Wuyi．Sleeping by the Stream at Yishui Jian, Living in a Painting

As the car drives into Dagongshan Village, Datian Township, Wuyi, the city's noise is blocked by layers of greenery. The Shuxi River winds like a jade belt, leading us to our destination—Yishui Jian guesthouse with its white walls and black tiles. It lies quietly upstream, nestled against green mountains, like an unfinished ink painting.

Pushing open the heavy wooden courtyard door, the elegance of a Jiangnan garden greets you. Bluestone slabs are laid out irregularly, with green plants and stoneware in the corners creating a charming contrast. The pottery on the long table in the hall glows warmly, and time seems to slow down here. The second-floor tatami room’s window frames a picture: distant mountains like dark ink, the stream flowing gently, occasionally a bamboo raft lightly rippling the mirror-like reflection. The housekeeper smiles and says, "Every window here is a natural picture frame."

The afternoon belongs to water-loving romance. Barefoot on the riverside lawn, the swing sways in the breeze, tossing the summer heat to the clouds. Jumping into the boundless blue infinity pool, the water blends with the horizon, making you feel as if you are swimming among the clouds. Taking a bamboo raft downstream, fingertips skim the cool stream water, while lush paper mulberry trees and weeping willows on the opposite bank pass by, birdsong echoing the sound of flowing water—this is the poetic meaning of "Yingying Yishui Jian" (Separated by a Stream).

As dusk gilds the white walls and black tiles, we walk to the nearby Qingshui Bay Hot Springs. Immersed in the misty pools, gazing at the stars gradually lighting up, the mountain breeze carrying bamboo fragrance brushes our faces, and daytime fatigue quietly melts away. On the way back, carrying a bamboo lantern from the guesthouse, the stone path glows warmly, and suddenly the aroma from the kitchen drifts over. Following the scent, it turns out to be bamboo tube rice cooked over a wood fire! The glutinous rice is infused with the fresh mountain air, paired with local fresh bamboo shoots and cured meat. One bite captures the essence of Wuyi’s local flavors.

Late at night, falling asleep to the sound of the stream. In the morning, opening the window, mist like gauze drifts over the tea mountains. We sit cross-legged on the terrace tatami to brew tea. Clear spring water boils in the ceramic pot, tea smoke dances with the mountain haze, and suddenly the true meaning of the guesthouse’s name "Qixin" (Resting Heart) becomes clear: when the heart is calm, one realizes that mountains and waters can be home, and heaven and earth can be a refuge.

Looking back before leaving, the white walls stand quietly by the stream, like an unwilling-to-wake Jiangnan old dream. Finally, it is understood—Wuyi’s mountain and river spirit needs Yishui Jian as an inkstone to grind out the most perfectly balanced base color.

Post by ArtisticExpressions | Oct 17, 2025