This project began with a desire on the part of the client and the design team to create a top-quality resort hotel combining grandeur and delicacy, by adding Japanese aesthetics to the mountain landscape of Beijing, China. After five years of design supervision and continuous back-and-forth between Japan and China to realize this vision, we were pleased to announce the opening of the Beijing Xitan Hotel in May 2022. The landscape design was drawn by three Nikken Sekkei Landscape Design Section staff members and Nomura Garden Laboratory Director Kanji Nomura. The team was thoroughly involved from concept planning to the construction stages and singularly committed to realizing the design while exploring the nature of east Asian aesthetics.

The site is located in southwest Beijing, on "Tiger Mountain," up a mountain road from Tanzhe Temple. About an hour's drive from downtown Beijing, it has been attracting attention in recent years for its rich natural environment away from the bustle of the city. The scenery reflects the shifts between the four seasons and features panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. A former local village has been fully restored. The attention to detail of the interior design and gardens is harmonious with the rustic atmosphere of the village and represents the essence of hospitality for visitors.

The site area measures approximately 21,000 square meters. The building area spans approximately 13,000 square meters, most of which is composed of single-story buildings. This luxury resort hotel sports 38 private guest rooms and is surrounded by 17 courtyards. The hotel is a member of the renowned Relais & Chateaux, a benchmark name in the world of food and travel.

Nikken Sekkei - Nomura Teien Kenkyujo Teamwork

Nomura Garden Laboratory is a leader in Japanese gardens in Japan and abroad. Director Kanji Nomura is a disciple of Japan's leading traditional garden architect Mirei Shigemori. A veteran of garden surveys and designs in Kyoto and across Japan, Nomura has a deep understanding of the philosophy and methods used to create garden beauty. The landscape architects of Nikken Sekkei worked with him from site analysis to concept creation and design.

The design was developed by traversing the site, standing at key viewpoints, and sketching images arising on the spot while picturing scenes from the conceptual story. By doing so, the staff were able to create a garden that maximally reflected the site's atmosphere.

The most important thing in creating an oriental garden is for the designers themselves to face the stones one by one while building the garden. The designer imbues their feelings for the garden into each stone, and every stone has its own "expression". In order to find it, it is essential to climb upon the stone, grasp its expression from a three-dimensional perspective, and instruct how to orient it in order to afford the best expression. In this case, due to elevation differences, the elderly Nomura had difficulty checking the expression of stones larger than his own body height. Therefore, the designers took on the role of ascertaining the stone's proper expression and setting it. This allowed the masonry to be assembled quickly without any loss of quality.

With mountains to the north, a valley to the east, a basin to the south, and a longitudinal road to the west, the Xitan Hotel is the ideal abode of the four gods: Genbu ("Black Turtle"), Seiryu ("Blue Dragon"), Suzaku ("Vermilion Bird"), and Biyakko ("White Tiger"). It is also home to stories about the nature and enjoyment provided by this location, as well as designs and episodes that involve the four gods. The secluded, placid environment allows a view of not only the scenery as reflected in the eyes but also one's self-image as reflected in the heart.

The site may be suitably called a "Zen" environment. The temple's southwestern location coincides with Saihoji Temple, the original Zen Buddhism garden in Japan. Its name is derived from the saying "Soshi Seirai Goyo Renpou," which talks of Daruma, the founding patriarch of the Chinese Zen sect. The mountain name " Hongyin Mountain " refers to a beloved Zen story that took place in the western mountains of Hongzhou, China, in which scenery was reproduced in the "karesansui" (Japanese: "dry landscape garden"). The garden was created by Zen Buddhist monk Soseki Muso, who was compelled by a special love for the West to design both the garden and the temple. The location of the mountain villa (hotel) coincides with this sacred place for Zen and gardens in Japan. The portrayal of Zen and Japanese gardens as the villa's unique world is a match made in heaven. Nature and garden, history and modernity, art and amenities, China and Japan; the fusion of these elements creates a rare luxury resort, garden village, and ideal world.

The approach to the Xitan Hotel, located near the summit of the mountain, begins with a climb up a mountain path. The higher one climbs the meandering path, the more the bustle of the capital is left behind, allowing for anticipation of the extraordinary. The Xitan Hotel stands quietly at the top of the mountain, surrounded by silence. The simple, elegant gate and pine tree view in the hotel rear invite the traveler to paradise.

Passing through the gate, one is captivated by the scenery, as the mountain ranges and the undulating garden appear superimposed, echoing each other. This combination of distant and nearby views is known as "shakkei" (Japanese: "borrowed scenery") in Japan and China.

Through a gap in the pine-covered approach, a fully restored utopia peeks out from the site of a former village, heightening visitor anticipation. A misty slope invites visitors to a place far removed from the mundane world. The resonant sound of water becomes gradually more pleasant further down the slope.

As the sound of the water grows louder, a large waterfall appears. The magnificent view of the falls with its nearly seven-meter drop, cleanses the mind and leads to paradise. The waterfall's construction employs Japanese garden techniques that meticulously combine various shapes of scenic stones weighing up to 20 tons. The landscape is constructed to look as if water stored in the mountain is gushing out of the ground, creating a majestic waterfall. The sound of the koto (Japanese harp) can be heard from the Zen terrace, which peeks out from the trees.

The entrance lobby comes into view as one proceeds, with Otaki Fall on the right. The mountains and the front garden gently envelop the lobby building. The front courtyard scenery, with its "snowflake" stone arrangement, pine forest, and background mountain range welcomes visitors to paradise.

As viewed from the lobby, a waterfall flows beyond the pine forest. The stone arrangement at the foot of the waterfall unfolds to the floor of the pine forest. The expansive front garden creates a dignified view for bidding farewell to guests.

The consolidated indoor and outdoor view. The stone and cloisonne walls create a luxurious atmosphere. A pine tree with branches extending to the right leads visitors to the guest rooms.

The Tian Xian Gong is the hotel's oldest courtyard guest room (Quadrangle Dwellings). The landscape stones are built to match three old pine trees that have watched over the village since ancient times. The majestic view is harmonious with the mountain range beyond.

The terrace with a "floating" water basin above the entrance lobby is viewable from the Tian Xian Gong interior. Looking up, visitors are enveloped by the green nature connected to the mountain; looking down, the terrace, surrounded by water, appears to float in the greenery. The waterfall can be enjoyed while dining on the moon-viewing platform and listening to the sound of the water underfoot.