I was back in Hubei this weekend, ina small tourist city. We arrived around eight thirty on Friday night, and after checking in to the hotel I went for a little walk. The moon was out, and with a light breeze it was warm but comfortable walking around. There were people strolling, and groups of people eating on the sidewalk (on little wooden stools around plain tables, please don’t think of umbrellas). There was a small river, lined by willow trees, lit by colored spotlights, and spanned by a stone bridge. I walked along the river a short ways and found a night market, with more outdoor tables of people drinking beer and eating grilled mutton. People were laughing, kids were running around, and yet it was quiet, much quieter than Shanghai, because there was no traffic. There was an occasional car or scooter on the street, but mostly it was just people. The air was clean.

I have come across this before - in some places, small town life in China seems so attractive. The pace of life is slow, there is lots of green, it’s peaceful and seemingly simple. I’m sure if you lived it it would get less simple, or you would realize that simple includes having to drive for an hour to get brewed coffee or cheese, but when you walk into it unexpectedly - because a lot of rural China is in fact loud and dirty - it’s tremendously seductive.