When it comes to China, few know the country more intimately—or more affectionately—than Banyan Group’s Claire Chiang. The co-founder and senior vice-president, fondly nicknamed the Group’s “China correspondent,” travels there at least six times a year for both business and leisure.
With 36 properties across brands such as Banyan Tree, Angsana, Garrya, Dhawa and Homm, China remains Banyan Group’s largest and most dynamic market. The momentum continues with the opening of Banyan Tree Zhuhai Phoenix Bay and Dhawa Beihai Weizhou Island later this year.
The Group’s China story, Chiang says, began with a stroke of serendipity. “It all came down to being at the right place, right time and meeting the right people.” A chance encounter with Yang Yiben, then vice-mayor of Lijiang in the early 2000s, marked the beginning of the Group’s foray into China. “At that time, the Chinese had never heard of villas, never heard of private pools,” she recalls. “Hotel rooms were going at $40, and we dreamed of creating something beautiful that would go for $400. Everyone said, ‘No way, you’re dreaming.’ But once Kwon Ping [Chiang’s husband and Banyan Group co-founder and CEO] and I set our sights on our dream, we will try to make it happen.”
They bought land in Ringha, within Shangri-La county, and opened Banyan Tree Ringha in 2005. Ringha remains one of Chiang’s most meaningful sites. While the surrounding region has modernised, stepping into the property still feels as if time has softened at the edges.
Perched 3,200m above sea level, the resort encourages an unhurried rhythm—a pace shaped by altitude, landscape and the quiet pulse of Tibetan culture. Its 32 villas were reconstructed from authentic Tibetan farmhouses once inhabited by nomadic families, reflecting the Group’s commitment to preserving cultural heritage. Each villa is named after the family that lived there before, and features brightly painted beams, intricate carvings and earthen fireplaces that offer a rare glimpse into traditional Tibetan life.
Wellness is central to the Ringha experience. At the Banyan Tree Spa, treatments draw from Himalayan practices and the five elements in Chinese philosophy. The signature Ringha Relief treatment is a full-body ritual that combines a pearl barley scrub, a gui shi hot stone massage and a red rice ginseng conditioner—locally rooted elements woven into an immersive therapeutic journey.
Though Ringha will always hold a sentimental spot as the Group’s first China property, Chiang’s personal favourite is Banyan Tree Lijiang, which opened in 2006 at the foot of the famed Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
“Lijiang is a special Unesco World Heritage site with three unique features—an ancient city, the only living pictographic script language in the world (Dongba), and the three great Asian rivers: the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween,” says Chiang. “These rivers are an ecological wonder. They run parallel from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the south of China without merging. They connect Lijiang to Burma and Vietnam—and that’s what fascinates me because of where we, as a Group, want to go.”
Recently, her curiosity has led her to another jewel in Yunnan: Jian Shui. Once the political, military, economic and cultural heart of Southern Yunnan, the city is home to one of the region’s largest lotus ponds and, Chiang notes, one of the best-preserved parks she has seen—within the serene Jianshui Confucius Temple. It offers its own charming time capsule: a French-built railway station from 1902 that still runs trains between Jian Shui and Shi Ping, complete with a bohemian café kiosk for unhurried afternoons.
What makes Jian Shui particularly compelling, Chiang says, is its proximity to Vietnam—just a few hours’ drive from the Group’s Garrya Mu Cang Chai resort in Northern Vietnam. “I discovered to my delight an ecosystem for a potential lifecation programme here,” she says, referring to a blend of travel and holistic wellbeing experiences.
“With the new high-speed rail under construction from Shangri-La to Xishuangbanna, all Banyan Group hotels in Yunnan could soon be connected. For instance, from Hekou port in Yunnan, it will take about five hours by car to reach Garrya Mu Cang Chai, linking our Yunnan and Vietnam properties in an exciting way.”
The Group is also working on self-drive itineraries that will connect its properties while allowing guests to explore the small towns and scenic nooks that often go unnoticed.
A seasoned road-tripper herself, Chiang is particularly keen on charting the Huanan region of Southern China, from Zhejiang to Guangzhou and Zhuhai. “I’m looking forward to planning with the team how to help guests—not only with car support but also the best driving routes, with sightseeing, food stops, maybe a picnic spot, and also the best toilets too. That’s very, very important,” she says with a laugh.
Two decades after that first serendipitous meeting in Lijiang, Banyan Group’s roots in China continue to deepen—and so does Chiang’s affection for a region that still finds ways to surprise her.
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