Turning to the outdoors, the three hot spring pools are like jade inlaid among the volcanic rocks. I chose the pool in the corner, watching the water vapor condense into mist in the cold air, and in a trance, I felt like I had become a spot figure in a landscape painting. The third day coincided with a light rain, and the bamboo sea turned into hazy waves of cyan smoke in the rain and fog. I nestled in the corner of the lobby with my notebook in my arms and ordered a pot of Liyang white tea. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sight of several small children treading water splashing on the stone path with their transparent umbrellas, their laughter mixed with the sound of rain was even more reassuring than any white noise. When the rain stopped at dusk, we participated in the bamboo forest hike organized by the hotel. The guide, Lao Xu, was a local, and broke a tender bamboo at will: "Listen, this is the breath of Nanshan." There was indeed a slight "click" sound from the bamboo knot, like the heartbeat of a mountain.