New! Xidi Van Gogh Inn close to Shanghai （Self check in，1-3 People) – Home 4851827 Villa
- 2 bedrooms
- 4 sleeps
- 2 nights min stay
New! Xidi Van Gogh Inn close to Shanghai （Self check in，1-3 People) – Home 4851827
- Villa
- 2 bedrooms
- sleeps 4
- 2 nights min stay
Key Info
- Beach / lakeside relaxation
- Child Friendly
- Car advised
- Air conditioning
- Ask about pets
- Private garden
Description from owner
Description
3 level house with underfloor heating, Wifi, Fully equipped kitchen including dishwasher oven etc !!! When I and my wife travelled to the Yellow Mountain area near Shanghai, China, we found a village called Xidi Ancient Village, which is a magnificently preserved example of 900 years of ancient China and was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. Xidi is also a short 30 minute drive from Yellow Mountain (Huangshan Mountain), which is the most popular tourist destination in the Shanghai region and is where “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” was filmed and was the inspiration for much of the scenery in the film “Avatar”. Just two hour's drive south of Xidi is the world famous porcelain town of Jingdezhen, which is where porcelain was invented and then copied by the West. Jingdezhen was originally called Changnan which is where we get the name China.
We found a house we liked which is a 5 minute walk from the entrance to Xidi Village and bought it. At first it did not look very attractive at all. We both spent several days walking through the house, looking at where the light fell at different times of the day, where the breeze came from, what views there were.
Finally, we were ready for what turned out to be a very interesting renovation project. To begin with, we both wanted to keep an emphasis on the local Hui architectural elements of stone, white, grey, simplicity. We also began collecting local old artefacts that we could incorporate into the house. We found an old stone basin that was being used as a pig feed trough, old wooden doors, old farm tools, wooden power poles, carvings and pieces of timber.
While this collection continued, we began work on the house with a team of builders. To begin with, it needed more natural light as it was one of a row of units with no side windows. We did this by knocking large holes in the front and rear of the building to enlarge existing windows and put in new ones as well as installing skylights on the top floor roof. This took care of the light.
Next, we chose light wall and ceiling colours in order to enhance and reflect the light still further. To keep the walls from looking sterile, we used a rough brush to apply the paint to give it a textured look.
We had visited Xidi before on holiday and had noticed how cold the winters are here, especially with the stone floors. This made us decide to install electric under floor heating under a natural grey slate floor on all three levels. This turned out to be one of the best design decisions we made, as the look was perfect and the warmth coming through the floor means there is no need for bulky heaters scattered throughout the building.
We found a good supply of old doors from our friend Guan which we joined together to make tables and side boards for the kitchen and sink tops for the bathrooms. They are thick, strong and rough and will last for many years of use. It also allows me to wonder who opened the door that I'm eating my dinner from.
I'm from England and Australia, so I like good strong showers, so we installed a shower room and wc on each floor. We also put in a large boiler to provide plenty of hot water.
The summers in Xidi are hot, so we also put an air conditioner on each level, up against the stair well to keep the sound levels down. We found that the stone floor in summer absorbs the coolness from the air conditioners and keeps the place very comfortable. Unless it's very hot, the coolness from the stone floor and walls is enough keep the unit cool without the air cons.
Roughly half of the furniture was made on the spot by the carpenters using local wood and half was bought from local farmers who didn't need the pieces any more. It was great fun meeting them and bargaining for the pieces, often over a cup of green tea from their farm.
Our home was now beginning to take shape, so the last things we did was to select the lights, switches and paintings to hang on the walls. Most of the paintings came from Dafeng near Shenzhen and are copies of originals, but some of them are much loved originals from friends and artists we have met while living here. All of them are like old friends to us now.
During the tourist season we run the ground floor as a coffee shop to cater to the thousands of art students who visit here during term time. With these students in mind, we decided on the name “Van Gogh Coffee Inn” after visiting Arles in Provence, southern France. Arles is where Vincent Van Gogh did some of his best work in 1888/89, such as “Café Terrace at Night” and he is one of my favourite painters. We designed the café awning and chairs modelled on the Arles café, which has been preserved the way it was when Vincent was there. We like it and so do the many art student visitors who come to Xidi to paint.
To finish off the renovation, we installed the best cooking top, dish washer, oven, clothes washer, wi fi, TVs and accessories that we could source. The result is a clean, bright, comfortable home that has given us years of enjoyment, comfort, peace and quiet. We can stroll out the front door into the ancient village of Xidi to buy organic food or into virgin forest and rice paddies whenever we want. The highlight for me is being able to sit quietly on our terrace and watch the green bamboo covered hills in the evening while I unwind. Bliss.
Getting to Xidi is easy, with international flights into Shanghai Beijing or Guangzhou then domestic flights or trains from there to the nearest large city, Huangshan. From Huangshan it is a 40 minute bus or taxi ride to Xidi and our place. Our chauffeur with his executive car is ready for booking with charge of £20.
Since we spend a lot of our time in England, Australia and Europe, in the quiet tourist seasons we rent out our Xidi property to clients who appreciate the history, peace and quiet of the area. I hope our guests are as comfortable and happy in our home as we have been. Our house keeper Mrs Gu will be waiting at house to hand over the key and show you around. The green bikes are available to rent at the entry of Xidi Village. Our chauffeur or taxi is also available if you want to order. We will email you a House Manual with local travel guidance of our owns experience when you settle the booking.
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Families
- Great for children of all ages
- Ask about pets
- High chair
Bed & bathroom
- 1 Full bed, 1 Bunk bed, 1 Twin bed
- 3 Full baths
Amenities
- Wireless Internet
- Air conditioning
- Mountain Views
- Private garden
- Grill
- Patio
- Solarium or roof terrace
- Balcony or terrace
- Internet access
- Central heating
- Stove
- Fridge
- Freezer
- Microwave
- Toaster
- Kettle
- Dishwasher
- Washing machine
- Iron
- High chair
- TV
- Satellite TV
- DVD player
- Linen provided
- Towels provided
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Access
- Parking
- Secure parking
- Not suitable for wheelchair users
Policies
- Check in time: 14:00, Check out time: 11:00
- If you have any questions about check-in or check-out times, please contact the owner/manager.
- Payment
- This rental can only be paid for online through FlipKey using your credit/debit card or PayPal (never by bank or wire transfer).
- Smoking
- No smoking at this property
Cancellations
Change of plans? No problem. You could receive a partial or full refund, depending on when you cancel.
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Booking confirmed |
100% refund within 24 hours after booking (provided the stay is at least 60 days away).
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24 hours after booking |
50% refund of the amount paid (minus the booking fee*) if cancelled at least 4 weeks before check-in.
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4 weeks before |
No refund if cancelled less than 4 weeks before check-in.
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Check-in date |
* The booking fee is stated in the cancellation policy information on the payment page. This fee helps us run our secure platform and enables us to provide 24/7 customer support
About the owner
Jia S.
- Calendar last updated:
- 14 Apr 2024
- Years listed:
- 10
- Overall rating:
Languages spoken: English
These are the details provided by the business owner.
Business Name
Business Address
Business Telephone
Business Email
Other Applicable Information
Map
Reviews
Excellent
– based on 2 reviews
Excellent
2 reviews
- Excellent
- 2
- Very Good
- 0
- Average
- 0
- Poor
- 0
- Terrible
- 0
“Will definitely go again”
Mike and Rica made us so welcome and their home is in a perfect location We travelled with a teenager who would have preferred her own room but it worked in the end We could not have had more helpfu… More
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on all reviews.
“It's your own home!”
My friends and I spent 3 days here, I have to say we made the right decision to choose the Van Gogh Inn, Highly recommended! When we got to Xidi village it was 7PM. in winter, the weather is cold and… More
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on all reviews.
FAQs
- How do I find more info about the property?
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You can get in touch with Jia (the owner) through the contact form on this page.
If you’ve already booked, go to Manage your booking to send the owner a message.
- What if I have questions before I book?
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Send Jia (the owner) an email through the contact form on this page. Alternatively, if there’s a phone number on this page, you can call them.
- How do I contact Jia (the owner)?
-
Send an email through the contact form on this page. Or if there’s a phone number on this page, you can call them.
If you’ve already booked, go to Manage your booking to view Jia the owner's contact details or send them a message.
- What's the difference between 'Book your stay' and 'Contact the owner/manager'?
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Use the Ready to book? form to pay provisionally online and send Jia (the owner) a booking request. You’ll find out within 24 hours whether they’ve accepted - no money will leave your account before then
Or send Jia (the owner) an inquiry through the Contact the owner/manager form if you’d like a quote or more info first.
- What is a booking request?
-
When you pay online through the Ready to book? form, a booking request is sent to Jia (the owner). You’ll find out within 24 hours whether they’ve accepted - no money will leave your account before then.
Only bookings paid for through our site are covered by our trusted Payment Protection.
- How do I know my booking is safe?
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To book this property you need to pay through the Flipkey website. Only bookings paid for through our site are covered by our trusted Payment Protection. This means that in the unlikely event that you’re prevented or denied access to the property when you check in, we’ll offer a full refund for the stay.
- How do I know what it will cost for my stay?
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Simply enter your dates in the Ready to book? form to calculate the cost of your stay.
Click Book now to see a full breakdown of the price.You can also request a quote from Jia (the owner) through the contact form. The owner will email you the total cost for your dates and a link to book and pay online.
- How do I know if my booking request has been accepted?
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You’ll receive an email within 24 hours to let you know. Or you can check in Manage your booking. No money will leave your account unless it’s accepted.
- How do I pay for my vacation?
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Use the Ready to book? form to pay provisionally online. You can pay by credit/debit card or PayPal. Jia (the owner) will have 24 hours to accept the booking and no money will leave your account before then.
If you’ve been sent a quote, simply accept it and pay online through the email we sent you. You can also do this in Manage your booking.
Only bookings paid for through our site are covered by our trusted Payment Protection.
- Why can't I call Jia (the owner) before booking?
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You can exchange contact details with the property owner/manager once your booking is confirmed and you’ve paid in full. Paying and communicating only through our platform allows us to ensure that your booking is covered by our Payment Protection policy.
If you have any questions before booking, you can send the property owner/manager a message via the contact form on their listing. Once you’ve booked, you can discuss the rental and make arrangements for your trip by logging into Manage your booking.
- How do damage deposits work?
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In most cases, you don’t pay a damage deposit up front. Instead, we save your payment details securely and you’re only charged in the event of damage to the property.
Occasionally, you will pay a damage deposit up front as part of the total rental cost. In this case, the owner has 10 days after you check out to report any damage. If they don’t, we’ll return your deposit. If their claim is successful, we’ll deduct the agreed cost and return the remainder.
- How can I view and manage my booking?
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Go to Manage your booking to view all your booking details, pay the balance of your booking or cancel it if you need to.
- How do I pay the balance of my booking?
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You can pay the remaining balance of your booking at any point. Simply go to Manage your booking and click Pay now.
We’ll automatically charge the balance payment to the same payment method 10 days before it’s due. Go to Manage your booking to see when the payment will be taken.
- How can I withdraw my booking request?
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You’ll need to contact Jia (the owner) to do this. Send them a message in Manage your booking or through the contact form on this page.
- How do I cancel my booking?
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Go to Manage your booking to cancel your booking. Here you can view your cancellation policy to see if you’ll be refunded.
- How do I make changes to my booking?
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You can request to change the dates or number of people on your booking via the Manage your booking page. To change your dates use the Edit booking button. If you need to change the number of guests staying then send Jia (the owner) a message.
If Jia (the owner) agrees, they’ll send you a revised quote outlining the changes. You can review and accept/decline this from the Manage your booking page. You’ll have 48 hours to take action before the revised quote expires.
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This listing is created and maintained by the homeowner; we can only publish adverts in good faith as we don't own, manage or inspect any of the properties. We advise you to familiarize yourself with our terms of use.