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As pretty as a famous picture
By Yao Minji |
January 13, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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A resort near Hangzhou evokes the style of a painting of the region which was done hundreds of years ago by a master landscape artist. Yao Minji soaks up its relaxing aura.
It is always difficult to choose a destination for the week-long Spring Festival. The beautiful and cultural places are overrun with people. One often returns home exhausted without having seen any historical scenery or attractions. Only the crowds.
Luxury resorts have become a popular alternative and those built near beautiful mountains and rivers often attract the most guests. These include many properties in Hangzhou, such as Fuchun Resort which evokes the spirit of a famous piece of art.
In the painted vista on yellowing art paper, the mountains extend all the way to the end of the river. Houses and landscapes in intricate detail are dotted along the water.
The scene in the painting is so vivid it seems that at any time Taoist monks with long white moustaches will emerge.
The first half of the master Chinese landscape painting "The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" is one of the most significant items in Zhejiang Museum. The piece, 3.2 meters long and 5.1 meters wide, from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was torn in half in a fire. The remainder is in the Palace Museum in Taipei.
Huang Gongwang (1269-1354) was almost 80 when he decided to start painting the work for a friend. It took him four years to finish the large canvas, originally 3.3 meters long and nearly 7 meters wide.
Life wasn't easy for Huang. Like many early Chinese intellectuals, he learned all kinds of artistic skills, including calligraphy and landscape painting. He aimed for the national exam when he was young and wanted to become a government official.
He eventually became a minor civil servant in his 40s, but soon lost his job and was jailed for a while. After that experience, he lost his original ambitions and started touring around the country with friends.
Huang was so attracted by the mountains along Fuchun River that he decided to live there for the rest of his life. The painting, portraying the magnificent rivers and mountains, has always been seen as a symbol of the landscape in southern China and especially in Zhejiang Province.
It was said to have inspired emperors to visit Zhejiang Province after they saw the painting.
For hundreds of years, the scene in the painting, along the section of Fuchun River that runs through Fuyang City and Hangzhou, has been considered an ideal place for seclusion.
The origin of the painting, the tale of an old intellectual discovering harmony between nature and human beings in his declining years, is an attractive one for ancient Chinese literati.
Countless poets and painters have followed Huang's journey to the mountains and interpreted the harmony in their own media.
Today, it is not only the equivalent of a hidden paradise, but also a symbol of luxury. Fuchun Resort, inspired by "The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains," compliments the area's magnificence and harmony with modern facilities and services.
Instead of a bright lobby lit with a huge chandelier, Fuchun Resort welcomes urban dwellers with its simple southern Chinese gardens and accommodation, enhanced by a decor fusing typical Chinese furniture and modern facilities.
Without the flamboyant outlook typical of luxurious hotels and resorts, it is easy to miss the hidden entrance in the mountains.
It's only 30 minutes drive from downtown Hangzhou and the resort also provides a pickup service from Shanghai. All the buildings in the resort are blended into the original landscape as if they were always there. It has captured the essence of a Chinese garden, offering a different scenario with each step along the path.
With around 100 rooms scattered around the resort, it is also quiet and ideal to enjoy the melodies of nature - the sounds of water flowing, birds flying over the bridge, fields sizzling with life and leaves falling.
It evokes the bygone era of hundreds of years ago, back to the time of artist Huang and his painting.
The villas, equipped with swimming pools and serviced by butlers, are the highlight of the resort. Built on the mountain, it is pleasant to look out upon the whole vista from your room. In winter, the view is especially unique when snow falls in the mountains.
Banyan Tree Hangzhou is another hidden resort that is becoming increasingly popular in Hangzhou area.
Opened at the end of last year, the resort is still in a "soft" operation stage and offers introductory rates until March. It is near Xixi Wetland Park, a popular retreat for those fleeing the city.
Water is the dominant theme of the resort and its spa is a highlight. With 36 water terraces and 35 villas, it is designed in traditional Chinese garden style, with interspersed bridges and water features. Rooms are spacious and villas are equipped with swimming pools.
It is always difficult to choose a destination for the week-long Spring Festival. The beautiful and cultural places are overrun with people. One often returns home exhausted without having seen any historical scenery or attractions. Only the crowds.
Luxury resorts have become a popular alternative and those built near beautiful mountains and rivers often attract the most guests. These include many properties in Hangzhou, such as Fuchun Resort which evokes the spirit of a famous piece of art.
In the painted vista on yellowing art paper, the mountains extend all the way to the end of the river. Houses and landscapes in intricate detail are dotted along the water.
The scene in the painting is so vivid it seems that at any time Taoist monks with long white moustaches will emerge.
The first half of the master Chinese landscape painting "The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" is one of the most significant items in Zhejiang Museum. The piece, 3.2 meters long and 5.1 meters wide, from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was torn in half in a fire. The remainder is in the Palace Museum in Taipei.
Huang Gongwang (1269-1354) was almost 80 when he decided to start painting the work for a friend. It took him four years to finish the large canvas, originally 3.3 meters long and nearly 7 meters wide.
Life wasn't easy for Huang. Like many early Chinese intellectuals, he learned all kinds of artistic skills, including calligraphy and landscape painting. He aimed for the national exam when he was young and wanted to become a government official.
He eventually became a minor civil servant in his 40s, but soon lost his job and was jailed for a while. After that experience, he lost his original ambitions and started touring around the country with friends.
Huang was so attracted by the mountains along Fuchun River that he decided to live there for the rest of his life. The painting, portraying the magnificent rivers and mountains, has always been seen as a symbol of the landscape in southern China and especially in Zhejiang Province.
It was said to have inspired emperors to visit Zhejiang Province after they saw the painting.
For hundreds of years, the scene in the painting, along the section of Fuchun River that runs through Fuyang City and Hangzhou, has been considered an ideal place for seclusion.
The origin of the painting, the tale of an old intellectual discovering harmony between nature and human beings in his declining years, is an attractive one for ancient Chinese literati.
Countless poets and painters have followed Huang's journey to the mountains and interpreted the harmony in their own media.
Today, it is not only the equivalent of a hidden paradise, but also a symbol of luxury. Fuchun Resort, inspired by "The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains," compliments the area's magnificence and harmony with modern facilities and services.
Instead of a bright lobby lit with a huge chandelier, Fuchun Resort welcomes urban dwellers with its simple southern Chinese gardens and accommodation, enhanced by a decor fusing typical Chinese furniture and modern facilities.
Without the flamboyant outlook typical of luxurious hotels and resorts, it is easy to miss the hidden entrance in the mountains.
It's only 30 minutes drive from downtown Hangzhou and the resort also provides a pickup service from Shanghai. All the buildings in the resort are blended into the original landscape as if they were always there. It has captured the essence of a Chinese garden, offering a different scenario with each step along the path.
With around 100 rooms scattered around the resort, it is also quiet and ideal to enjoy the melodies of nature - the sounds of water flowing, birds flying over the bridge, fields sizzling with life and leaves falling.
It evokes the bygone era of hundreds of years ago, back to the time of artist Huang and his painting.
The villas, equipped with swimming pools and serviced by butlers, are the highlight of the resort. Built on the mountain, it is pleasant to look out upon the whole vista from your room. In winter, the view is especially unique when snow falls in the mountains.
Banyan Tree Hangzhou is another hidden resort that is becoming increasingly popular in Hangzhou area.
Opened at the end of last year, the resort is still in a "soft" operation stage and offers introductory rates until March. It is near Xixi Wetland Park, a popular retreat for those fleeing the city.
Water is the dominant theme of the resort and its spa is a highlight. With 36 water terraces and 35 villas, it is designed in traditional Chinese garden style, with interspersed bridges and water features. Rooms are spacious and villas are equipped with swimming pools.
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