Steeping goji berries in a thermos is hardly a novelty these days. Young people across the globe are "escaping the cities", while figuring out how to take better care of themselves. Yet exactly how, what to do, and where to go? Let several foreign friends take you on a virtual journey through Anhui, and hopefully you will find your answers.

From mountains-and-rivers landscapes to herbal remedies, from centuries-old remedies to cutting-edge technologies, Anhui is crafting a wellness-centered lifestyle that you can step into at any moment.

The Spirit of Tianzhu Mountain — “Dynamic Meditation” Among Peaks and Valleys

Breaths taken in cities are mostly shallow and rapid, hurried and anxious, often without us even noticing. In Anhui, you will discover how deeply you can actually breathe.

At daybreak, local people are already practicing traditional breathing and movement exercises among the peaks of Tianzhu Mountain. This ancient practice has been passed down for more than a thousand years. Unlike the intense weightlifting you might find in a gym, it focuses on guiding the breath with the mind and moving the body with the breath. As you inhale, your spine gradually stretches upward, one segment at a time; as you exhale, your limbs relax and lower gently, as natural as mountain-stream water.

The mountain air carries the fresh scent of pine needles, almost sweet as it fills your lungs. Wellness is never all that complicated. The moment you step through the mountain gate, stand still, and take one full breath in and out, your body will tell you: energy flows freely again.

A Leaf Marks the Seasons: Savor Slow Moments Over a Cup of Tea

If Anhui's mountains and rivers are its backbone, then tea is its soul.

On tea hills in southern Anhui, time is measured by tea leaves. Picking fresh shoots, fixation, rolling, drying—no step can be rushed. Hot water is poured in, and tea leaves unfurl slowly in the cup, like frames of a silent film.

If you're used to living life at double speed, the first time you patiently watch an entire tea-making ritual, you may discover that simply watching someone prepare tea can be relaxing in itself. Tea fragrance rises — be it nutty or orchid-like. At that moment, life’s stresses no longer feel so urgent. With one sip, the taut string inside you softens first.

Food-Medicine Homology: Embrace Xin’an Medicine Through Daily Diet

People say good medicine tastes bitter, yet that saying hardly holds true at the foot of Huangshan Mountain.

The heritage of Xin’an Medicine lies not only in ancient medical texts but also in stovetops. Local cooks toss astragalus into chicken soup, stew dendrobium with old duck, and make kudzu-starch dumplings. Herbs and food are inseparable — this is the wisdom that generations of Chinese have lived by.

One sip of this soup, you may not even be able to tell whether you've just had a meal or nurturing your body. Either way, your stomach feels warm, and your mind feels less restless. In times like these, soothing your whole body with a proper bowl of soup is a true act of self-care.

A Diary of Mountain Living — Open the Window to the Mountains, and Turn Life into Poetry

What is the greatest luxury for modern people? Sometimes, it is simply getting a good night's sleep.

Stay in a guesthouse converted from a traditional Huizhou residence, and you may find mountains right outside your window. At night, it can be so quiet that you can hear your own breathing. Birdsong wakes you in the morning. In the afternoon, you sit quietly in the courtyard and let your mind wander. In the evening, you watch the setting sun slowly dye the white walls a warm golden yellow.

No midnight traffic horns, no rush-rush reminders. Mountain dwelling heals your weariness. Admit it: the best wellness is allowing yourself to do nothing, letting your body follow sunrise and sunset.

Taking the Pulse of the Future — When Millennia-Old Chinese Medicine Meets High-Tech Innovation

Above are time-honored charms, yet Anhui has another unexpected side.

Xin'an Medicine has a history of more than two thousand years. Today, it is meeting AI. You stick out your tongue for tongue diagnosis, and big data generates your physical-constitution report. Invisible meridians are projected onto screens, as clear as anatomical diagrams. The wisdom of veteran TCM practitioners remains intact, empowered by technological aids. People once thought the concept of qi was too abstract to understand. Now technology can actually visualize it. Traditional Chinese medicine is gradually taking off its “mysterious” label and meeting the modern world face to face.

Age-old traditions take root, and new innovations sprout. Wellness in Anhui is far more than a health philosophy. It is a way of living — one you can inhabit, taste, and dwell in.

Wellness in Anhui: a lifestyle, an industry, a future.