Vows of Sea and Mountain | Blissful Memories Amidst Mountains and Sea, Sweet Moments in a Castle

“Since ancient times, architecture has been a vessel for emotions. From Neuschwanstein in Germany to the Taj Mahal in India, every castle has witnessed its own beautifully legendary love stories...”

The owner, Mr. Zhao, was once a journalist. Thanks to his work, he traveled the world frequently and has visited nearly 30 of the world’s 50 most famous castles. After witnessing countless love stories, he believed that the most beautiful architecture is meant to express eternal love—an immensely romantic notion. So after returning to China, he poured all his appreciation for natural beauty and longing for love into building a castle at Laoshan.

The vast Yellow Sea and the towering Laoshan Mountain: sea-born mist billows to lift the mountain, while the mountain harnesses clouds to magnify the sea’s power. Among the world's famed mountains, some erupt from the earth, some are clustered by peaks—yet only Laoshan strides across the sea, treads on clouds, and seems to descend from the sky.

“Mountains and sea, islands and sand—every imagination about love and life can find a home here.” The far ends of the earth might feel too melancholy, but mountains and the sea have always been the most romantic vow. While searching for a castle location, he fell in love at first sight with this little Laoshan village, nestled between mountain and sea: the sea’s grandeur, the mountain’s boldness, and those romantic moments when dusk kisses the deep blue waves and couples walk hand in hand along the shore, splashing through the surf.

He chose the spot also because he was fortunate to encounter a huge, multicolored raw stone from Laoshan, embedded in the mountainside like a gorgeous gem. Over millions of years, Laoshan has witnessed seas turn into land, nourished by the essence of the sun and moon, sculpted by wind and water—making this stone ever more colorful, hard yet delicate. As one poem praises: “A single stone with many jade-like qualities, five colors clearly delineated.” Another says: “A thousand charms, all captured in a fist-sized stone.” (The castle structure includes over one hundred arches, two sets of twin windows, towers, a barbican, a belvedere, a sky pavilion, a large terrace, a waterfall, a bar, and a natural mountain wine cellar.)

Skilled workers are easy to find, but true craftsmen are rare. The castle took twelve years to build. Mr. Zhao hired eleven stonemasons, who chiseled a massive rock into 199,158 arch stones. Throughout construction, every stone was shaped purely by hand, with no modern machinery involved. Built against the mountain, with natural boulder walls and a roadway laid on a single stone foundation, it retains the most natural look of raw stone.

Mr. Zhao believes: “The best way to judge a building is to see how well it blends into nature.” The most desirable living environments for humans are either mountain dwellings or sea views. Here, midway up the mountain, surrounded by pines and cypresses, the castle sits above a fishing village of red-tiled roofs and stone walls. Right before you lies the serene Liuqing Bay, dotted with distant sailboats.

Moreover, the castle’s landscaping and architecture merge into the most beautiful scenery. The entire castle, inside and out, is consistent, preserving the materials' primeval internal qualities and external forms. The metallic elements in the stone naturally glint with a subtle sheen.

Standing inside the castle, at night you can see a sky full of stars, and the sound of waves from the sea below drifts up now and then, as if in a fairy tale. In the west courtyard, there are many fruit trees—pomegranate, fig, apricot, jujube, cherry, and grape—all planted and tended by the owner.

The castle abounds with places that nurture romance: the stone buildings rich with a noble, old-world charm; the little “Garden of Eden” symbolizing pure love; the “palm trees” suggesting lifelong companionship; the balcony that seems lifted from Romeo and Juliet’s tryst; the cellar scented with aged wines...

Speaking of fine wine and love—they are like a pair of joyful sisters, always arriving together. And fine wine, just like love, slowly ferments and grows richer. The natural mountain wine cellar, with its constant temperature and humidity, is where Mr. Zhao stores over 12,600 bottles of wine from an Italian centennial winery, each bottle aged at least 24 years.

“At dawn’s first light, draped in rosy clouds and mist, it rides the indigo mountain to gaze proudly at the emerald sea; at sunset, with floating lights and fleeting shadows, it hovers over the vast waters and merges with the green hills.” This is a classical, romantic, free-spirited castle. Today, it not only represents a distinctive cultural facet of Laoshan but has also become a popular photo spot for young couples’ wedding shoots, witnessing countless happy moments.

Those pavilions and terraces set against sea and mountain, those plants and details that symbolize love, the stone textures on the walls, the stories accumulated over the years... the vows made here carry a flavor all their own. Love here is radiant, both grand and delicate; its pledges come with poetry and wine, with lute and song. With such romance witnessed by this immortal mountain by the sea, doesn’t your heart skip a beat?