Yu Shuxin's choice was spot on! A contemporary interpretation of the new Lingnan aesthetics

The design of Xiaozhai Xiaoyuan (Little House Little Courtyard) can be considered a three-dimensional textbook of Lingnan architecture. The owner invited local emerging designers to deconstruct and reassemble traditional elements under the concept of "Contemporary Lingnan." The central courtyard follows the "four waters returning to the hall" layout, aligning with feng shui principles. During rainy seasons, water drips from the roof tiles into the skywell, creating nature's own symphony. Each guest room is an independent artistic space. Hidden aromatherapy systems behind the headboards release pine fragrance. The bedding uses Hakka blue-dyed fabric, bath products are presented in Song dynasty-inspired celadon porcelain containers, and the minibar contains preserved plums and tangerine peels from Huizhou's time-honored brand "Zhimei Zhai." Most ingeniously, the smart system adjusts the room's lighting according to the time of day—simulating sunrise in the morning and automatically switching to a Nankunshan firefly mode at night. The chef, a native Hakka from Huidong who previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, deconstructs childhood memories: the signature dish "Nine-Layer Tower Baked Shrimp" uses wild Rosenberg shrimp from Tonghu Wetlands coated in homemade yellow rice wine foam; the "Traditional Salt-Baked Chicken" is an improved version of his grandmother's recipe, with perilla frost added to cut through the richness. The 200-square-meter "Under the Banyan Tree" multipurpose space breaks traditional homestay boundaries: during the day, it functions as a bookstore and coffee workshop, housing an extensive collection of Huizhou local chronicles and Lingnan cultural books. The "Wild Nature Laboratory" on the east side of the courtyard offers experiences like plant dyeing and traditional sachet making, using plants grown on the premises. At Xiaozhai Xiaoyuan, time is measured differently—by the temperature of a pot of tea in the morning and the movement of clouds in the afternoon. As the owner writes on the welcome card: "May this courtyard become a home away from home that you can always return to."