Deep within the Fenghu waters of Huizhou West Lake, a pair of islands holds four centuries of secrets. Piyun Island and Fubi Isle once hosted Xixinyuan, a private garden built during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli period. Scholars and poets rowed out to this sanctuary, seeking the cool shade of the Xixin Summer Resort. Today, the scent of sweet osmanthus and the broad leaves of tall palm and bauhinia trees still shade the grounds. The poetry has been replaced by the quiet hum of municipal governance.

In 1985, the city transformed this water-bound retreat into the Xiaodao Villa, an exclusive annex of the four-star Huizhou Hotel located at No. 17 Huancheng West 2nd Road. Architects laid winding corridor bridges across the lake, tethering the isolated complex to the mainland. They constructed four main structures, known simply as the Xiaodao 4 Villas, including the highly restricted Buildings 7 and 8. The architecture merges traditional Chinese garden aesthetics with the rigorous demands of a modern political sanctuary.