I was very fortunate to experience more than just the city life on my trip to China in April 2008. Not knowing what to expect when I got there the first time, I was amazed(and positively thrilled) by the high energy, fast paced modern life in Beijing … Enter a retreat to Cuandixia and you get to experience a part of China that is in line with images I’ve always had of rural China.
Following a winding road through the mountains we stopped seemingly in the middle of nowhere. A tiny village with a dirt road running through it, mountains all around and someone slaughtering a sheep for supper right there on the side of the road … It was as if the road through the mountains took us back in time and if it wasn’t for the cars in this village, you’d have a hard time convincing me that this did not in fact happen.
I’m leaving you with a few images …
Houses in the village
Following the dirt road along the mountain, perfect place for an ambush 
Surprise on the other side of the ‘ambush’
Also known as Chinese Venice … During my recent trip to China my colleague and good friend made arrangements for a quick trip to Suzhou, a city that surely has the potential to be a very romantic experience if you focus on the canals and gardens. I definitely want to go back there for a little boat trip on the canals … I kind of ended up having to choose between shopping and the boat ride and that was of course a no-brainer ! It was a great weekend, the fun factor was in overdrive and by the Sunday night I was just too pleased to use the next 12 hours on a train to Beijing as a good excuse to take it easy and get some much needed rest.
A few images from Suzhou …
