New Sichuan Six Senses perfect for a mini-break from Hong Kong

Indeed. The brand is known for eco-friendly luxury, gorgeous design and delicious food. This is the company's first foray into China and is an ideal mini-break destination for Hongkongers. Located at the base of Sichuan province's sacred Mount Qingcheng, the birthplace of Taoism, the resort consists of 113 spacious studios and villas - all blond wood and creamy stone - set on an 11-hectare site. The design is inspired by traditional Chinese village architecture - think tiled roofs, streams, waterfalls, arched bridges and doorways, whispering willow trees and rustling bamboo. With its immaculate interiors and lush, fragrant gardens, though, it's unlike any Chinese village you'll have been to before.

Sichuan has a more temperate climate than Hong Kong and is at its best in spring and autumn. During winter, temperatures can drop to three degrees Celsius and the mountain is sometimes capped with snow, but underfloor heating will keep you warm, and huge indoor and outdoor pools allow all-weather swimming.

The hotel's "guest experience" managers can arrange a variety of activities for you. Within the resort there is a spa, yoga and tai chi classes, Sichuan cookery demonstrations and a bijou cinema that shows four scheduled films a day. Venture outside and it's a two-hour hike, or a short hop in a cable car, up Mount Qingcheng, thickly forested with evergreens and dotted with beautiful temples. It's worth climbing to the 1,260-metre summit to see the mist-wreathed red and gold pagoda and sweeping views of hills and valleys. Tip: the higher you go, the thinner the crowds.

The nearby city of Dujiangyan is also worth a visit, if for no other reason than to see its 2,000-year-old irrigation system - a Unesco World Heritage site that splits the town's raging torrent of a river in two. Then cross that river on a wobbly cable bridge and stroll along the hilly riverbank, which is dotted with temples and pagodas. The hotel also runs a popular night tour of the old town's lively centre. Bike rides, fruit picking, fishing and hiking can all be arranged, too.