“A change of character, not a change of air, is what you need” – Seneca, the Greek Stoic philosopher, advised on the art of travel. Travel has taken on a whole new meaning in our globalised era – or post-globalisation, some may argue – where accommodation, flights, insurance, and itineraries are all just a few taps away on our smartphones.
Yet, we now yearn for more than the ephemeral delights of shopping and dining; we seek tranquillity, peace, ease, and personal growth. Seneca believed such things are beyond the gift of any place, “unless the mind is at its own disposal, able at will to provide its own seclusion even in crowded moments”. However, my sojourn to Amanfayun in Hangzhou has put this notion to challenge.
Amanfayun
Sprawling amidst 14 hectares of ancient tea plantations and verdant
