Accidentally read in a magazine:
An Lu, between An and Lu.
"安" means tranquility and stability.
"Lu" means a place to live in seclusion at the foot of the mountain.
In a bustling city, it is really rare to find a place to hide from the world, and An Lu is such a secluded place.
It is really a desirable thing to bring a child to live in seclusion, especially when the child reaches the age when even dogs are disgusted. My life is full of chasing and roaring. If I can steal half a day of leisure, I will treat myself love. Old Xue said that instead of staring at each other at home every day, you two, you might as well take advantage of the warmth of spring and go out for a stroll. Think about it, so there was this three-day, two-night, go-away trip.
Visiting an ancient town and watching a cherry blossom is our theme, so Anlu has become my favorite choice. I don't seek a secluded world, but a place to rest my soul.
Anlu has its own hotels in Shanghai Zhujiajiao and Shaoxing respectively. Zhujiajiao ancient town with a long history and Shaoxing cherry blossoms in full bloom are in line with our wishes, and the distance between the two is about 2 hours. Self-driving is very Convenience.
Encounters Through Time and Space
Speaking of Zhujiajiao, many people will think of Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, an ancient village formed more than 1,700 years ago, which still retains groups of ancient buildings and a strong historical atmosphere. It's just that maybe it's too famous, and the more people go there, the less tranquility that belongs to the ancient town. So I prefer Anlu next to Zhujiajiao, separated by a wall, separated from the hustle and bustle, leaving behind the precipitation and tranquility of history.
It takes about an hour's drive from Shanghai city center to Zhujiajiao Anlu. I parked the car in the underground garage. As soon as the car stopped, a concierge came to help with the luggage.
The first time I heard Anlu, I just thought the name was nice, so I remembered it. Later I found out that it is a sister brand of Aman. Zhujiajiao Anlu is the first hotel Anlu opened in China. There are often people who want to retreat, but it is hard to find a place to hide from the world. Anlu seems to exist for this paradise.
Different from ordinary antique hotels with superficial appearances, Anlu has implanted Chinese architectural culture into his heart. The buildings here are all from the century-old Huizhou ancient buildings, and every tile and wood are gently telling a section of the past. historical changes.
The "Wufeng Building" where Anlu in Zhujiajiao is located is an ancient Ming Dynasty house with a history of more than 600 years. The ancient town of Zhujiajiao, which has a thousand-year history, has been restored to this ancient town, and it has become the residence of many people for a short time.
The lobby of the hotel is located in the Wufeng Building, which is known as "the first official hall in the south of the Yangtze River".
Wufenglou is a typical Hui-style building. It follows the pattern of "five rooms in the front and seven rooms in the back, three entrances and two wells". Every brick and wood reveals the "slow voice" of that era. This may be an ancient building. Unique charm, walking in the Wufeng Building, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it seems that everything slows down, and the heart begins to calm down. The words "never forget your original heart" in the lobby seem to express the essence of inner peace.
On the tea table in the hall, there are scrolls, zithers, pens, inks, papers and inkstones, which have a special charm, as well as our childhood toys, shuttlecocks, and spinning tops. . . I picked one up for Casper, and hey, look, it's my mom's childhood toy.
The hotel rooms are hidden behind this Huizhou-style Ming Dynasty official hall, and each independent villa guest room creates a personal private space. Before booking, I did my homework, and finally booked Yangting Pavilion, which is the basic room type of his house. His family has a total of 35 hotel villas and 4 types of rooms, but each type of room has an independent and exclusive private garden. So if you want to talk about cost performance, it must be Yangting Pavilion.
After checking in, the butler took us into the room and introduced the basic facilities of the room carefully.
Different from the ancient rhyme of Wufeng Building, the room is more modern. The elegant wooden decoration style and soft lighting make the whole room look low-key and luxurious.
The spring is cold, but the room is as warm as spring, and the sunlight shines in through the large floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which is extraordinarily warm. The independent air-conditioning system can be used safely even during the epidemic, and the whole room is equipped with floor heating, which is really considerate for babies who like to run around with bare feet.
A king-sized double bed, even if you bring a baby who sleeps irregularly, there is no pressure on the space. The bed in his house is very comfortable. It is worthy of being a 7-foot bed of a century-old Swedish brand, with moderate hardness. If the baby is used to sleeping alone, the hotel can also prepare a separate baby bed in advance.
The space in the wash area can also be described as luxurious, with double basins scattered at both ends, which has a sense of Chinese symmetry. In addition to having a separate shower room and toilet, there is also an oversized bathtub, which makes it easy for the baby to take a bath at night.
In fact, Anlu's main name is not parent-child, so there are not a lot of toy tents, rocking horses, etc. in the room, so it is not justifiable to say that he is a parent-child hotel, but as a high-end brand hotel , he may be more suitable for bringing children than ordinary parent-child hotels.
In addition to the daily necessities specially prepared for babies, such as toothbrush, toothpaste, exclusive toiletries, and small slippers, more importantly, the cultural heritage here can also let babies be exposed to traditional Chinese culture earlier.
What attracted Casper the most in the whole room was the courtyard, where he was exploring his own little world with every plant and tree. In his private and independent space, we didn't have to stand guard and let him play to his heart's content.
Recluse is not to clear porridge with dry lamps, but to make the heart rich
In Zhujiajiao Anlu Hotel, there is no need to worry about being bored, because it is easy to find a way to enjoy life here.
I have always been interested in cooking. Cooking is not equated with a disheveled yellow-faced woman. You don't have to hold a big spoon and fry the oil over high heat. In fact, you can learn to make some Western-style dim sum. It can also make our life more ceremonial, so we made an appointment for a sandwich course in the hotel in advance. This seemingly simple sandwich is also very delicate to make delicious.
The class is held in Anlu's all-day dining restaurant. The restaurant is next to the poolside, with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall design, which provides a panoramic view of the blue swimming pool.
Chef Jason has already prepared the ingredients in the restaurant. When he saw us coming, he smiled on his brows. He spoke in a leisurely manner, like the sunshine outside the window, with an inexplicable sense of healing.
Jason demonstrated the ingredients to us while giving a simple and easy-to-understand explanation. When the bread is baked, it tastes the best? How to keep bread crispy? How to keep the sandwich from drying out? It's full of dry goods! Even kitchen novice can learn quickly.
When the sandwich was out of the oven, Casper couldn't bear it anymore. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft after one bite. The rich fillings and mellow sauce made this little guy lose his image. . . I suddenly looked forward to their dinner party. . .
After eating this special afternoon tea, I took Casper for a walk by the pool, the long-lost sunshine, blue sky and white clouds, full of spring~
Zhujiajiao An Lu is like a work of art suitable for slow tasting, which precipitates the essence of Chinese ancient architectural culture.
When you walk to the main entrance of Wufeng Tower, you can feel the magnificence of the whole building. The five pairs of wings resemble the wings of a phoenix, hence the name. The plaque on the door is full of official authority, and a pair of stone lions at the door guard the auspiciousness and safety of the owner. One female and one male symbolize both a full house of descendants and power.
Take a closer look at these two lions, they are really ingenious, even the eyes are different, the female lion looks inward, and the male lion looks into the distance, implying that the male dominates the outside and the female dominates the inside. Our Chinese architecture is like this, the details are worthy of careful scrutiny, and every stroke is a story.
The beams are engraved with mascots such as Kylin, Pixiu, and magpies that imply longevity, eternal life, and wealth. The craftsmanship is very fine and the shapes are lifelike. People today have to sincerely sigh when they see it.
The door is well-matched, although it has been weathered and left traces of the years, but it can be seen that the owner's family background was prominent at that time.
I strongly suggest that you must let the housekeeper take you around and listen to the stories that belong to this Wufenglou, which is also the essence of Anlu.
Stepping into the first courtyard is to start a journey of elegance through ancient and modern times. The corridors on both sides are full of small red lanterns, implying peace. On the wall is a photography exhibition that is being held. Although it is a modern work, it may also be a work of art. It is integrated into this old house and complements each other.
Stepping on the golden bricks on the ground, feeling the flying eaves and cliffs, carved beams and painted buildings, it is the precipitation of these histories that have made Anlu, which is full of ancient charm and simple and sincere.
Facing Wufeng Tower is the stage of the late Qing Dynasty, which also has a history of a hundred years. The front eaves are golden pillars with dragons, and the inner roof has a vaulted caisson. The whole stage is magnificent, and various characters and classical legends are carved. Into history engraved here.
During the cherry blossom season, the two beautiful cherry trees on both sides of the ancient stage are swaying in the breeze, which is extremely enchanting.
In the evening, I was too lazy to get out of the hotel, so I decided to taste the food of Anlu's family. If there are many people, it is recommended to book a private room at his house. The private room faces Wufeng Building. When you open the door, you will see the stage. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows on both sides are designed, Let the scenery naturally blend into the room, private and secluded.
When you come to Zhujiajiao, you will naturally have to taste the famous local water features. Among them, white water fish, as one of the three whites of Taihu Lake, is one of the must-try delicacies in the ancient town. But I have always thought that white water fish is thorny, steamed and tasteless, but An Lu's family has subverted my impression of white water fish. It is his family that tastes white water fish as delicious as shad.
Pickled Duxian is a classic Shanghai food feature, and it is also a seasonal ingredient, especially in spring when the bamboo shoots are fresh and tender. You can drink a bowl of "Jianned Duxian" with an old Shanghai taste, which will warm your heart and stomach.
But my favorite is Yang Zhi Ganlu from his family, which is sweet but not greasy, and a piece of ice cream is just right.
The dishes of his family are very suitable for children in terms of presentation and taste. The rich color matching makes Casper excited about every dish, and the light and healthy taste makes the baby feel at ease when eating.
After dinner, when you go to the room, the room has turned down service, and the health-preserving desserts specially prepared in conjunction with the 24 solar terms will make you sleep well all night.
Steal half a day's leisure
When I woke up in the morning, I made an appointment in advance for breakfast to be delivered to the room, one Chinese style and one Western style, satisfying the different Chinese and Western appetites of Lao Xue and me~
The morning sun shines warmly into the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and it is a wonderful thing to start a new day with a sense of ritual. The two foodies around me couldn't wait to get started.
Yesterday, I made an appointment with the housekeeper for this morning's Tai Chi class. I don't know much about Tai Chi, but it can't stop me from experiencing the charm of this ancient fitness technique from the East.
The hotel has already placed Tai Chi suits in the cupboard. After changing clothes, I took Casper with me, facing the dawn of the morning, and practiced a period of Tai Chi in the doctor's building to cultivate my body and mind.
With one punch and one stroke, one feels the harmony of yin and yang between the heaven and the earth. Every stroke and every stroke is braked with stillness, and rigidity is overcome with softness, as if time is still between the breath and breath. . .
The mother is practicing martial arts, and the son can't be idle, holding a brush, splashing ink, and graffiti, looking like an inspirational essay.
After class, I took my son for a walk in Wufenglou.
Looking up from the lobby, you can see the rows of wooden windows on the second floor, which is the Shuxiang Pavilion. It used to be the lady's embroidery building, the women's boudoir.
But now, it has become Shuxiang Pavilion. As the name suggests, it is Anlu's library. It is quiet and leisurely, and it is a good place to read.
On the side of the stairs is a children's play area. With this treasured place, Casper can be temporarily at rest. Even with a baby, he can steal half a day of leisure and read a few chapters of his favorite books.
In the corner of Shuxiang Pavilion, there is a table with scriptures, pens, ink, paper and inkstones on it. Copying scriptures can easily calm one's impetuous heart. Time flies by between fingers, and it takes a long time to sit.
It was the first time for Casper to come into contact with these pens and inks, and it was naturally fresh. He pretended to paint and draw on the paper, which was very interesting. Traditional culture still needs to be passed on. This is true for architects, as well as for literati. Let children learn more about traditional Chinese art. It will open their eyes, gain knowledge, and learn traditions. Maybe this is why I One of the reasons for choosing Anlu.
His family's spa and Yangxin Pavilion are also one of the special features. Unfortunately, they have not opened during the epidemic, so we can only save it for the next time to experience this unique comfort.
Go back to the room to pack your luggage and start our second stop, Shaoxing Lanting Anlu.
Escape into a wonderland away from the hustle and bustle
From Shanghai Zhujiajiao to Shaoxing, it takes about 2 hours by car, and you can get there in about 5 minutes after getting off the Shaozhu Expressway.
Lanting Anlu was named after Wang Xizhi's "Preface to Lanting", so the entire hotel was built as much as possible to restore the pictures of "maoling and bamboo" and "clear and rapid" described in the poem. Dream.
If Zhujiajiao Anlu is a boudoir hidden in a thousand-year-old town, then Lanting Anlu is a fairyland at the foot of the mountains, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.
It has the same effect as Zhujiajiao Anlu. The buildings here are also relocated from Huizhou, and they are restored to their original appearance here, new as old.
The car is parked in the parking lot, and there will be a special car to pick it up. In fact, the lobby and the parking place are not far away. If you don't have big bags and small bags, it is recommended to walk there, because you will encounter many cherry blossom trails along the way, which is very beautiful.
The lobby of the hotel is located in the General's Mansion, which was also relocated from Anhui. It is a typical Hui style building. The General's Mansion has a double patio pattern, so the lighting is very good. A thick and solemn wax gourd beam can be said to be the whole building. A gem of a building.
In the general's mansion, the number marks marked on the pillars can be seen everywhere. This is not the masterpiece of some naughty ghost, but the marks made by the workers in order to better restore the building. The restoration of ancient buildings is a very complicated and time-consuming project. The buildings are dismantled from the original site, and each piece of material needs to be numbered to record the original position, and is gradually restored. Find old craftsmen and old materials, and try to restore the original style as much as possible. It sounds like a routine step, but every step is a challenge. When there are fewer and fewer craftsmen in ancient buildings, and when the old wood is eroded with the passage of time, you will find that this is not just a house, but also a human building. A cultural gem.
When you come to Lanting Anlu, you may be able to understand the meaning of "how can a real legend start without cultural inheritance".
We checked in in the hotel lobby. Yangming Pavilion or Lanting Pavilion are the star room types here. They are all old houses with a single family. This is the essence of Anlu. Every place is the collection of the owner Mr. Zhong himself. He couldn't see the old house being demolished because of dilapidation, so he collected it, and spent a lot of money to hire many ancient architects and traditional craftsmen to carve and restore it, restoring the old house's appearance. Fireworks~
A building without cultural heritage is a building without a soul after all, and the stories of who used to happen here in the ancient houses before us, and how many things will be performed here in the future.
There is not much difference between Yangming Pavilion and Lanting Pavilion in terms of room type and layout. The difference lies in the scenery seen from the window. The mountains on the opposite side meander.
If we live in one room in Anlu, Zhujiajiao, then we live in a house in Anlu, Lanting, Shaoxing.
There is a courtyard in front of the door, where you can enjoy the flowers and listen to the rain. There is a balcony behind the door, and there is a bamboo forest.
A house with a yard is very suitable for bringing children, and this place becomes their paradise. Looking at flowers, grass and rocks, this is their world.
If you have lived in Aman Summer Palace, you should have a feeling of deja vu here, because this is also the handwriting of Jaya, the royal designer of Aman, and the room type is very regular.
The living room is divided in the center, and the two sides are the bedroom area and the bathroom area. The three spaces are almost equally divided. You can think about how big the whole space is.
Once the two doors are opened, you can see the beautiful scenery in the mountains.
The high-ceiling design of the guest room makes the room appear spacious and bright, even if it is an old house, it will not appear dark and depressing. Lying on the bed at night, looking at the tall beams, I really feel that I have to travel back hundreds of years, as if I have become a lady in the general's mansion.
Although it is in the mountains, the room is equipped with air-conditioning and floor heating, so there is no need to worry about Casper running around the house with bare feet and catching cold.
Parent-child toiletries are also prepared in the room, as well as a retro little red umbrella, which is very suitable for the tone here, but Casper can't play yet, so he can turn an umbrella into a hat.
Lanting Anlu is definitely a good place away from the hustle and bustle. The green mountains and green waters of the exclusive hotel avoid crowds flocking to create a unique quiet place.
Walking along Ruoye Creek with Casper, the sound of birds chirping and running water is in your ears.
The Ruoye Concert Hall is adjacent to the Ruoye River. It is also relocated from the traditional Huizhou ancient buildings and can be used for various conferences. The concert hall is surrounded by a forest of cherry blossoms. It is the cherry blossom season now, so it is perfect to come here for a baby stroll. The Hui style architecture with gray tiles and white walls, against the background of cherry blossoms, is as picturesque as a picture.
Walking along the path is the spa and activity center of Lanting. The blue swimming pool reflects the white walls and black tiles. If you come in summer, this is a good place to play in the water.
After coming out of the swimming pool, after passing a waterside pavilion, there are stone steps here. I am wondering why they are placed like this. According to the staff, it turns out that there are often many activities here, such as wine tasting parties, or doing yoga here in the morning to absorb the landscape. No wonder Anlu does not provide indoor gymnasium and other facilities. Since he chooses to retreat, he naturally wants to integrate with the sky and the earth.
Continuing up along the stream, you can see Jianlongtan. The whole lake view makes you feel refreshed. Casper also found groups of small fish in the lake, and watched them swimming around with great enjoyment. A lot of Huizhou-style old houses are reflected in it, forming a natural picture scroll.
Lanting Anlu is actually between a valley, surrounded by mountains, and one of the mountains is a branch of the famous Kuaiji Mountain in Shaoxing, which also contains fascinating cultural treasures. If you like to climb mountains, you can follow the stone steps. There is an exclusive passage for Lanting residents to see the ten caves of Taoism -- Longrui Palace. If you still have physical strength, you might as well continue to go up, you can reach the viewing pavilion halfway up the mountain, and overlook the entire Lanting Anlu from the pavilion.
I took Casper with me, so naturally I stopped thinking about it. When he gets older, maybe he can help me climb the mountain. . .
Children should belong to nature. Between the mountains and rivers, they release their own innocence.
The hotel is really big. After walking around, it was getting late. We chose to dine at the all-day restaurant in the hotel. The restaurant is very close to our room, and we can have three meals a day here.
Shaoxing is located in the south of the Yangtze River, and the special dishes are also in line with the tastes of Shanghai people, but you still have to try seasonal dishes here, and pickled products such as bacon are also special here. I especially like the chef's plate arrangement. Every dish is made into a work of art. Just looking at it makes people's index fingers move.
To test whether the ingredients are fresh, whether the food is delicious, and whether it is delicious, I think children's taste buds are the most honest. Casper can't help but climb up on the table. The silver silk sea emperor soup is mellow and smooth. Bite after bite of foie gras.
And the combination of crab powder and orange is his favorite. And now that we are in Shaoxing, we still have to taste the most characteristic sauce and co-steaming, all kinds of bacon are deliciously blended together, which is the taste only during the Chinese New Year. The hand-made pan-fry is also a special dish here. I heard that the chef who made the pan-fry has also won the dim sum award in Shaoxing. It is different from the pan-fry in Shanghai. Its skin is crispy, soft, fragrant and crunchy.
After dinner, I gave Casper a bath, and he went to bed at 8 o'clock for the first time. Increasing the amount of exercise is really a good way to make his work and rest regular. We also have more time for ourselves, a rare rest.
Open parent-child entertainment time
Woke up in the morning, opened the door, green mountains and green waters, blue sky and white clouds, made an appointment for breakfast to be delivered to the room at 8:30, and it was on time. It was still a Chinese and Western breakfast, but the variety was not the same. Casper ate a hot bowl face, to start a new day.
Today we are going to take Casper to the strawberry field to pick strawberries. It takes about 10 minutes to drive from Anlu to the strawberry field. I used to never understand why everyone went to pick strawberries. You can buy cheap and delicious strawberries, but you have to go to the field to pick them yourself. After I went there, I realized that this is the joy of life, especially for a child. Word.
This is the first time Casper has picked strawberries in his life. He is very excited to hold a small basket. The strawberry garden is very clean. There are many sheds, big and small, and the varieties of strawberries are also different.
Some grow on the ground, while others grow on shelves for easy picking. Casper's first reaction when he saw the strawberry was not to put it in the basket, but to put it in his mouth, um. . . As a human instinct, there is nothing wrong with it.
Picking has gained experience, and Casper put on a serious face, researching which strawberry is redder and tastier. If he couldn't take it off, he called "Mom" and I went up to serve him.
What you pick off and put in his basket is his, and others don't touch it, quite a sense of sovereignty.
The picked strawberries were put in a basket and weighed. 35 yuan/catties was not cheap, but it was a pleasure to buy. Thinking that there might be many corpses crushed by my son, I thought it was quite a bargain.
Come and see what we have achieved~
The days in Lanting Anlu always feel extraordinarily carefree, either because of the lake, or because of the scenery, or because of the old houses with accumulated history, which stopped time and calmed the impetuous heart.
Back at the restaurant, when the weather is right, you must come here for an afternoon tea. The open terrace overlooks the lush greenery, and the white walls and black tiles blend into it. You can enjoy the sweet afternoon tea leisurely.
During the cherry blossom season, it is natural to order a cherry blossom afternoon tea, which is exclusive to this season. The pink and tender desserts can't help but kiss each one.
There are two kinds of desserts, salty and sweet, small and delicate, satisfying different tastes. One portion is more than enough for a family of three, and some are packed as snacks on the way back.
In the few days in Anlu, finding a piece of pure land and finding a place to meditate has become the biggest harvest. When the cicadas sing in midsummer, we will come back to reminisce about the old days.
