Banyan Tree Resort Lijiang (丽江悦榕庄度假村)

Banyan Tree's 5-star luxury spa resort set near the historic city of Lijiang in China was designed to reflect the history, culture and ecosystem of the 400-year-old UNESCO World Heritage old town. Architecture elements such as courtyards, bridges, and waterways that refer to 16th century Lijiang were utilised. Alluding to the history and place, the landscape design uses water and native planting as a theme with reference to Lijiang's past where natural freshwater streams were the lifeline of the land. Fountains and gently flowing streams by the foot paths create an apt motif in the landscaping. Willow trees gently brush the waterways while cedars, magnolias, olives, plum blossoms and azaleas have been planted throughout the site in rectangular plots to reinforce the order and hierarchy of the architecture.