2015 China

21 March, Likeng to Hongcun
The Donkey Commune Hotpot 150CNY

Hongcun village, now a Unesco World Heritage site, was founded in 1131 near Leigang hill in what is today Anhui province. The officials and merchants who called Hongcun home grew wealthy dealing in lumber, tea and salt, and managing a string of pawnshops throughout the empire. They used their wealth to build beautiful homes, public buildings and a still-functional water supply system that includes South Lake, Moon Fen and water channels running along all the village streets. The town is charming, particularly so under a spring sun showing its face for the first time in many days. We wandered the narrow alleys, following signs intended to guide tourists from one worthwhile site to another, the signs reading “Visit the forward”. Our day had a real holiday feel. We drank very expensive, and, as it turned out, awful coffee at an attractive coffee shop. At an even more pleasing icecream parlour with a wonderful courtyard garden, our very expensive mango icecream and beer went down a treat, however. Throughout town we saw pork haunches hung out to cure and dined later on this local speciality, dipped in a vinegary sauce. We have discovered that at many tourist sites, Charl, at 65, is entitled to half-price tickets, a boon to our budget.     

As our morning bus to Hongcun was cancelled, we hired a car and driver with three Chinese women also travelling between Likeng and Hongcun; a car comfortable and heated on a chilly day. Such luxury.

LOVE the name of our hotel!