Nestled in Shuhe Ancient Town, Lan Bistro·Yunnan offers a fresh take on traditional Chinese dining.

With views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, this 22,604 sq.ft. restaurant challenges the typical commercial sprawl found in many historic areas.

The design focuses on "dissolving boundaries" between indoor and outdoor spaces. Robin Luo, lead designer of Funs Creative Design Consultant, explains: "We intentionally broke away from the traditional sense of enclosure, allowing the space to grow organically like a living plant through a semi-open structure."

Native bamboo wraps the garden, creating winding paths and lush greenery. This forms a 300-metre entrance that serves as a calming transition for guests. A hidden steel frame supports the bamboo structure, which appears to sprout naturally from the ground. At the heart of the garden, a reflecting pool mirrors the bamboo canopy above and the distant mountains.

The space is designed for flexibility, transforming from an open-air market by day to a social lounge at dusk and an intimate retreat at night. Viewing decks and waterside seating provide key focal points, while tiered dining areas encourage longer visits.

Materials play a crucial role in setting the atmosphere. Rough stone walls contrast with delicate bamboo ceilings, evoking cultural memories without resorting to clichéd ethnic motifs. Fieldstone, bluestone, reclaimed timber, and bamboo structures reflect the history of the ancient Tea-Horse Road.

Natural light filters through the bamboo canopy during the day, while at night, strings of lights and copper wall sconces create a warm, inviting glow.

"At Lan Bistro·Yunnan, nature becomes the thread, time the medium," Luo concludes. "Together, they shape a space stripped of noise, pared down to its essence. Between light and shadow, one is invited to pause, to reflect—to feel, through the body, the honest resonance between architecture, material, and nature in its purest form."

Photos: He Chuan from Here Space