This has been on my bucket list for a long time. I love the movie Empire of the Sun and the Shanghai history of the concessions period. The Moganshan villas were built in the early 1900's by wealthy Americans so their wives and families could escape the hot Shanghai Summers (and the deadly cholera epidemics in the Summer). The villas were taken over by the government after 1949. Now the government has renovated them for tourists. We stayed in villa #18, which was built for an American in 1904. The villa is a valiant attempt at 5 star accommodations. I am from Boston and do not speak Chinese, so this place would be a challenge, except that my wife is Shanghai Chinese. Very little English spoken in this area. All of the other guests we met were Chinese. So nice to get away from the crowds of people that I find most every place in China. I am constantly surprised that I see very so few Westerners in China. But the Chinese middle class have money and a strong urge to see their own country and it feels like every nice place is mobbed. The Moganshan villas are at the end of the paved road, near the top of the mountain, inside a national park. So nearby trails and roads are not mobbed with tourists (at least not compared to other tourist hot spots in China). All Maps we were given are unreliable and we seem to be lost every time we went for a walk. So be sure to ask for directions. Trails are steep and slippery especially when it rains. I wish I had brought my walking stick. The bamboo forest and views of the distant hills are magical. We paid $250 per night for 2 Bedrooms in a 5 bedroom villa, that included a nice porch and shared living room and kitchen. Expensive for China, but worth the cost for the privacy and location. Chinese Breakfast was included and there were several small restaurants within walking distance of our villa. We took the fast train from Shanghai to Deqing, then booked a car and driver to take us here. Next time I would book a car to drive us duirtectly from Shanghai (However, a Shanghai driver might not know how to find their way the last mile to the villas. Road is very windy and not well marked).

The villas are perfct,very one is different and also very quiet if you working in Shanghai, that place could make you relaxed. My family went there on our holiday and fell it is beatiful and nice view with the bamboo forest.