It took uber-luxury resort brand Aman over a decade to relocate the 50 Ming and Qing dynasty homes which make up the newly opened Amanyangyun resort (www.aman.com/resorts/amanyangyun) to a 1,000-year-old camphor forest just outside downtown Shanghai.

Here, Aman has transformed them into just 26 villas and suites—starting from a hefty B25,700/night.

Thick stone walls give way to interiors of warm bamboo, each with its own private courtyard and fireplace, while the central Nan Shufang building lets you try out ancient Chinese crafts.

Learn the art of the tea ceremony and how to write calligraphy before taking a walk among the landscape of lakes and forests. Or just wake late and check into the Aman spa, which includes a Russian banya and a hammam. 

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