A dream retreat above Erhai Lake, on the slopes of Huoshan.
A place made for returning to yourself.
Dream Island · Huoshan was founded in 2020, above the eastern shore of Erhai Lake. Its name comes from founder Ba Xun's lifelong dream: to return to oneself.
Here, architecture does not rise above the landscape. It settles into trees and stone, weaving Bai villages, quiet mountain paths and clear lake light into a slower, more truthful way of living.
ERHAI LAKE
Here, time is recalibrated—
to the scale of the mountains and the breath of the lake, back to life itself.
Huoshan rests above Shuanglang, a mountain shaped by village life and open horizons. Dream Island responds with rammed earth, rough stone and timber, allowing traditional craft to grow into contemporary living.
HUOSHAN
The mountain is our roof, the forest our theatre,
and Erhai a constant glimmer in the distance.
Designed by architect and artist Ba Xun, the museum is a concrete landscape theatre. Spiralling ramps, geometric light and monumental volumes bring the walker into conversation with mountain, sky and self.
Dream Island grew from Ba Xun's return to the land and his long journey through it. Drawing on vernacular craft, he distilled his understanding of nature, dwelling and art into a dream you can inhabit—architecture as a living work.
Twenty-one rooms and suites are scattered across the forest at different elevations. Rammed earth, rough stone and Canadian maple frame the mountain and lake from every window.
From morning mist to a sky full of stars, Dream Island invites you to feel time and the seasons through the rhythms of the land.
Follow Huoshan's forest paths and look out across the vastness of Erhai from above.
Enter the landscape theatre built by Ba Xun, guided through its light, materials and stories.
Leave the city's glow behind and let the night sky return to its original depth.
Gather with the seasons and set a table among the trees and mountain air.
Walk into an ancient Bai village and encounter the living texture of the land.
From arrival to departure, a dedicated host looks after every moment of your stay.
Huoshan Village, Shuanglang Town, Dali, Yunnan
Dream Island · Huoshan Retreat
Huoshan Village, Shuanglang Town, Dali, Yunnan