As a graduate student studying in China, I was eager to see places that were off the beaten path and lesser known to Western people. The first province I wanted to explore was Yunnan Province in southwest China. The moment you start reading about this area, rich in history and diverse beyond measure, you know you're about to embark on a journey into a new world.

From the moment I walked out of the train station, Lijiang caught my eye and heart. It was my first time having a female taxi driver taking me anywhere. She dropped me off right by the gate of Lijiang Old City and, in true foreign backpacker form, I grabbed my bags and started to make my way through the narrow streets of the labyrinth that is the old town. The beautiful atmosphere filled me with happiness and joy. Little did I know at that moment how deeply I would come to love this city.

Finally, I arrived at my designated homestay. A traditional wooden house with a little yard sitting in the middle and a huge white dog, welcomed me. This fluffy friend could not care less about a foreign girl with four bags standing in front of him. He let me pet him, and then peacefully dozed off again.

When the cleaning lady, who spoke in local dialect, showed up, the communication struggle began. Eventually, a laoban, or "proprietor," showed up and I was able to settle in.

On the first day, I set out on a stroll through Heilongtan Park. But then I stumbled upon a trail that led to a mountain. Before I knew it, in the afternoon, I found myself walking all the way to the mountain by Heilongtan, or the Black Dragon Lake. Just as I was struggling to catch my breath, a message popped up on Weixin, one of China's most commonly used super apps. The laoban was inviting me to join him for a cup of tea later. I accepted the invitation.

After my unexpected hike, where I had taken many photos of the mesmerizing landscape surrounding me, the laoban and his entire family were waiting for me back at the homestay.

I spent a few hours with him and his younger brother sipping tea and talking. While I was quite often embarrassed that I could not understand them, they were embarrassed from time to time because they could not find the proper terms in English.

I'm still not sure how exactly it happened, but to this day, our conversation turned out to be one of the nicest conversations I've ever had in China. They kept offering me different kinds of snacks, most of which weren't really up my alley. But I absolutely loved the tea. Eventually, their mother and sister joined as well, making the conversation even more chaotic—and joyful.

During our encounter, I found myself pondering whether all Yunnan locals, particularly those from Lijiang, shared the same characteristics, as this family was quite different from the locals I had previously met. I later discovered that the mother actually hailed from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China. This revelation helped explain the unique vibes I'd experienced during my stay and, truth be told, I could not have been more thankful for the opportunity to meet this remarkable family.

They may have long forgotten all about me, but they will remain in my mind and heart forever. They showed an unbelievably strong family bond and even made me feel like one of their own. What's more, meeting them on this short trip to southwest China has filled me with hope and enthusiasm about traveling to other parts of this vast country in the future. 

The author is a Czech student at East China Normal University in Shanghai

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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