I live in a small village in the countryside next to the beautiful YuLong River, not far from the popular tourist village of Yangshuo. Apart from working at EasyTour China, I also preserve and renovate old Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) courtyard houses. During the 2020 pandemic, to prevent the virus from entering our region, we were asked not to leave the village area for what ended up being 6 weeks.
I’m used to being outside doing physical work every day and am not very good at staying indoors doing nothing. So I began going for long walks in Yangshuo - no matter the weather - in and around the village everyday. I explored small paths amongst the rice paddies and up into the neighbouring hills. I discovered amazing cobbled trails, which had once been the main routes between villages in Yangshuo and to the nearest market town.
Since there was not much else to do in the village, afternoons and evenings were usually spent contentedly at my neighbours’ houses, eating their home-raised chickens and green vegetables and drinking my home-made fruit wine. The downside to these hours wining and dining was that the excessive wining often left me feeling ‘under the weather’ in the morning. But I soon discovered that a couple of cups of coffee and a few hours of walking would leave me feeling ‘right as rain’. This then became my daily morning routine.
After our 6 weeks were over, I started venturing further afield. I followed the trails I’d discovered through the mountains and neighbouring villages. Since everyone here is so friendly, people I met would all greet me and, if it was close to meal time, invite me to eat and drink rice wine with them. Being of reasonably sunny disposition, I like to make friends, so would stop to chat or go for a meal with them. My circle of friends soon expanded exponentially and it seemed like I knew all of the thousands of people living in villages along the YuLong River valley.
There is a gorgeous paved pathway which the local government laid out hugging the edge of the YuLong River. The scenery is breathtaking and the river is usually dotted with dozens of bamboo rafts drifting serenely downstream. The rafts transport tourists - 2 at a time - from the dramatically arched YuLong stone bridge down to JiuXian Village (where I live).
The rafts are manned by men and women from all the neighbouring villages. Since the majority of these people now all know me they always shout out my name as they pass, ask me where I’m going, or invite me to their house for a meal.
Some mornings if I’m feeling a little gloomy or frustrated I know I just have to take a walk on the path along the river and the continuous chorus of local friends happily shouting out to me will instantly disperse the dark clouds.
I’m so happy I get to appreciate such simple joys in life. Something as seemingly ordinary as a morning walk can bring such great happiness.
Recommended Yangshuo Walking Tour
★ 3-day Yangshuo Hiking Tour to Li River, Xingping Old Town, and Fishing Village
★ Guilin Hiking Tour of Li River and Longji Rice Terraces