In early summer, I traveled to Ziyuan County, Guilin, Guangxi, at the invitation of a friend.
My friend’s home was in Ma’anshi, Jinjiang Village, where the nearby Jinjiang River connects several neighboring mountain villages. Facing terraced fields and backed by forests, shrouded in mist, clear streams flowed down from the gullies beside the houses. It coincided with the days when the mountains were lush with grass and birds sang, and various unnamed flowers bloomed across every green hillside, red as melted paint splashed across the slopes, with mist diffusing into everyone’s pupils.
At dusk, I thought I’d have to stay at my friend’s house, but she suddenly looked troubled upon realizing a few relatives had also come. I felt no awkwardness and simply asked if there were any suitable local homes where I could stay. My friend’s cousin mentioned that a new homestay called Anshi·Qingtai Workshop was about to open not far from the village, though it wasn’t officially operational yet. Knowing my preferences, my friend took me to inquire.
To our surprise, the homeowner, Mr. Shen, warmly welcomed us upon hearing our situation and learning we were friends of a fellow villager. “It’s not open yet, but soon, very soon. Stay here for now, all guests are welcome.” Seeing the bright and tidy rooms, my friend decided she didn’t want to leave.
Mr. Shen brewed us a pot of tea. “It’s good tea from my own vegetable garden. If you visit again in the future, you can even plant your own tea and come see the tea fields.”
Amidst the aroma of tea, we gradually got to know this middle-aged man who seemed like a traditional farmer but carried himself with remarkable poise.
Mr. Shen, who previously worked at a financial firm, had handled billion-yuan deals before establishing this homestay—financing projects involving large-scale corporate IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions, almost all of which were astonishing figures in the eyes of ordinary people. He himself lived a life of comfort, truly an industry elite who came from the mountains.
“But to be honest, after handling so many deals and looking at those huge numbers, they’re really just games of capital,” Mr. Shen said with a smile. “Capital games are built on money. To get the most money, a concept or model might be enough to make you a winner—but that winning status isn’t permanent.” After working away from home for so long, he deeply missed his childhood life in his hometown. So he infused his hometown’s name into the homestay—Anshi·Qingtai Workshop. The poetic name reflects his deep attachment to his native land.
Mr. Shen showed us photos from the construction of Qingtai Workshop. “Every tree and blade of grass in this wooden house is infused with my heart and soul. She breathes like my own life—I can feel her warmth and hear her whispers.”
But when we saw what the wooden house looked like before, we were stunned. Rather than a beautiful countryside scene, it was more like a ruined relic. Beyond the broken walls lay beautiful scenery, but returning to the site where the homestay was to be built left anyone at a loss.
When everyone heard about starting to build the homestay, they naturally decided to buy bricks, steel bars, and cement to construct a new building.
At that moment, Mr. Shen immediately dismissed the idea. “Build a wooden house!”
A wooden house? With only a year from preparation to expected completion, how could there be enough time to build a real wooden house? Moreover, it was said that wooden houses have extremely high environmental requirements—southern springs are humid, summers are hot and rainy, and maintenance is no easy task... “The most traditional form of Chinese architecture is timber structure. If we don’t build a wooden house, how can we claim to return to simplicity?” Mr. Shen overruled the objections and settled the matter of the wooden house.
Mr. Shen, who had worked away from home for many years, didn’t know how to work with wood, so he learned from the workers and pitched in, striving to ensure every part of Qingtai Workshop was touched by his own hands as much as possible.
In his forties, Mr. Shen climbed up and down roofs and beams, working from morning until late at night. Even after the workers went home, he was still preparing materials for the next day, his hands and feet blistered.
The mountain weather was unpredictable. When it rained, construction still had to proceed according to schedule. Mr. Shen led the way, wearing a thin plastic raincoat to move timber in the rain. Relatives, friends, and neighbors all rushed forward to help enthusiastically, boosting everyone’s morale...
“Qingtai Workshop is the first wooden-structured house newly built in our area,” he said. Although the cost was higher than that of a concrete and steel building, and the construction difficulty was something ordinary houses couldn’t compare to, using enough money to build a concrete and steel house for a wooden one—Mr. Shen proudly stroked the wooden wall inside. “In the future, this will be our cultural treasure of traditional architecture in Jinjiang Village. It’s worth it.”
Mr. Shen talked a lot, but his topics always revolved around his beloved hometown. He wanted the hometown to develop through the Anshi·Qingtai Workshop homestay, to turn its beautiful scenery into a true tourism resource, and to help the villagers live better lives together... This land was where Mr. Shen’s deepest affections lay.
That night, the homestay was brightly lit, just like Mr. Shen’s heartfelt devotion to his hometown.
The next morning, we bid farewell. Mr. Shen insisted on giving us two packets of tea. “They’re all-natural, tastier than the ones outside. Come visit when we open—I’m really happy to have met you.”
On the way back, my thoughts lingered in the forests and birdsongs of Zhantiantang, and I imagined the innocent laughter of children and busy office workers who would visit Anshi·Qingtai Workshop in the future...
It’s heard that Mr. Shen’s homestay will soon open on September 27th (the eighth day of the eighth lunar month), just in time for the upcoming eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday—a golden opportunity to travel and unwind. If you’re heading to Ziyuan County, Guilin, go experience Anshi·Qingtai Workshop (note: correct name is 青苔坊, translated here consistently as Qingtai/菁苔坊) homestay early for the full experience. Contact Mr. Shen via WeChat: shenwenhong8888