#The Most Beautiful Homestay on the Southern Anhui-Tibet Highway: Huipai Xilu Homestay

From Huangshan, follow the Qingyi River south to Jing County.

The rolling mountains on both sides of the road are like an ink wash painting.

It constantly gives you a sense of the profoundness of ancient Huizhou.

When ancient artists painted, they relied seven parts on experience and three parts on imagination.

When I first arrived at this small village at the foot of Mount Zijin,

I looked around and couldn't help but be dazzled.

The intensity, lightness, clarity, and heaviness among the mountains, water, grass, and trees

perfectly formed an ink wash painting that previously existed only in my imagination.

And the finishing touch that brought this painting to life with ink charm came from a house.

Exactly, it was this homestay, designed with a modern Huizhou style of leaving blank spaces, that added a touch of freehand elegance and reduced the hint of artifice.

The unique design style of modern Huizhou architecture gives a full sense of immersion.

One side leans against the mountain, the other beside the water.

The homestay's location happens to be nestled between natural mountains and rivers.

Verdant bamboo shades the area, and flowing water babbles.

Upon arriving here for the first time, I couldn't help but let go of all my exhaustion.

My body and mind merged with nature, achieving complete relaxation.

It is a kind of comfort and satisfaction that cannot be found in the city.

I pushed open the rustic carved wooden railing.

Walking along the marble-paved winding path into the homestay's lobby.

A wooden screen elegantly separates the area between new guests and residents.

While the butler helped with check-in,

I looked around.

The calligraphy by Zhou Xiaoping above the doorframe and the welcoming pine below instantly caught my attention.

"When the forest is deep, deer appear; by the creek at noon, no bell is heard.

No one knows where he has gone; sorrowfully, I lean against a few pines."

Looking at this arrangement perfectly matching Li Bai's poem,

I couldn't help but smile knowingly.

I imagined that the homestay owner must also be a wonderful person who loves landscapes and poetry.

After checking in, I went to the pre-booked room.

The room is named 'Xiaozhi',

taken from Qin Guan's 'Spring Day V': "The affectionate peony holds spring tears; the weak rose lies on the morning branch."

Curiously looking around, I found that every room has its own name.

For example, 'He Feng' and 'Zhu Lu' from "Lotus breeze carries fragrance; bamboo dew drips with clear sounds."

And 'Du Yue' and 'Liu Ying' from "Mist-veiled willows darken as clouds pass the moon; dew-laden lotus turns over as water flows with fireflies."

Each room name is derived from a line of poetry.

According to the butler, when the owner originally designed the rooms,

they deliberately ensured that the design language of each room echoed the poem implied by its name.

After hearing this, I opened the door with great curiosity.

Unlike many internet-famous homestays that use bizarre decorations to attract attention,

this homestay's first impression was comfort.

This comfort comes from the spaciousness brought by the modern Huizhou blank-space design

and the unity of the overall interior and exterior style,

which is a unique feature of Huizhou design.

Between the black and white and varying tones, the addition of wooden furniture

makes the entire room clean, natural, and full of vitality.

After a short rest on the bed, when I opened my eyes, the setting sun outside the window had not yet faded away.

I stepped out of the room, walked into the courtyard, and sat by a wooden table.

On the table were brewed tea, tea leaves, a tea tray, and a variety of fresh fruits. Near the wooden table, the sloping sunlight enveloped the fragrant grass and green bamboo, adding a touch of poignant beauty.

There was a breeze, as fine as mist, brushing my face like threads.

I left the wooden table, moved to lean on the railing, and gazed into the distance.

It felt as if the entire ancient Huizhou was right before my eyes.

Such a stunning ink wash painting must have taken much thought from the Creator. Looking up, the tranquility of the sky was just perfect, seemingly echoing the surrounding landscape. Occasional birdsong, in this quiet dusk, seemed like a gentle flute played by the Creator.

The afterglow of the sunset seemed to paint the tabletop.

Leisurely, I took the teapot from the tea tray and a small amount of tea from the tea tin.

I poured boiling water into the teapot, and soon the fragrant aroma of tea emerged from the spout.

The scent felt like silk.

I took a teacup from the tray and poured the tea into it, filling it just seven-tenths full.

I raised the cup and took a small sip.

It felt as if I was not drinking tea, but rather reading a scripture of mountains and rivers.

The sun set.

The sky gradually darkened.

Returning to the room, I stood on the balcony.

The distant mountains were just a black silhouette, like a cloak of night.

The sound of the babbling brook flowed through my heart, soothing my weary soul, long accustomed to city life.

Looking up, I had never seen such bright stars.

Tonight, they adorned my dreams.

Tonight, I dreamed that I was one of them.