British Australian pilot Mike Shanley and his Chinese wife came to Anhui Province, Huangshan, Yi County in December 2011 on official business. They fell in love with the Hui unique, artistic, architectural style and the Huangshan area’s clean water and air, so the couple decided to make Yi County, Xidi, home. They installed the region's first underfloor heating and its first central hot water boiler, combining the comforts of Western bathrooms and kitchens with Anhui architecture. In October 2023, the couple connected with the Shouzhuo Gardens scenic spot located in Tao Village, Biyang Town, Yi County. They admired the spirit of Mr. Hu Zhongquan, the owner of the Shouzhuo Gardens, who had relocated and protected dozens of Hui-style buildings from other places and reached an agreement to jointly build the Fragrant Hui Villa. The couple has made a comprehensive and subtle range of artistic enhancements to the lighting, natural light introduction, patio, furniture layout, kitchen function, bathroom comfort, paintings, gardens and indoor soft color selection to preserve the original building’s soul, so that this abandoned former residence of a former Chinese Ambassador to Germany from the late Qing Dynasty, has been transformed into a rare Chinese Hui-style architectural museum county inn, full of humanity, both past and present.

Live in your own ancient Hui house and experience next door Hui architectural museums! Shanley Inn·Hui Fragrant Villa is a country B&B located in the China Huizhou Architecture Museum in Yi County, Huangshan. It can be rented out as a whole villa or as a single room. The ancient house is the former residence of Mr. Hong Jun, a scholar in the Guangxu period of the late Qing Dynasty. The plaque in the entrance hall "Xiangshan Yatang" was inscribed by Hong Jun himself. The design of the old house has an elegant layout, with an impressive main reception entrance hall, two floors, carved beams and columns and an amazing central atrium to showcase the sky. It is equipped with a separate imperial kitchen equipped with a professional gas and a traditional Hui wood fired stove, dish washer and three courtyards with your own thriving vegetable gardens that you are welcome to harvest. Mike Shanley and his wife settled in as the owners and made further artistic improvements to the interior and living facilities. There are two 2-person suites downstairs + hall and conservatory and two 4-person family suites upstairs + atrium and study room. The villa can accommodate 1-12 people in total. Guest rooms have a main bedroom + small hall + ancient furniture + paintings, with free Qing Dynasty costumes. Check in, dress up and take photos! Each room has beautiful views of the countryside and there are examples of ancient art everywhere, such as the carved beams, panels and columns in the inner courtyard. We provide full use of the separate public kitchen with complete facilities and refreshments, communal garden, free VIP parking space, free VIP scenic spot tickets and airport pick-up at preferential prices. If you make a reservation in advance, a private traditional Hui dinner can also be waiting for you!

Surrounding area highlights: Huangshan scenic spot. Hui Style Ancient Villages: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" film shooting locations at Hongcun and Guanlu. "Ju Dou" film shooting place - Nanping. An ancient proverb advised visitors to go north to see the Forbidden City and south to see Xidi, the world heritage site of Huizhou. Red leaves in autumn to take photos - Tachuan. Canola yellow flower photos - Ke village. 45-minute high-speed rail from Huangshan North station (the 10-minute high-speed rail Yixian East station opened in December 2023). 50 minutes to Huangshan Tunxi Airport (Huangshan Golf). Head south on the high-speed rail or drive 2 hours to Jingdezhen, birthplace of porcelain. Go southwest by high-speed train or drive for 1 hour to Wuyuan Ancient Village. North on the high-speed rail or 1 hour drive to Xuancheng Xuan, the birthplace of paper. Chinese smelly mandarin fish can be on the tip of your tongue in 5 minutes at the Huizhou Taste Restaurant. 45 minutes to reach the districts and counties of Huangshan City or Qimen, the origin of black tea. Anhui Cuisine Museum: a gastronomic delight of a museum where you can learn about Hui cuisine and then eat. You could spend a month exploring this area!