Shaxi, Yunnan, China

Shaxi has a very special atmosphere, and this heritage property on the north side of the valley is perfectly set up to make the most of it. Housed, as the name suggests, in an antique courtyard theatre, the complex is dominated by a traditional, raised stage, surmounted by curvy roofs and carved beams. The rooms are beautifully furnished in traditional style, with luxurious beds and wood-panelled walls. For us, the highlight of a stay here is to sit at sunset time on the terrace outside, sipping fragrant Yunnan tea as the fieldworkers and livestock make their way home through the surrounding rice terraces and a local Bai orchestra begins to play on the stage.