Chengkan & Huizhou

Today, with the help of a driver who accompanies us throughout the day, we visit the villages of Chengkan and Huizhou. Chengkan is a slightly less well-preserved village and therefore supposedly less touristy. We cannot agree with that at first glance, but later realize that it is true compared to the other villages.

Both villages originated in the Ming Dynasty and became very wealthy thanks to the wealth of merchants and affluent family dynasties. Many buildings date back to this time, although most of them have been thoroughly renovated. However, people still live in these villages. From time to time, we catch a glimpse of the courtyards where bed sheets and underwear are hung up to dry, next to windows with exquisite wood carvings from the 16th century. This combination is what makes China special!

Chengkan is worth a visit, but Huizhou scares us more than it pleases us. Not that the old town does not have equally beautiful buildings, but we are deterred by the horror of the shops. In the old houses, cheap clothes are offered in abundance - or there are occasionally some questionable snack stalls. At any rate, there is no harmony between old and new; we find the city unsympathetic. After a very good lunch snack, this harsh judgment is slightly dampened.

What I personally struggle with is that I am CONSTANTLY stared at by people. It's not a stare, but rather long, difficult-to-interpret looks from Chinese women, men, and children. I find it very uncomfortable and constantly feel these looks on me.

After a detour to the decorative arches of Tangyue, I am grateful for some rest from the day.

In the evening, we have a type of hotpot, but we have no idea what exactly to order (Google Translate doesn't work as well as we imagined). But it tasted good! However, the other customers ordered such spicy soup bases that constant sneezing and coughing could be heard, and we also had to clear our throats from the spiciness in the air from time to time. These Chinese people are crazy...