A place has to have a special kind of magic for Adrian Zecha, founder of Amanresorts, to choose it for a new hotel. It’s a 20 minute ride from Hangzhou, considered the cradle of Chinese civilization, along lanes lined with ancient trees, past waterways and channels to the meticulously restored ensemble of partly historic buildings that originated in the Tang Dynasty. Gardeners from the nearby tea plantations used to dwell in the landmark-protected village. The wooden buildings roofed with curving clay tiles and containing the 42 rooms, suites, and villas were restored according to traditional models using historic materials.
