Yangshuo, Guangxi Province, China

The Land of Sugar Loaf Mountains

The countryside around Yangshuo in southern China is one of my favorite places, it has become a yearly pilgrimage since we moved to Shanghai. 

Mossy green sugar loaf mountains stretch out as far as the eye can see; the furthest, just barley visible through the fog, loom like silent giants carved in stone. Bamboo boats drift along the opaque Li river and quiet country roads snake through the sleepy villages nestled in karst valleys.

There's something magical in the air around here, a sensation that seems both familiar and mystical, as if it were part of the imaginary setting from one of the Roald Dahl novels I used to delve into during my childhood.