Peak views

Culture, history and natural beauty make Lijiang a travelers' wonderland in Southwest China's Yunnan province, and Grand Hyatt's first resort in China embraces all three, as Guo Yali discovers.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Yunnan province, Grand Hyatt Lijiang is a picturesque retreat that immerses guests in the natural beauty of the surroundings and the unique culture of the Naxi ethnic group, who are descended from Tibetan nomads.

The first Grand Hyatt resort in China, the resort is split between two locations. One within walking distance of characterful Shuhe Old Town, one of the three ancient towns on Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road that make up the Lijiiang UNESCO World Heritage site. The other is on the Ganhaizi Meadow in the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain scenic zone at an altitude of 3,200 meters, where guests will be able to enjoy alpine golfing when it opens in August.

The low-rise hotel buildings are laid out as if visiting an ancient Naxi village, and guests can choose from 312 spacious guestrooms, executive suites and private villas set around traditional courtyards. Each guestroom has a private balcony and features many elements of a Naxi house, such as oak paneled doors that create a feeling of warmth, hand-woven decorative rugs and rattan wall hangings that soften the timber.

The whole complex is like a royal Naxi garden with a lake and plants softening the ridge of snow-capped peaks behind.

The centerpiece of the resort's exterior is the poetic Tea House in the middle of the lake, which evokes images of Lijiang's Black Dragon Pool, a natural spring that was the source of the old town's ingenious water system.

Here you can relax and savor the amazing views over your selection from an extensive range of Chinese and international teas and perhaps one of the tempting cakes featuring locally sourced fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.

If tea is not your thing, why not sample some drinks made from fresh Lijiang tomatoes or walnuts, which were the pastry chef's recommendations. Or go in the evening when it operates as a bar and try one of the innovative cocktails, such as Lijiang Love, made with rum and a dash of vine pepper oil, and Top of the Snow Mountain, based on Yunnan's barley liquor with white coco and milk.

Fresh locally sourced fruits are also available in your room, which are provided for free along with Nespresso capsule coffee and bottles of water.

One of Grand Hyatt Lijiang's biggest appeals is how calming and inspiring it is to just sit back and chill out admiring the views of the snow-covered Jade Dragon Mountain, whether from your own private balcony, the Tea House on the water, or the four Lakeside Restaurants.

However, a vibrant street food culture lies at the heart of the culinary experience at Grand Hyatt Lijiang. The live cooking stations and food display counters give the impression of a stroll down a cobbled street filled with the sights and aromas of a food festival.

The four lakeside restaurants offer a tantalizing selection of dishes to choose from, whether it is local Yunnan delicacies or Italian cuisine you fancy.

Experts in the folk customs of the Naxi people and local gastronomes have helped create menus that epitomize the local Lijiang cuisine and the hotel chefs place an emphasis on using organic ingredients from the area so guests can sample the best locally sourced produce and recipes passed down by generations of home cooks.

Lijiang flowers and rare alpine mushrooms, both of which are fresh and unusual local specialties, feature as the individual stars of two of the Chinese Restaurant's themed banquets.

The picturesque views from the restaurants will likely leave you longing to scale the mountain.

An excursion to the viewing platform at 4,680 meters, which is as high as tourists are allowed to go, can be followed by indulging in a treatment at the hotel's Jing Spa to ease away the strains of your exertions. They offer three lines of aromatherapy oils - Pure, Calm and Revive - and guests are guided to follow their sense of smell when choosing.

My pick was the Pure line, featuring magnolia and wild orchid, which reflects the indigenous herbal and botanical ingredients of Lijiang. And it did help to relax me and ease the altitude sickness I developed going up the mountain.

The hotel also boasts the largest events space in Lijiang. The 788-square-meter Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 650 guests, is the highlight of a total of 2,788 square meters of multi-purpose venues that can host events from a private meeting to an extravagant gala or wedding.

The ballroom is designed to resemble the large house of a nobleman, its series of paneled doors creating a continuous wall that magnifies its sense of grandeur, while the banquet hall is specially designed to allow motor vehicles to enter directly, adding to the sense of glamour and occasion.

Contact the writer at guoyali@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/28/2015 page10)