Mirrored hall and violet staircase bring surrealist dreamscape to Minax’s Dali guesthouse

Set between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake, Manwu Jimu Guesthouse has been transformed through a renovation that draws inspiration from the dreamlike imagery of René Magritte while responding to Dali’s extraordinary natural landscape. Originally opened a decade ago as one of the area’s pioneering design hotels, the guesthouse has been reimagined to regain its identity within an increasingly competitive hospitality scene.

Rather than treating the renovation as a cosmetic update, the project introduces a new spatial narrative inspired by surrealism. Borrowing from Magritte’s ability to blur reality and imagination, architecture becomes a sequence of unexpected encounters where familiar elements are reinterpreted through light, color, and landscape. The result is a guesthouse that balances the tangible beauty of Dali with an atmosphere of quiet reverie.

The white village buildings are crowned by sculptural violet volumes that resemble drifting clouds above the mountains. Existing terraces have been expanded into panoramic viewing platforms, while a mirrored hall dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, multiplying reflections of the mountains, lake, sky, and changing daylight into an immersive visual landscape. A violet staircase acts as a transitional passage between reality and dream, framing carefully composed views through a single golden opening.

The four suites on the upper floor reinterpret Dali’s iconic themes of Wind, Blossom, Snow, and Moon through immersive installations. Moving metal sheets respond to air currents, translucent acrylic filters natural light into floral colors, stacked pine timber frames circular views toward the mountains, and suspended perforated panels evoke drifting snow. Each room transforms natural phenomena into spatial experience while maintaining a direct relationship with the surrounding landscape.

The renovation also reconnects visitors with the site’s mature trees and outdoor setting. A cloud shaped viewing platform wraps around an existing tree, allowing guests to experience the mountain panorama from within its canopy. By day, the guesthouse is filled with natural light and changing scenery; after sunset, soft violet illumination creates a quieter, more introspective atmosphere.

More than a boutique hotel, Manwu Jimu Guesthouse presents architecture as an immersive experience where landscape, art, and memory merge. Inspired by surrealist painting yet rooted in Dali’s natural setting, the project transforms hospitality into a journey through shifting perspectives, inviting guests to momentarily step beyond everyday reality.

Project Credit

Project name: Manwu Jimu Guesthouse
Location: Wenbi Village, Haidong Town, Dali City, Yunnan, China
Design & Construction: 2026
Gross Floor Area: Approximately 1,200 sq.m.
Design firm: Minax
Photography: Shan Jian Image