Floral Luxury·Lanting Homestay: Living Inside a Frame of "The Wizard of Oz," Every Breath is Healing

Pushing open the bamboo gate of Floral Luxury·Lanting Homestay feels like stepping into a living oil painting—lush green vines climb white walls, bougainvillea cascades like curtains, and wild mint peeks through the cracks of stone paths. Even the air carries the sweet fragrance of plants. After staying here for two nights, I finally understood what it means to "live within the scenery." 1. The Courtyard: A Spilled Palette of Greenery The courtyard resembles a miniature botanical garden, with surprises hidden in every corner. At dawn, sunlight filters through the century-old camphor tree, casting dappled shadows on the stone tea table. The butler told me this tree is the homestay’s "treasure," with a wicker swing and a wooden tea table beneath it. I often curled up here reading, watching light dance on the pages and butterflies rest among the hydrangeas—even daydreaming became a delight. In the afternoon, following a pebble path deeper into the garden, I discovered a glass greenhouse. Succulents, ferns, and air plants stacked on wooden shelves made it feel like stepping into a fairy-tale garden. The highlight was a bamboo water curtain in the corner, its gentle trickle drowning out the cicadas and instantly calming the mind. 2. The Rooms: A Symbiosis of Nature and Comfort My "Cloud Nest" panoramic room offered sweeping mountain views right outside the window. The designer preserved the wooden beams of the original structure, pairing them with linen curtains, rattan furniture, and potted plants—blending rustic Zen charm with modern comfort. The bathroom’s floor-to-ceiling window faced a bamboo grove. Soaking in the tub, watching bamboo shadows sway in the mist, I felt at one with nature. The bedding was luxuriously soft, and with a downy pillow and the distant murmur of a mountain stream, even my dreams carried the scent of fresh grass. A delightful surprise was the custom herbal toiletries—shampoo infused with rosemary, body wash scented with lemongrass—turning every shower into a forest spa. 3. The Butlers: Poets of the Wilderness The homestay’s butler team are like "wilderness poets," subtly touching hearts with thoughtful gestures. Upon arrival, I was greeted with a homemade hibiscus-hawthorn drink, tart and refreshing. At breakfast, a mint leaf folded into a tiny flower adorned my plate. Working late one night, the staff brought a warm mugwort foot soak with a handwritten note: "The mountain nights are cool—soak your feet for better sleep." The most unforgettable moment was a nighttime garden tour with the butler. Flashlight in hand, he pointed out firefly larvae in the shrubs and traced constellations in the sky: "That’s Orion, and over there is the Big Dipper." In that moment, I realized how much closer to life I felt, the farther I was from the city. 4. Dining: Gifts from the Wild The homestay’s restaurant, poetically named "Green Shoots," sources most ingredients from their backyard garden. Breakfast featured firewood-cooked congee with pickled radish and freshly made corn pancakes—simple yet comforting. Dinner’s free-range bamboo chicken soup was divinely rich; the butler explained the chickens roamed the bamboo groves, drinking mountain spring water and foraging for insects. The standout dish was "mint omelet," tender mint leaves wrapped in golden eggs, bursting with the flavor of spring. Dessert was homemade bayberry wine with osmanthus cake—sweet but not cloying, the perfect finale. 5. At Lanting, Time Slows Down Here, I kicked my phone addiction. Mornings began with tai chi under the butler’s guidance, watching dewdrops roll off lotus leaves. Afternoons were spent transcribing scriptures in the courtyard, listening to the bamboo rustle in the wind. Evening walks through the back mountain, stepping on soft fallen leaves, I even stumbled upon a leisurely hedgehog. The homestay hosts hands-on workshops—making bookmarks with dried flowers, planting succulents in bamboo pots, learning to make mugwort rice cakes from local aunties. I tried natural dyeing, using gardenia pods to color a pale yellow silk scarf. Hanging it on a bamboo pole, it fluttered like a cloud.