Take time to feel the joy of doing nothing

After a busy schedule, don't forget to take a break and feel life. When searching for short trips around Nanjing, most people tend to focus on the areas around Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. I stumbled upon this niche treasure of a hotel, and to my surprise, Hefei, even closer to Nanjing, also has such a perfect spot for a weekend getaway to unwind! It's about a 40-minute drive from the high-speed rail station. On the way to the hotel, there's a children's amusement park, an animal ranch, and we passed by vast tea plantations with many young ladies picking tea. The freshly picked tea leaves, carried in baskets, exude a delicate vitality. There are also kids lying on tables doing their homework, waiting for their moms (I looked closely, it was English homework, haha, a blend of Eastern and Western cultures) – life suddenly becomes tangible, and this is just simple happiness. The first impression upon entering the hotel is that there's not enough eyes to take it all in; I wanted to explore every corner. The rooms are few, but you can tell each one is crafted with care, featuring a minimalist 'zha ji' style that incorporates Chinese aesthetics, warm and tranquil. In the morning, I like to have a cup of coffee and then sit quietly, watching a little bug struggle in the water, getting lost in the moment, feeling the joy of idleness. Walking around the hotel, there are many flowers and plants, full of the vitality of spring. In the stream, I saw tadpoles that I hadn't seen for a very long time. The moment I saw the swimming pool, I felt a surprising and healing beauty. It's quite rare to find such a suspended pool design in China. I really wanted to jump in right away, that kind of happiness. The staff said the water might still be cold, but I jumped in and took a few photos anyway, it's indescribably delightful. Take a reverse trip from Nanjing to Hefei for a weekend retreat. Nature is always the best healer. All the troubles, pressures, anxieties, and competition from the city are cured in the wilderness. We need to stop and simply look at the mountains and trees, the bugs and tadpoles, cleanse our eyes, clear our lungs, decompress, relax, heal, and then we'll find that life is even more beautiful!