“The activation and development of rural scenic spots must be rooted in local historical heritage and natural landscapes, while also infusing diverse imagination and vitality for the future.” – Zhu Peidong
Located on the mountain ridge of eastern Zhejiang within the Nineteen Peaks scenic area, Xinchang Xiayanbei Village is enveloped in mist and clouds year-round, exuding an ethereal charm. From the ridge, overlooking a sea of clouds, one is reminded of Li Bai’s poem “Dreaming of Farewell to the Heavenly Mother,” written in Xinchang: “The Yue people speak of the Heavenly Mother, and the clouds may disappear. The Heavenly Mother stretches across the sky, covering the city with the Five Sacred Mountains.”
Thanks to the spectacular post-rain sea of clouds and the magnificent Danxia landform of the Nineteen Peaks, Xiayanbei Village has gradually become a favored destination for outdoor enthusiasts seeking camping and scenic check-ins. Nevertheless, recent years have revealed challenges due to limited rural infrastructure, including insufficient supporting facilities and weak reception capacity, hindering the scenic area’s growth momentum.
Zhu Peidong, co-founder and lead architect of Line+, was invited to lead the upgrade and renovation of Xiayanbei Scenic Area. Following multiple site surveys, two main challenges emerged: first, addressing common rural development obstacles such as limited construction funds, land usage restrictions, and overlapping business purposes; second, crafting a unique identity for the rural scenic spot as a modern tourist destination.
To address these, the design team implemented two parallel strategies. First, through careful pre-planning and site selection, they prioritized infrastructure development without consuming new land indicators, creating distinctive scenes to enhance the scenic experience. Second, they focused on renewing and repurposing existing land and spaces, integrating pre-operational and mixed-use designs, and introducing new functions and traffic flows to improve support facilities—benefiting both tourists and local residents.
△ General layout plan
The first phase of the Xiayanbei Scenic Area upgrade includes the “Cloud Weaving Wooden Tunnel” and the “Tengyun Meteorological Environment,” both newly added infrastructures. Adapting to the site’s conditions and landscape, two distinct design strategies were employed: localization for the entrance and differentiation for creating a standout landmark, fulfilling project goals.
Both strategies are deeply rooted in the unique cultural heritage and natural beauty of Yanbei Village. Through thoughtful design and construction, they offer visitors varied sensory experiences and a continuous narrative throughout their journey, while also enriching the everyday life of local residents.
01
Memory and Craftsmanship: Weaving Clouds and Wooden Tunnels
At the entrance to Xiayanbei Village, there was initially no clear boundary marker, archway, or signage to signify the scenic spot, lacking a transition between village and tourist area. The project’s primary request was to establish a unified entrance at a suitable location. Site surveys revealed a simple, direct need but also inspired a new possibility: transforming the entrance into a memorable experience—a tunnel that invites visitors into the village and scenic area.
△ Original site appearance
△ Traditional scenic entrance
Crossing Clouds and Weaving Wooden Tunnels
The design features a tunnel at the corner of the village road linking Houdaishan and Xiayanbei Villages, creating a unique and memorable gateway that marks the scenic area’s entrance. Passing through the tunnel brings visitors closer to the village and reveals the cloud sea and tea fields beyond.
Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Construction
During site surveys, it was noted that previous road construction had split the natural mountain between the two villages, causing vegetation loss and soil erosion. A simple concrete retaining wall was added during earlier scenic area construction but proved insufficient against ongoing heavy rainfall and erosion.
△ Site analysis
Thus, beyond creating entrance signage and experience, the tunnel design also seeks ecological restoration, replacing the old retaining wall and healing the damage to the natural slope. This approach allows the transportation node to contribute to ecological infrastructure repair.
The tunnel’s external dimensions follow the original slope’s top elevation to align with terrain changes, ensuring clearance for buses and construction vehicles. Combined with stacked landscape retaining walls, the design reconnects and fills the original slope, achieving sustainable construction with natural forms and materials.
The Xinchang region has a rich tradition of bamboo weaving, recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. Drawing inspiration from this craft, the architect chose natural wood for the tunnel’s internal support structure. By applying local bamboo weaving techniques to wooden materials, the load-bearing elements become both structural and decorative, creating tension through the tunnel’s spatial form and reviving local craftsmanship in a contemporary way.
Local traditional bamboo weaving techniques integrated with modern wooden structures
△ Structural explosion diagram
The tunnel’s exterior is clad with locally sourced black natural schist, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the surrounding tea fields and forests, integrating naturally into the mountain landscape.
The tunnel’s volume is softened with curves that hug the mountain, employing a smooth hyperbolic structure to guide sightlines through turning paths. This design creates dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, replicating the sensation of emerging from forest shadows into light after a short walk—an experience encapsulated within a tunnel just 20 meters long.
Integrated Design of Complex Surface Structures
Designing the hyperbolic timber structure required aligning geometric form with material stress. Collaborating with Luan Yu Construction Design Firm, the team analyzed torsional forces on laminated timber beams and tested shear strength and node stability. Multiple design iterations ensured weak points were addressed, establishing structural integrity for the curved timber tunnel.
Design process of hyperbolic laminated timber beam
Efficient and Precise Prefabricated Construction System
From design to construction, collaboration between architects, structural engineers, and manufacturers utilized parametric design tools like Rhino and Revit to model the hyperbolic beams and nodes. This process determined component curvature and positioning, selecting 13mm-thick Douglas fir for construction based on bending radius and thickness.
Component contours were modeled and unfolded for fabrication. CNC milling, bonding, and bending formed the panels. Preprocessing was completed at the factory, then components were transported for onsite assembly.
△ Construction process
△ Wall section nodes
△ Installation details of two materials
After completing the wooden frame, a stainless steel mesh was attached to its outer surface and fixed with galvanized steel frames. Natural fractured rock slabs were then wired in place by local craftsmen, blending the rough texture of the stone with the precision of prefabricated wooden structures.
Wood structure fabrication and assembly process
02
Defining Identity: Tengyun Meteorological Environment
The main activities in Xiayanbei Village—such as enjoying mountain and sea views, camping, hiking, and farming—are heavily influenced by weather conditions. The “Tengyun Meteorological Environment” was designed as an IP device centered on meteorology. Beyond its visual appeal, it functions as a weather balloon providing multi-level weather forecasts for both villagers and tourists by monitoring flight status and collecting data.
Additionally, the meteorological environment aims to transcend the typical weather balloon concept. While gathering data, it aspires to become a new public symbol for Xiayanbei—visible from kilometers away and serving as a shared activity space for tourists and locals when deployed.
△ Conventional meteorological balloons
△ Tengyun Meteorological Environment
Site selection prioritized accessibility, gathering ease, independence, completeness, and flatness to facilitate balloon deployment and retrieval. The device was placed on a hillside near the parking lot, centered within the tea fields, with the stacked terraces as a stage and the Nineteen Peaks as a dramatic backdrop—perfect for rich camping experiences.
Air Retention Device
To develop an aerodynamic yet distinct aircraft, departing from traditional spherical balloons and meeting safety standards, the architect selected a circular helium balloon as the primary air retention device.
The meteorological ring measures 30 meters in outer diameter and 5.5 meters inner diameter. It comprises balloon, avionics, lighting, launch/recovery, support subsystems, and infrastructure. When wind speeds are below 8 m/s, it rises to a tethered height of 25 meters, anchored by 16 evenly distributed ropes. During high winds or severe weather, rigging devices alert management to retract and securely anchor the balloon, enhancing wind resistance.
Equipped with 33 LEDs, the meteorological ring illuminates the night with dynamic, color-changing light, infusing rural nightlife with modern vibrancy. Using RGBW LED technology, it achieves high brightness with low energy consumption while offering rich colors and a broad color gamut.
The meteorological environment is constructed from multi-layer fabric film laminated composite material, chosen for its airtightness, light weight, environmental resistance, durability, and ease of construction. The structure consists of 66 cut pieces heat-sealed together and filled with helium for buoyancy, with a secondary internal airbag to balance pressure and ensure safety.
03
Rooted in Local Memory, Shaping a Distinct Future
The natural environment and development demands of Xiayanbei Village inspired reflections on local memory and future growth. Anchoring memory in the land respects existing culture and environment, while embedding a differentiated future embraces bold imagination and new memories in harmony with new needs.
The fusion of tradition and modern technology in the “From Heaven to Earth” project offers visitors unique visual and experiential diversity, enriching tourism and opening fresh opportunities for rural development. The integrated structures create a distinctive new landscape, setting Xiayanbei apart from increasingly standardized rural scenic spots.
The flying meteorological device has become a popular photo spot for tourists, visible from the village, neighboring villages, and nearby highways. Through widespread sharing, this IP device revitalizes local atmosphere, creating lasting memories for visitors and renewing daily life for residents.
Project Drawings
Crossing Clouds and Weaving Wooden Tunnels
△ Tengyun Meteorological Environment
Project Information
Project Name: Cloud Weaving Wooden Tunnel & Tengyun Meteorological Environment
Design Unit: Line+ Architectural Firm
Lead Architect / Project Creator: Zhu Peidong
Design Team: Wu Haiwen, Shi Yixiong (Architecture); Li Shangyang, Rao Feier, Jin Jianbo, Zhang Wenjie (Landscape)
Owner: Xinchang County Nineteen Peaks Scenic Area Development Co., Ltd.
Location: Xiayanbei Village, Xinchang, Zhejiang
Design Period: February 2022 – November 2022
Construction Period: December 2022 – May 2023
Cloud Weaving Wooden Tunnel
Structural Design: Luan Cong Construction Design Firm
Construction: Hangzhou Zhongpu Construction Technology Co., Ltd.
Wood Structure Fabrication: Liaoning Jinbaisheng Wood Structure Technology Co., Ltd.
Building Area: 210 m²
Structure: Wooden Frame
Materials: North American Douglas Fir, Slate
Tengyun Meteorological Environment
Design Development, Production, Installation: China Special Aircraft Research Institute
Construction Drawing Coordination: Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co., Ltd.
Material: Multi-layer Fabric Film Laminated Composite
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