Xufeng Courtyard, Gongtan | A Living Art Museum
Gongtan Ancient Town is what Wu Guanzhong painted as "Tang Streets and Song City — the home of grandparents." And Xufeng Courtyard may be the one place in this thousand-year-old town most worthy of that line.
Once a century-old Tujia family residence, it was reimagined in 2019 by designer Jiang Bo — honored as the "Space Magician" — and went on to win the Asia-Pacific Design Elite Invitational Competition in 2020. The three-story main building, constructed entirely of wood, follows the natural slope of the street, its carved windows and doors and winding corner corridors preserving the soul of traditional Tujia stilted architecture. The four-story annex adapts to the terrain; with every step, a new view unfolds, each corner breathing the Eastern philosophy of harmony between heaven and humanity.
Seven guest rooms, each named after a classical ci poetry tune — Duoyun, Huajue, Zhuyu, Yutai, Daishe... every one a different tableau. The two river-view terrace suites open directly onto the Wujiang River's cliff faces and morning mist. Kohler smart bathrooms, King Koil and Slumberland mattresses, and air-source heat-pump hot water allow the grain of this old house to offer the comfort of a luxury hotel.
The approximately 120-square-meter book lounge is the soul of Xufeng Courtyard. Pick a book, sip tea, or wait for the host to brew a cup of pour-over coffee — at eight o'clock each evening, the courtyard tea gathering begins. Listen as the Tujia owner, born and raised here, recounts the town's past lives; learn a Tujia folk song; try your hand at intangible cultural heritage batik.
We are not on the riverfront, and so we are farther from the noise. Only a minute from the Wujiang River shuttle stop, an eight- to nine-minute walk from the North Gate parking area, this courtyard hidden in the ancient town's deep alley is a place where time moves a little slower than the world outside.
"The ”Tingfengyuan” guesthouse in Gongtan Ancient Town was built on the homestead of a professional art critic. It retains elements of Tujia stilted building architecture while incorporating a minimalist, modern Chinese Zen-inspired style. Rustic and elegant, it's a themed guesthouse presented like an ”art gallery,” frequently hosting celebrities from the literary and artistic world. If you have the chance, you should experience its artistic atmosphere."