Ancestral Homecoming Retreat
Rest is a portal. Chilling is a masterful art. You are invited.
2026: April/May
(exact dates coming soon)
A Chinese diaspora community retreat for ancestral wisdom, embodied ritual and soul-nourishment in Dali, Yunnan, China
Come home to your wholeness in Dali.
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Come home to your wholeness in Dali. *
We invite you to join us in May 2025 for 7 days and 6 nights of soul nourishment and deep restoration on the peaceful foothills of Cangshan mountain in Dali, China.
Nestled in a sanctuary surrounded by nature, surrounded by wildflowers, ancient temple, and crisp mountain air, we’ll gather as Chinese diaspora seekers, wanderers, leaders, and wisdom-carriers. You’ll find yourself landing in a mystical but familiar realm that help you remember how you deserve to feel, guided by enriching practice sessions and excursions that nurture your energy system and shape a new sense of wholeness. Together, we’ll honor what’s ready to be released, embrace your birthright to abundance and harmony, and root into the power of who we’ve always been.
Through guided movement practices, nature excursions, ancestral rituals, and intimate group sessions, you’ll be invited to soften, unravel, express, explore; you’ll learn the mastery of productive rest and radical chilling —what our ancestors are masters at. And hopefully, you’ll find a new orientation to your body and integrate your seemingly conflicting inner parts into wholeness.
This is a space where you don’t have to hold it all together. Where your inner guidance is sacred. Where your spirit gets to exhale.
Each day will offer a gentle rhythm of deep practice, nourishing meals, spontaneous play, quiet spaciousness, and guided exploration of Dali’s enchanting land. You’ll have time to rest. To reflect. To be in your body. To feel the pulse of something ancient waking up within you.
You’ll leave this retreat not only feeling renewed—but also more connected to your joy, your belonging, and a circle of soul kin who see you for who you truly are.
Come if you’re ready to reclaim your rhythm.
Come if you’re longing for more than healing—you're longing to remember.
Come home, with us.
“Between Heaven and Earth,
There seems to be a Bellows:
It is empty, and yet it is inexhaustible;
The more it works, the more comes out of it.
No amount of words can fathom it:
Better look for it within you.
— Dao De Jing
What to Expect
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Movement & Healing Arts
Feel deeply grounded and transformed each morning as you engage in traditional Chinese Yang Sheng (养生), nourishing life practices. We will learn Taiji /Qigong led by led by Hong Chen Dao Zhang, a local Daoist master of Zhengyi lineage, as well as exploring the art of Calligraphy, Meditation, and Tea Ceremony.
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Nature Excursion & Relaxation
Embrace the beauty of the land we bike around Erhai, dance in Cangshan, and pick and roast fresh tea on a local tea farm. Our nature excursions will deepen your connection to elemental wisdom and allow you to receive support and blessings from the land itself.
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Process & Sharing Circles
We will have facilitated containers to hold space and help you integrate your emotions, thoughts and experiences. We will become each other’s mirrors and delight in honest laughters, heart-opening stories, and affinity in our shared vulnerability and learning.
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Embodiment & Dance
Let your body be loose, be wild and release all that does not serve you. You will be surprised how powerful somatic & energy release practices can be and how you might enjoy dancing with your fellow Chinese diaspora members as well as Chinese locals
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Community Magic
The most fun of our community comes from each of you, bringing unique stories, songs, and histories to co-create this sacred space. We welcome you to bring your own unique flavor and offering to our activities. Together, we make magic.
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Ancestral Ritual
Learn the foundational principles of ancestral work and participate in an ancestral honoring group ritual. Discover and honor the unseen influences that shape your life’s narrative, and receive the guidance and blessings of kind and well ancestors
Who is this Retreat for?
This retreat is for Chinese diaspora adults who…
Struggle to find a sense of inner peace and belonging, feeling unrooted and disconnected
Is tired of hustle culture, exhausting your energy on misaligned work and being disconnected from your life energy
Wants to learn how to truly love and care for your body, mind, soul
Feels called to reset your energy through Chinese ancient movement and healing arts
Is curious to integrate ancestral Chinese wisdom into your daily and seasonly practices
Wish to access more of your innate power and unlock your birthright as a descendent of the Dragon
Is feeling burnt out and longs to recharge in nature and community
Is ready to let go of old patterns that keep you feeling stuck and start a new chapter of your life
Feel the call to mend cultural and societal wounds that have kept you from feeling whole, worthy and valued
Is ready to expand your relationship to spirit, nature and the sacred trust within
Is seeking a soul tribe community of like-minded folks of shared cultural lineage
Has Dali, Yunan on your bucket list and is ready to experience its magic
Has achieved "external" success but craves deeper fulfillment and alignment
We welcome all members of Chinese diaspora community:
1st or 1.5 Generation Immigrants
People born in China, now living far from your ancestral land
Adoptees
People who were adopted and seeking to connect with your Chinese roots
Descendants of Chinese Immigrants
2nd, 3rd, 4th etc generation, longing to reconnect with your cultural heritage
Mixed Heritage
People navigating a complex cultural identity and seeking connection with their Chinese lineage
Our workshops and experiences are inclusive, integrative, and non-dogmatic, welcoming individuals from all political, spiritual, and religious backgrounds
We aim to support each participant's emotional processing and journey, while also empowering everyone to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning experience
No experience with the Chinese language or prior knowledge of Chinese culture is required. English translation will be provided when needed.
We created Ancestral Homecoming because we couldn’t find what we needed as Chinese Diaspora seekers.
Founded by Xuel, a Chinese psychotherapist, and Tian Tian, a Chinese-American holistic wellness & transformation coach, this offering is rooted in their lived journeys—two women who met on a meditation retreat in Bali and walked together through burnout, life, transitions, intergenerational healing, and spiritual growth.
What began as friendship evolved into a shared calling: to create sanctuaries where members of the Chinese diaspora can lay down the weight of hyper-productivity and internalized pressure and softly return to their roots—to our body, to our inner child, to nature, and to our ancestral power.
Since 2022, Xuel and Tian Tian have been weaving spaces of regenerative restoration—containers where we shed internalized burdens, reclaim our rhythm of aliveness, and remember that belonging is a birthright.
Ancestral Homecoming is not about becoming someone new. It’s about resting deeply into who you already are—and letting that be enough. Letting that be the whole point.
Meet Your Hosts
Tian Tian 甜甜
Tian Tian is a Holistic Wellness & Transformational Coach dedicated to creating spaces for deep emotional and spiritual healing.
Born in Dalian, China, Tian Tian immigrated to the United States at age 11. Navigating the complexities of being caught between two cultures left her feeling ungrounded and struggling with cultural and identity wounds, driving her to seek validation through external achievements. She earned her bachelor’s from New York University and MBA from Harvard, and built a successful 10+ year career on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley, yet these accomplishments left her unfulfilled.
This realization sparked a journey of profound healing, where Tian Tian addressed cultural, immigrant, and intergenerational trauma. Through restorative, somatic, and ancestral healing practices, she learned to regulate her nervous system and reconnect with her roots and the voice within. Today, Tian Tian uses transformative healing tools to guide others in finding a sense of home within themselves, reconnecting with their bodies, hearts and inner wisdom to live with greater authenticity, joy and ease.
more: www.tiantianwellness.com
Xueling Sun / Xuel 雪儿
Xuel is a California-trained, China-based bilingual psychotherapist and workshop facilitator with over six years of experience specializing in emotional healing, trauma and relational work.
Born and raised in Nanjing, China, in a family impacted by historical and intergenerational trauma, Xuel’s journey led her to come to the U.S. alone at age 17 in pursuit of educational growth. This path included establishing her identity in California, transitioning from a software engineer at Salesforce to a professional in the healing arts, and recently moving back to China to answer her calling.
She holds a BA in Computer Science from Claremont McKenna College, and MA in Integral Counseling Psychology from California of Integral Studies. Her biggest teachers are Earth Wisdoms that awakened her ancestral and indigenous soul. As a way-shower and cycle-breaker for lineage healing, she aims to serve the earth community by weaving together ecological and collective healing, social change, magic and the arts.
more: www.xuelsun.com
Sample Schedule
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Day 1
Afternoon:
Welcome Tea Circle & Check-in
Opening Circle
Night:Dinner
Authentic Relating Games
Rest -
Day 2
Morning:
Tai Ji & Qi Gong
Breakfast
Process Group or Morning Workshop
Optional: Meditation, Tea & CalligraphyAfternoon:
Lunch
Excursion to Tea FarmNight:
Dinner
Fire Song Circle -
Day 3
Morning:
Tai Ji & Qi Gong
Breakfast
Process Group or Morning Workshop
Optional: Meditation, Tea & CalligraphyAfternoon:
Lunch
Excursion: Cang San Forest Bathing & JournalingNight:
Dinner
Ecstatic Dance w/ Locals -
Day 4
Morning:
Tai Ji & Qi Gong
Breakfast
Process Group or Morning Workshop
Optional: Meditation, Tea & CalligraphyAfternoon:
Lunch
Excursion: Chinese Medicine Learn & ExperienceNight:
Dinner
Somatic Release + Sound Bath -
Day 5
Morning:
Tai Ji & Qi Gong
Breakfast
Process Group or Morning Workshop
Optional: Meditation, Tea & CalligraphyAfternoon:
Lunch
Excursion: Temple & Rituals 101Night:
Dinner
Ancestral Honoring Ceremony -
Day 6
Morning:
Tai Ji & Qi Gong
Breakfast
Process Group or Morning Workshop
Optional: Meditation, Tea & CalligraphyAfternoon:
Lunch
Excursion: Er Hai Biking & Expressive ArtNight:
Dinner
Somatic Release -
Day 7
Morning:
Tai Ji & Qi Gong
Breakfast
Sharing Circle
Closing Ceremony
Afternoon:Lunch
Check-out
Offering
What is included:
Accommodations: 6 nights of accommodation either single or double occupancy with private bathrooms, AC, wifi, laundry
Food, snacks and tea: 20 meals over 7 days, primarily vegetarian meals that are locally grown(dietary restrictions will be generously accommodated), snacks and high quality, locally-grown tea
Activities: All excursions and transportation fees during retreat
Support: Pre-retreat preparation call & post-retreat integration call
What is not included:
Plane tickets or other transportation fees to/from retreat
Visa fees
Travel insurance
Personal activity costs
About the Retreat Center
Our retreat will be hosted at a premier, secluded and private Zen style retreat center nestled in the foothills of Cangshan (苍山) in a serene village in Dali, Yunnan (大理云南), overlooking Erhai Lake (洱海). The center features a private courtyard with beautiful water pools, peaceful and spacious common dining space and areas for tea ceremonies, music, taiji and meditation, along with comfortable accommodations that offer ample space for everyone to relax and rejuvenate.
Right next to a local temple emanating with incense aroma and surrounded by beautiful mountain view, this venue provides the best backdrop for deep reset and meaningful connection. It also provides peaceful walkways to nearby villages and easy access to hiking trails. During our retreat, we will enjoy the privacy of this entire venue. Together we will meditate under an ancient ancestral tree, drink tea picked in local tea farms, dance until our bodies are loose and hearts open, and immerse in conversations that form lifelong friendships.
Payment & Logistics
Our cost philosophy is based on accessibility, quality and sustainability.
Payment Option 1: $500 non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot. Remaining balance due on or before March 15, 2025.
Please note: This retreat is limited to 10-16 participants and all participants must align with the retreat’s general guideline and are equipped with skills for self-responsibility and group learning to get the best benefit from this retreat. We are not a clinical treatment program and is not intended for individuals seeking treatment for mental health issues. We are not a tour group or a service-oriented experience. Participants are expected to engage actively, take responsibility for themselves, and contribute to the group experience. To ensure that everyone gains the most benefit from this retreat, you will be asked to complete an intake form during the check-out process. If we determine that this retreat may not be the right fit for you at this time, we will issue a full refund.
Single Bedroom - Courtyard A
Shared Bedroom - Courtyard A
Single Bedroom - Courtyard B
Shared Bedroom - Courtyard B
What People Are Saying
Tian Tian and Xuel did a phenomenal job at facilitating a nurturing and nourishing space for spiritual inquiry, for our inner homecoming and ancestral veneration practices. Our shared spaces were so thoughtfully set up by Tian Tian and Xuel. I got so much out this! The experiential exercises were very impactful. And I now have more clarity and confidence with deepening my ancestral veneration practices, especially in ways that feel authentic and aligned. I'm also so grateful for all the beautiful connections made with others.
Jon, Trauma Therapist
This retreat was about coming back to my ancestral homeland—my first time in China in over 22 years. It was deeply meaningful because all of my grandparents were born here before migrating to Singapore, and many of them never had the chance to return in this lifetime. So for me, coming back was both a return to my own roots and a way to honor them in the land where they once lived. I’m walking away with so much appreciation for the ancient, wild, and indigenous wisdom of those who came before us.
It’s been a beautiful week of reflection and connection—something that feels so intuitive to me, and yet now I finally have language to describe. I've discovered a gentle, grounded strength in the way we moved our bodies through daily cultivation practices, in time spent in nature, picking tea on the farms, and in conversations with elders.
What stood out to me is how embodied and earthy this learning has been—something I rarely experience back in the States. Being near mountains, water, and farmland felt like my body remembered something ancestral. I had this moment riding past the farmlands, when the smell of fertilizer hit us and I suddenly recalled a story my grandmother once told me—how, as a child growing up in rural China, she would carry fertilizer on poles across her back and sometimes stumble, falling right into it. Hearing that story growing up, I could never fully picture it. But in that moment, surrounded by farmland and immersed in that exact smell, I felt like I finally understood—like I had stepped into her memory.
Michelle, 3rd Gen Chinese Singaporean living in the US
I had been searching for a while and didn’t really know where to turn. I first went to Tian Tian and Xuel’s Inner Homecoming Workshop and it was powerful. Through the ancestral ceremony and their guidance —two of the coolest Chinese women I know—I learned so much about myself and my culture. We did practices I hadn’t done since I was a kid, and during the ancestral honoring ceremony, I could actually feel parts of myself coming alive again.
These women are so alive, so powerful, so funny—not like the typical Chinese American women I grew up knowing or avoided getting to know. I used to associate Chinese American identity with being rigid, judgmental, competitive. I think that’s why I had distanced myself from it. But Tana and Chuel broke those stereotypes completely. They showed me something different—something inspiring.
When they told me they were doing a retreat in China next year, I didn’t even hesitate. I was like, "Hell yeah." I didn’t know how we were going to do it, or when, or how much it would cost—but I knew I was going. There was no way I’d say no to that.
And here I am. We just finished the very first Ancestral Homecoming retreat, and I can proudly say I’m part of the OG crew. I would absolutely do it again.
One of the biggest shifts I’ve noticed is that I feel more comfortable expressing the Chinese part of me—something I had always held back or even hidden from my peers in the U.S. This retreat gave me permission to reclaim that part of myself.
Grace, TCM Doctor
About Dali, Yunnan China
大理云南
Nestled between the majestic Cangshan Mountains (苍山) and the tranquil Erhai Lake (洱海), Dali (大理), also known as Dalifornia, is a spiritual and cultural hub known for its breathtaking landscapes, rich biodiversity and diverse cultural traditions.
Home to 25 Chinese ethnic minority groups, Dali embodies a rich heritage interwoven with Daoism (道教), Buddhism (佛教), and indigenous and Chinese folk religions (本土教). Dali’s unique inclusive vibe has fostered a holistic community drawing seekers and travelers from China and overseas/ As the birthplace of tea, Yunnan holds a profound tea culture rooted in Pu'er (fermented tea). Yunnan’s biodiversity also nurtures a rich tradition of using local herbs in traditional Chinese medicine (中药), making Dali a place where nature, healing, and culture come together to inspire deep reflection and connection.
Our Guiding Principles & Approach
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Authentic and Living Wisdom
China holds a vast reservoir of traditional wisdom that could be hard to access beyond the language and cultural barriers. The essence of this wisdom could only be felt and understood through embodied experiences. We serve as a bridge, reconnecting English-speaking overseas Chinese with the visceral tastes and textures of this heritage. Through sharing our personal process, partnerships with local teachers and immersive experiences in nature, we bring this wisdom to life, honoring its depth and multidimensionality.
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Safe Container for All Parts of You
Our spaces, led by Xuel, a Psychotherapist, and Tian Tian, a Holistic Wellness Coach, are thoughtfully designed to foster safety, authenticity, and acceptance. We believe that healing requires a nurturing environment where all parts of us are recognized, heard, and respected. We welcome dialogues that acknowledge our systemic, generational, and cultural wounds with compassion and empower you to engage in transformative personal and collective healing.
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Decolonization & Honoring Indigenous Wisdom
We stand against cultural appropriation in the healing industry, grounding our work in integrity and respect. After extensive field research, we carefully selected our collaborating local healers, farmers and venues, highlighting experiences that could best present traditional and indigenous wisdom in its essence. Our offerings are rooted in dedicated research and our years of experience facilitating ancestral healing processes.
FAQs
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The retreat will be taking place in Dali, Yunnan, China. The nearest airport is Dali Fengyi Airport. From there, you can take a taxi/didi to the venue. Alternatively, you can fly into Kunming Changshui International Airport and then take a train or taxi to the venue. We will send out more details on transportations, carpool rides, where to meet etc. and help with the logistics once you sign-up.
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A non-refundable deposit ($500) is required in order to register and reserve your spot.
Our cancellation & refund policy:
No refund for cancellations made within 30 days or arrival date
50% refund for cancellation made 30-45 days before arrival date
80% refund for cancellation made more than 45 days before arrival date
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You know yourself and your energy level the best. While we do ask you to respect our container and fully participate to get the most out of the entire, we also understand that you might need to honor your needs and take care of yourself under certain circumstances.
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We would love to make this experience accessible for anyone who would like to join. You are invited to let us know what kind of installments you would like. We can do 2 installments or 3 installments. Unless arrangements are made for special circumstances, we ask that all fees be paid by April 1, 2025.
What if true power came not from doing more—but from learning how to deeply rest and enjoy?
Imagine this…
You trace the land with bare feet, walking where your ancestors once prayed, played, wept, and dreamed—
and something ancient stirs in you.
A whisper in your bones. A pulse in your blood. A delight in your breath.
Every mountain curve, every breeze, every birdsong feels like a greeting.
It’s as if the land knows your name.
It welcomes you back like a long-lost child of its soil.
You let out your authentic expression—not as performance, but as exploration.
Through songs, stories, laughter, movement, and stillness, you awaken codes inside you—
ancestral wisdom that’s been patiently waiting to return.
You are seen. Held. Witnessed.
Surrounded by a circle of kindred spirits—fellow wanderers and seekers—
you exhale the weight of displacement and receive the medicine of reclamation.
And in a moment of serendipitous encounter, under the vast Dali sky,
you reunite with yourself—fully.
Not just the perfect parts. Not just the shiny parts.
All of you.
And in that timeless moment…
You come home.