Yangliuqing, a little exploration.

A lot of attention has been given to the rapid rise of China and it's ultra modern cities. The likes of Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chongqing and many others, are no longer second rate financial centres in the context of the rest of the world, but rather, complimentary, envelope pushing metropolises easily rivalling places like Hong Kong.

The question is, what about history, tradition and heritage? Is the modernisation of China the beginning of the end to China's proud five thousand year history? Is there not value in appreciating the rich and diverse cultures China has to offer? My answer is yes.

I spent more time exploring the "old" China than the new, and because i'm not a historian, even my own culture fascinates me to no end. We as a Chinese people are defined by how we were. Our mentality is grounded by all of the thousands of years of philosophical and ideological sentiments, passed down generation through generation.

Few places in China make as much noise as the huge modern metropolises and yet, this little town represents a whole different epoch of China's long legacy. It is hard to believe people still live here, and even more impressive is that they have no intention of flocking to the big cities.

Many young people seek pastures new in ever expanding super cities. The jobs are better, the opportunities galore, and in seeking better lives, the younger generation inadvertently brush aside their roots.

How do young people go about finding their own in an ever more international market without being proud of the roots of their people? Surely, our language, our way of thinking, our philosophy is what drives our competitive nature in this modern world. We all had to start some where, and these small garrisons of towns are where most of us began our humble journey's.

It upsets me that many modern Chinese people have neglected their roots, too much influence from the internet and social media has skewed the needs and wants of the younger generation. Instead of visiting quaint little towns such as this one, they choose to visit tropical resorts and party-centric cities.

You can ponder many things walking through this town, least not the pace at which time seems to go by these days. Returning to a place like this in humbling in many other ways because it gives you a refactor of pace. Nothing is fast here, just people going about their daily lives albeit, slowly.

Though small, the town has no reference point to give it a sense of it's small size. Most of the streets are narrow, and interestingly, connected with these small paths with high walls. You never know what you'll find just round the corner because you won't see it until you're actually there.

So many pavilions at each wall boundary. The court yards are mostly empty, and it really does make you wonder, how did people use to live? Certainly, I feel transported back in time to a period not even that long ago. It's impressive because at the beginning of the last century, the whole country was like this.

There is undeniable beauty in this well preserved town. I always feel as though I was born in the wrong part of history because this is definitely the kind of life I would prefer to live. A slow, and well thought out one, with plenty of time to reflect on life. Every little detail on every corner is somebody's life work, a testament to the brilliance of the people in the past but also to the people who stay here by choice.