Amidst the perpetual hustle and bustle that is China there are a few jewels of tranquillity where the song of birds in soaring trees and slender bamboo both slow and warm the heart. Yeyu is such place, its inception inspired by a vivid touch of genius.
A collection of triangular huts forms a ragged circle with the main building around a central open space, bringing to mind a circle of tepees and evoking a thrill that this will be home for the next all too few days. Brown earth and rich wood are outlined by dramatic charcoal lines and completed by large, tinted windows. Those windows invite the natural calmness inside.
The huts are Toblerone structures, sharpened and pointing to the sky. Completed with pine inside, they have a Scandinavian feel. One end is a full double-glazed window incorporating the door. The other end is divided horizontally in two, with a staircase leading to a comfortable bed on a platform in the eaves. Underneath is the spacious bathroom, beautifully finished, and an area for suitcases etc. with shelves and a kettle. A fridge, a surprisingly stylish air conditioning unit, a cupboard, Marshall Bluetooth speaker and a cosy sofa complete the furnishings.
The main building is for breakfast and serves coffee during the day. Built on two layers, window on all sides again bring in the natural world, reflecting it with the natural materials and colours of the building. The roof is supported by wooden rafters, beams and columns enlarging the internal space. A steel frame is cleverly used downstairs to give a large open space dotted, not crammed, with tables and chairs, arranged for chats with friends. A large wood burning stove at one end, with a board chimney finished with light sandstone, is reminiscent of Montana, and warm fireside chats.
Yeyu is both a hotel and a coffee shop which is open from mid morning to late afternoon. It is, however, a coffee shop like no other. It is the antidote to coffee shops. The noisy, crowded, cluttered café, has been replaced by its opposite. The tension is replaced by equanimity and the noise by a gentle hum of chatter interspersed with expressions of mirth and the ever-present chorus of birdsong. The varied spaces inside and outside, and the care with which they are maintained, invoke joy and a sense of peace.
Gone too is the rapid dispensing of unduly dark-roast coffee. The coffee is crafted with care using the various techniques of a skilled barista. Light/medium roasted Ethiopian beans were thankfully used in the Americano. The rich crema floating on deep brown coffee, inherently sweet and full of flavour.
Yeyu is on the western edge of the Chengdu plain, on the very toes of the foothills of the ******* plateau, the Qingcheng mountains. A few kilometres to the south is a collection of Daoist and Buddhist temples floating on the mountains, which is where in AD 149 Lao Tzu founded Daoism. It is also where Confucius is buried. Visiting the dramatic scenery and temples is facilitated by the generally well-kept pathways and steps and is well recommended.
The highlight of our visit was expected to be the magnificent Qingcheng mountains, but they were dwarfed by the simple, warm, generous hospitality of the team at Yeyu.
