Runyue Bay

China Resources Land Runyue Bay in Shenyang, with landscape by BLSI Urban Design, interiors by Matrix Design for the villas and One Design for the towers, and completed in 2023 on 6,109 square metres, draws on the Northern Song painter Dong Yuan's Xiaoxiao myth and Tong Jun's three garden principles to compose a contemporary residential landscape around the theme of mountain-expressed intent and seasonal homecoming. The entry begins with a contemplative terraced platform, a garden before the door, where sculptures on green islands bring a modern edge and natural stones converse with metallic surfaces. A generous portico signals arrival, flanked by rows of feature light boxes that draw the eye inward. Climbing steps, passing under a trellis and along a narrow winding path, the space opens onto layered green islands and a dry stream that abstracts mountain-and-water imagery; rhythmic grilles and trees interweave behind and before, the solidity of the portico playing off the emptiness of the forest stream. Deeper in, water emerges from a feature wall like a cascading waterfall, the heavy built mass translating natural rock, and a golden wind-inspired sculpture rises above the green pool as a visual focus. From south to north, the sequence of gate, forest and mountain forms a courtyard rhythm, with heavy architecture lightened by planting and water. The second court turns again to emptiness: an open mirror water enclosed by greenery, scattered natural stones suggesting the quiet remoteness of mountain lakes. Water runs through the whole site like a river, linking every node. The rear garden beyond the building is a forest path with layered planting, and the private courtyards continue the waterside mood with trellises, tea tables, gravel and feature walls that translate interior-level detailing into exterior rooms. The project uses classical landscape techniques and traditional garden theory as its inspiration, threading water as the connecting vein and translating nature through modern means to craft a refined, poetic home.