Living in an industrialized, polluted city like Shanghai, you rarely see many stars in the sky.

In Wuxie (Five Waterfalls) in neighbouring Zhejiang Province, it's a different story.

And you get a cool, gentle breeze in the bargain.

You can get to the area by bus along a narrow cement road to the "back door" of the scenic area at the end of which is a long set of stone steps that go down to a number of wood huts where you put up for the night.

If you spend most of your time in the concrete high-rise jungle, you will find this a novel and exciting experience.

Some of the huts are built above ground, with access via small ladders.

But once inside, you are gratified to discover that the facilities are comparable with those of a standard hotel room.

Every hut has a romantic name, such as Xi Shi Lou.

Xi Shi was considered one of the four most beautiful women of Chinese history, as were Diao Chan, Want Zhaojun and Zhao Feiyan.

Wuxie is in the small county where Xi Shi lived.

You only need about half a day to climb the mountain and see the five waterfalls. On rainy days, the waterfalls become even more magnificent. They are connected to each other, so the higher you climb, the bigger the falls.

Standing beside the rushing water, you feel tiny droplets on your face, and this is cooling and most refreshing.

After wandering up along a narrow and fairly steep path, you see the wider and longer second waterfall.

The wonderful views of the waterfalls are the prizes that come after the hard climb.

You may rest on the flat stone and watch revellers splashing each other in the shallow pool.

Why not take off your shoes and join them? It's nice to feel the water flowing around you.

But watch out for the stone with lichen on it - you could slip and hurt yourself.

Sitting in a shed filled with straw, you experience immense tranquility.

The only sound is that of strange birds tweeting - birds that are unknown in our crowded cities.

At dusk, it's time to return to your sleeping quarters.

As you proceed down the mountain, you find that your legs ache. That's hardly surprising after hours of continuous climbing during the course of the afternoon.

The fatigue evaporates when you catch sight of smoke trailing from a kitchen chimney beside the wooden hut where you will be spending the night.

Dinner is being prepared.

The culinary arts of the villagers are not, perhaps, as refined as those of the best Shanghai chefs, but the ingredients intrigue the palate. They include wild chicken, wild duck, wild boar and tortoise. This last is especially tasty.

As night falls, you gaze into the sky from your swing or hammock between the bamboo trees, and listen to the light sound of the brook.

You will enter a deep and untroubled sleep. You are far, far away from the noise of motor vehicles and the pressure of large numbers of people.

In the morning, you can take a boat ride across a reservoir to the main entrance/exit to the area, unless you relish the idea of the lonngg climb back to the top.

(China Daily 06/07/2001)