A view of an alley in Heshun. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

We rushed to the hostel through alleys. The hostess served us fresh mango and told us she enjoyed her current life very much. Since opening the hostel, she had made many friends, and never allowed her life to become too busy; another main concept of other Heshuners we would come to discover. Once she got a jade bracelet with a small black spot inside. She took the bracelet to a craftsman in the morning to have gold inlay the spot. In the evening, she went there to ask how it was going. While the hostess told us the story, she made us Tieguanyin tea.

In the hostel, we met a family who came to Heshun every year for months; this was the third time this year. The woman had lived abroad for around ten years, she says she seldom visited one place over and over, but Heshun was one place she loved to visit regularly.

I have just set foot on this land. Been here for a few hours. I haven't even moved out of the hostel yet, but I can already feel myself falling for the spirit of the town. Now, as I sit in a bamboo chair writing the diary, two girls are watching a TV program next door, while others chat in the courtyard.

Tomorrow, the host, who is an expert on Heshun culture, will continue to tell us the story of Heshun with people gathered around the table, and we will go on to discuss the wisdom of ancient people with other patrons at the hostel, and more importantly, we will explore the charm of Heshun deeper.