In a corner of northwestern Taiwan that’s often overlooked by international visitors, a sublime rural retreat faces the mighty Xueshan Mountain Range.
Less than an hour’s drive from Taiwan’s main airport, The One Nanyuan is truly one of a kind. Created at the behest of a newspaper magnate and covering an area slightly larger than that of Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, this beguiling complex of residential chambers, pavilions, water features, gardens, and covered walkways offers an opportunity to step back in time and absorb the cultured ambiance in which the Chinese literati of yore immersed themselves.
Wang Ti-wu (1913-1996) was an army colonel when he arrived in Taiwan after World War II, but he hailed from a culture that revered literacy and classical education. Decades later, having made his fortune through the United Daily News — a Chinese-language newspaper that’s still going strong — he purchased a suitable site near Hsinchu, and commissioned architect Han Pao-teh to turn his dream into reality.
Joining forces with a legendary architect
A renowned arts educator fondly remembered for his pioneering efforts to preserve Taiwan’s historic buildings, Han (1934-2014) set about designing buildings that would stay true to the great tradition of China’s literati gardens. Drawing on Jiangnan (‘south of the river’, the river being the mighty Yangtze) and Minnan (southern Fujian) architectural conventions, as well as the concept of Baroque arcades, he oversaw the construction of buildings in which Wang, his wife, and their five children could live in great comfort, as well as halls to honour the newspaper man’s parents. One particular inspiration was a painting simply titled A Palace by 12th-century Chinese artist Zhao Boju, preserved in Taipei’s National Palace Museum.
In keeping with traditional Chinese construction methods, neither nails nor adhesives were used. Instead, beams and columns are connected by mortise-and-tenon joints. As a result, the buildings have a flexibility that protects them from damage during earthquakes. The trunks of more than 800 Taiwan cypresses were used; had Wang launched his project a few years later, sourcing the wood may well have been problematic as forestry management policies shifted from exploitation to strict conservation.
But Han was no slave to the past. To ensure the comfort of residents and guests, his design incorporated modern plumbing, air-conditioning and (where appropriate) large glass windows. Barely a decade after Han and the highly skilled artisans he chose to join the project had conjured this magical sanctuary into existence, Wang passed away. Because Wang’s children were busy with lives and careers that in some cases took them far from Taiwan, for a period what’s now The One Nanyuan wasn’t much used. It was in danger of becoming a forgotten folly, little more than a footnote in architecture textbooks.
Fortunately, Taipei-based wellness brand The One recognised the immense potential of the buildings and their surroundings. Following negotiations with the foundation that now owns the site (and which insisted that any modifications be kept to an absolute minimum, so as to preserve the visions and lofty intentions of Wang and Han), The One Nanyuan Land of Retreat & Wellness opened its doors to both overnight guests and daytrippers.
Every moment restful, every bite a pleasure
Within The One Nanyuan, every detail has been carefully curated to ensure a superb experience. The 40 guestrooms in what used to be the United Daily News employees’ recreation centre were reimagined as 20 spacious and tasteful suites. One is for four people, the others each accommodate two people. The single VIP suite has a patio-style balcony which oversees a large portion of the grounds. In the same building there’s a dining area and a lounge; in both, the furniture has been set out so guests can easily find the warm conviviality or the quiet privacy they seek.
The long grove of Australian pine trees that divides the property originally served to screen the Wang family’s residential complex from the employees’ area. Overnight guests and visitors on daytime tours can explore both areas.
Do listen carefully if you’re accompanied by one of the staff, as they’ll reveal details you would otherwise miss. One gable apex features a laughing Buddha face and a lobster. Why? Because that part of the complex was built for Wang Ti-wu’s youngest son, a man who always smiled and who adored eating lobster.
Other symbols incorporated in the design include bamboo (signifying the gentleman-like values of resolution, honour, and integrity), the peach (synonymous with longevity), and the crane (the bird not the lifting machine; it embodies longevity and peace). Some entranceways are shaped like vases because the Chinese pronunication of ‘vase’ is similar to that of ‘peace’.
Wandering around the property, you’ll find a new scene every few steps. There’s no repetition, rather a series of delighful discoveries such as the glass-sided chamber in which peacocks were kept as pets, an octagonal pavilion, and a gallery in which the works of up-and-coming artists are displayed. Fengshui was an important consideration; the asymmetry of the manmade structures balances that of the local topography
For overnight guests, dinner and breakfast are key elements of the entire sensory adventure. Both are creative slow-paced multicourse affairs designed to showcase the region’s finest produce and the efforts of dedicated artisans devoted to preserving and reinvigorating local foodways. The dinner this writer was served included dozens of premium ingredients, among them: persimmon-leaf tea (said to be good for lowering cholesterol); charcoal-grilled roe harvested from grey mullets that appear in the ocean off southwestern Taiwan during wintertime; sakura shrimp from Donggang in Pingtung; crispy threadfin fish; soy sauce made with local black soybeans and grass jelly (Chinese mesona, known to Mandarin speakers as xiancao); aged radish turned into a soup base; ultra-thin red-yeast rice noodles; flaxseed-fed pasture-raised pork; and preserves made without artificial colours, preservatives, or sweeteners.
Among the breakfast highlights were: ‘almond tea’ (which, as the bilingual booklet accompanying the meal pointed out, is actually made from apricot kernels) flavoured with longan honey; a type of soft bread associated with the nearby city of Hsinchu, on which gourmets can spread a thin layer of butter mixed with fermented tofu paste; an aged-radish omelette served with seasonal vegetables; and a traditional congee (rice porridge) with side dishes. The coffee came from Ethiopia. (Taiwan does grow coffee, albeit in small quantities.)
A little night music
Everyone is invited to join the evening ‘vinyl tipsy time’, an hour-long appreciation of music and liquor curated by a recorded-music expert. As he shares some classic pop tunes — some familiar, some less well known — guests can help themselves to a selection of premium domestic wines and liquors. We sipped a cloudy white glutinous-rice wine somewhat like those made by Taiwan’s indigenous people (12 percent alcohol by volume), a herbal botanical wine of similar strength, and a plum/sweet-potato wine (47 percent ABV!) — cutting them with ice or water as appropriate. Some of these delectable liquids, along with certain of the food ingredients, can be purchased in The One Nanyuan’s on-site shop.
If you think a stay at The One Nanyuan could be a highlight of your upcoming trip to Taiwan, contact us today so our itinerary specialists can make the arrangements and map out for you a private guided tour that’ll leave you with unforgettable memories.
For additional information, images, and a short video about The One Nanyuan, visit their website (currently in Chinese only).