What is the Linden Centre?

After announcing our grand opening last October, we received many inquires from both potential guests and media asking what exactly is The Linden Centre. Many people felt that we were a learning institute open to only those who attended our occasional theme programs. Others thought that we were a uber-luxurious hotel and would not be interested in accommodating children. Some media came expecting to see a museum. Many of these questions still exist, so I would like to try to clarify our own dreams and hopes for the Centre to better prepare you for what to expect when you visit.

The Centre's goal has always been to serve as a rural and historic base for deeper, perhaps more culturally-accurate, interaction with the Chinese people. Having been an off-and-on resident of China since 1984, we have been amazed by and proud of the development of China's cities and the improvement in most residents' quality-of-life. However, from a traveler's point-of-view, the urban Chinese experience has become less exotic, more expensive and, generally, less interesting. Although an older and mainly-rural China exists beyond these cities' borders, most of these sites, which are located not far from the major population centers of eastern China, have become nothing more than a one or two hour visit with staged activities and souvenir stands.

Even the less urban destinations, such as Yangshuo, Lijiang and Pingyao, have become so inundated with tourists that they present only a facade of an earlier China, manned and operated by outsiders who have flocked to those regions to sell pashminas, t-shirts and post-cards.

My wife, sons and I spent four years traveling around China to finally make the decision to base ourselves in Xizhou. Many factors made this decision easy- including the year-round spring-like weather, the soaring Azure Mountains- the 14,000 foot high southeast remnants of the Himalayas located just outside our complex, the cultural diversity (Yunnan is home to 26 of China's 55 ethnic groups) and the gregarious nature of our local Bai villagers. But, the most important reason for coming to the small village of Xizhou was the government's willingness, after two years of negotiations, to give us access to one of SW China's largest and most pristine historic mansions- the Yang Family Compound (we became one of the first private, foreign couples to take over a Type A relic in China). This complex, which served as a military base after 1949, escaped the ravages of the Cultural Revolution and, although it required the labor of nearly 60-100 workmen per day for one year to renovate, the wood and stone carvings, architectural elements and paintings all remained intact and were not altered during our restoration.

The Linden Centre currently has 14 guest-rooms that can accommodate short- and long-term visitors. Guests can come for as little as a one night boutique hotel stay to as long as a three-week theme program in areas such as Painting, Photography, Culinary, Writing and Traditional Chinese Medicine/Spirituality. We welcome everyone- adults, children, non-Chinese and Chinese, short-stays and long-stays. We do, however, want to remind people that we are a rural-based, historic site. Given our location, we have certain limitations that, to us, are truly our strengths- a museum-like complex floating in the rice and bean fields of a functioning, centuries' old village.

While we have endeavored to incorporate all the luxuries of an elegant abode, we cannot replicate the ultra-comforts of a newly-constructed 5-star hotel situated in an urban setting. We faced immense challenges in bringing modern facilities to this complex. The region did not have enough electricity, so we brought in five transformers and a 4-ton generator to ensure that we always have power. We dug out a large reservoir, almost the size of an Olympic-size swimming pool, and have it constantly full to provide adequate water supply for both washing and fire-prevention (especially important when many facilities are now facing supply issues because of our local drought conditions). Our rooms, which have adhered as closely as possible to the original functionality proposed by the Yang Family, have been carefully renovated (a process monitored by the national, provincial and state governments and cultural bureaus). Although some of the rooms are not as large as we would have liked, they are accurately restored with antiques and finely enhanced by modern conveniences.

When you stay at The Linden Centre, you are not purchasing a hotel room alone. The whole complex, with its lounges, DVD screening room, Mahjong game area, exercise and meditation rooms, extensive English-language library and painting room, compound-wide high speed wireless internet access, and four courtyards of gardens, fountains and seating, is your home. The Centre is not open to non-staying guests, and thus the complex is exclusively yours. We have purposely not placed televisions in each room nor do we allow smoking in any of the interior spaces. The goal is to encourage guests to interact among themselves, with us and with the villagers over activities such as calligraphy, tea- and wine-tasting, cooking (all guests are encouraged to explore with our three chefs and accompany them to the daily visits to the vegetable markets), English teaching and game-playing. Thus your stay at the Centre is not a room-based proposition, but rather a door to an intellectually stimulating and visually stunning exploration of the China of Pearl Buck, Joseph Rock and W. Somerset Maugham.

In many ways, The Linden Centre is a living museum. We have breathed life back into a crumbling relic, giving the Yang Family Compound a dignified existence that hopefully is commensurate to its architectural grandeur. But you, our guests, who come from all corners of the globe, provide the true spark to our Centre. We thrive on your curiosity and spirit of adventure. Because of you, a renowned Chinese masterpiece of architecture is alive and well. Thank you for being our guest.