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Aman announces unique project in Shanghai

Aman announced plans for its fourth property in China, a village of historic dwellings surrounded by a sacred camphor forest surprisingly close to downtown Shanghai.

The peaceful introspective setting of the project, set to launch in 2017, belies its proximity to vibrant downtown Shanghai and both forest and village tell an incredible story that involves millennia of history, daring engineering feats and a philanthropic endeavor spanning hundreds of kilometers along the country’s eastern reaches.

Approximately 500 miles southwest of Shanghai, the construction of a reservoir in the Jiangxi province in the early 2000s threatened the area’s historical villages and ancient camphor trees, which had stood for more than a millennium.

In response and in a bid to preserve the region’s vanishing past, this project spanning over a decade, entailed the disassembling, relocation and restoration of more than 30 villages, comprising 50 Ming and Qing dynasty houses chosen for preservation, and 10,000 ancient camphor trees.  A rescue team of botanists, engineers, architects and master craftsmen, the latter of which documented fine architectural details for later reconstruction, together confronted this epochal challenge.

The houses were disassembled piece by piece, not only revealing their history but the ancient techniques used in their construction. Ornate carvings and elaborate stone reliefs, which would have taken up to 10 years to carve, depicted family histories dating back more than 2,000 years. These and other architectural elements joined the rescued camphor trees on a long journey, via a fleet of flat-bed trucks, to Shanghai where they would be resurrected.

Trees were planted in native soil, facing the same direction as they had previously. After three years of careful nursing, almost 80% of the trees survived. An old factory was used to safely store and catalogue the disassembled houses before they were restored by craftsmen, the few remaining in China with knowledge and skills to reassemble the ancient pieces. Contemporary structures were built alongside the reassembled ancient houses, creating a living reminder of Jiangxi’s past along side an Aman property.

Within easy reach of Shanghai and set on just over 100 acres filled with the rescued millenarian trees and ornamental lakes, the resort comprises an Aman Spa with two pools; six dining venues; and Nan Shu Fang, a serene garden centered by one of the Antique Villas, curated as a space for contemplation, learning and discussion. The resort’s suites and villas complement the 24 restored Antique Villas, complete with contemporary interiors and private pools.

The architecture, led by Kerry Hill, embodies the essence of Chinese traditional culture, carefully blending the old with the new. This sensitive restoration has not only secured the future of these historic houses, but has enabled the forest to flourish in its new home.

Ma Dadong, the entrepreneur behind this ambitious rescue and restoration project, and a native of Jiangxi, said, “We human beings with our short lifespan are nothing but a fleeting traveler at a moment in time. As a guardian of the past, I realized the only way to protect and celebrate our history was by instilling a new life and purpose into these ancient homes, and to allow the sacred trees that surround them, to be animated with renewed spirit.  Much like the ornate stone carvings and the stories they hold, this ambitious project will continue to recount and nourish the next generation with hopes and expectations for the future.”

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