Just 100 km northeast of Beijing is a Wonderful experience
Bigger than a regular lake, the reservoir is visible from the terrace. Surrounded by cornfields and a bit of wilderness dotted by a mesmerizing melange of fragrant plants, trees and wildflowers, you can see vast amounts of sky (spirit-elevating on a cloudless, starry night).Ringed by mountains at the horizon, sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset are spectacular from this vantage spot.
The eight-room Wonderful, complete with solar power and homegrown fresh vegetables, lives up to its name. The largehearted hosts allow free access to their well-stocked communal kitchen, and proactively stoke friendly interactions among guests.
My pal and I went for a long walk around midnight on the excellent, quiet, still road that rings the reservoir, noticing loads of pears hanging low on the trees by the edges.
Next day, a predawn walk led us to a colorful sunrise from behind the mountains, near the satellite-data-receiving ground station. It's a sight to behold, with numerous gigantic dish antennae flanking the lane.
We sauntered a few kilometers through verdant fields where farmworkers were already at work, while some others headed elsewhere in their three-wheeled electric vehicles. We breathed in lungfuls of refreshing, clean, scented air, made lovelier by big sunflowers everywhere.
The village plays community radio on loudspeakers hung on street poles. On the festival evening, we heard locals singing ballads, although the place itself didn't wear any obvious festive look.
Sun and Fang started their farmstay business in August 2017 by investing 550,000 yuan ($77,300)-a big chunk of their lifetime savings. Since their only son, a dentist, is settled in Chengdu, Sichuan province, they thought the rural hospitality business would inject some joy into their post-retirement life.
They don't keep accounts or cashflow records, believing there should be more to life than just profit or loss. I found their ability to live in the moment spontaneously, and connect with people at a deeper level, remarkable.
In Beijing, my expatriate friends and I frequently hear meiyou (don't have) from local stores and food joints in response to our queries or requests. My pal's first observation after our trip was he never heard the ever-smiling Sun say meiyou even once!
Wonderful is listed on several vacation rental apps, ensuring steady income for the couple during peak seasons. "We are very satisfied, and have no business expansion plans as of now," Sun said.
Technology, I figured, can be truly empowering, not just for urbanites but even rural folk.
