The Everlasting Charm of Mogan Mountain

Mogan Mountain, hailed as the "First Mountain of Jiangnan," is a destination worth revisiting. While renowned as a modern summer retreat, it boasts unique charms in all four seasons. Regrettably, my visits have always been fleeting, leaving me longing for an extended stay amidst its boundless bamboo forests and enchanting villas. At dawn or dusk, when the mountain falls into profound silence, staying in a restored heritage villa brings an indescribable sense of tranquility—perhaps this is the life one truly desires. The Baiyun Hotel, the highest-altitude accommodation on the mountain, derives its name from the historic Baiyun Villa and encompasses several distinctive old villas scattered across nearby slopes. This time, I was fortunate to stay in the sole surviving residence originally owned by the London Missionary Society, where stone walls, leather stools, and fireplaces exude quintessential European charm. Architecture is frozen history: reading by the window on misty winter days about the stories of its first owners—Liao Siping, Madame Yi, and others—proves deeply evocative. Even more poignant are the dramatic life experiences of Huang Fu, the subsequent owner and Republic of China's first foreign minister. Over a century of seasonal changes, the original residents have all departed, yet these serene mountain villas still stand gracefully above the clouds, awaiting new visitors to uncover their legacy...