Stunning Shaxi B&B · Shiran Mountain Retreat｜Is This the Ideal Utopia?

I stayed at the Linden Centre (mentioned in my last post) away from the ancient town for the first two days, then moved to this B&B in the town for the next two: 🌾 Shiran Mountain Retreat 🌾 🌺 It’s absolutely gorgeous!! Every detail is meticulously designed, including the perfectly placed fresh flowers. The overall style is rustic and wooden, with earthy, textured walls complemented by wooden frames and glass, allowing sunlight to pour in from every angle, creating beautiful light and shadows—perfect for photos anytime! 🏨 The B&B has 10 rooms. We stayed in the family suite (one of two in the B&B), which can accommodate an extra bed for a child. The host told us this was the room Liu Yifei stayed in during filming. The room is incredibly bright!! It features a glass bay window overlooking the central courtyard, with lush greenery, flowing water, and a little cat—truly a hidden paradise. There’s also a small balcony with a chair, perfect for sitting and reading. 📍 The location is excellent—quiet yet convenient, just a 4-minute walk from the East Gate of the ancient town and 5 minutes to Yujin Bridge. Even better, it’s not inside the ancient town, so you can drive right to the door without dragging luggage over cobblestones. 🍜 Now, about breakfast—it’s amazing!! Compared to the Linden Centre’s breakfast, this one stands out. There are both Western and Chinese options: Chinese rice noodles or a Western-style sandwich, both delicious!! They also offer a bedtime sweet soup~ Now for the downsides: ▪️ The hardware is quite basic. The showerhead is clogged with limescale, and the water pressure is very weak, which really affects the stay. Hot water takes forever to come, and there are moments when it cuts out completely, requiring a wait before it flows again. The shower corner isn’t very clean either, with yellowing spots, and the towels are old. ▫️ The wooden structure means poor soundproofing. At night, you can hear noisy neighbors or conversations downstairs. ◾️ The room lacks blackout curtains. By 6 a.m., sunlight floods in, making it impossible to sleep in—it’s *very* bright. ▫️ At night, I spotted a giant spider on the wall (the biggest I’ve ever seen in daily life, with legs as wide as a fist) that almost crawled onto the child’s bed—utterly terrifying. ◾️ Even though we stayed in the largest room, it still felt cramped with luggage, requiring detours to move around. ▫️ The room key card is practically useless. The fence is low—anyone could reach over and open it. There’s no lock from the outside (only an internal bolt at night), so valuables aren’t secure. While the villagers are honest and the area is generally safe, you never know…