Review | Chinese tea culture meets Aman luxury at Amanfayun in Hangzhou

Known as West Lake Longjing tea, the leaves are a prized variety grown within a strict 168-square-kilometre zone around West Lake. To this day, they are hand-picked and pan-roasted in small batches, with master roasters using their bare hands to shape the leaves in woks heated to over 200 degrees Celsius. Getting to witness this first hand is undoubtedly the highlight of Amanfayun’s many cultural offerings, which also include calligraphy classes, lantern making, and on the weekend of my arrival, zongzi (glutinous rice dumpling) wrapping for Dragon Boat Festival.

Honouring their centuries-old origins, the accommodations have been sensitively restored using traditional materials, with clay-tile roofs, timber structures, and walls moulded out of brick and earth. Furnishings strike a balance between old-world charm and quiet luxury, deepening the sense of cultural immersion; as a friend remarked, binge-watching Chinese dramas may be fun, but nothing compares to becoming a character in one.

While many hotels go to great lengths to create a sense of serenity and privacy, nothing about Amanfayun’s natural beauty or tranquillity is manufactured. The expansive stretches of forest shrouding the resort’s spa facilities and swimming pool, in particular, are magnificent but not manicured, with greenery growing in just about every direction.

One of the best things about staying here is how unforced and unhurried everything feels. Waking up early to the sound of birds chirping somehow didn’t bother this decidedly non-morning person at all. Having the patience to sit still and silently observe your surroundings for a moment is rewarded with sightings of butterflies, koi fish, turtles and a number of adorable cats who have been named by the staff, while Buddhist monks from the seminary next door stroll calmly down the stone pathways. It’s a pace of life that you feel privileged to take part in as a guest. No one needs to encourage you to make yourself at home.