The Village People



It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

We were invited by our friend branson to visit what he likes to call his village. He has been traveling there for many years. Not an easy place to get to. A 2 ½ hour train ride to the city of Wuchen, famous for their rice, then a rented van and 3 more hours of travel time brought us to his village located in the Dong Shan or East Mountains. The village began life as a Japanese work camp, built to house workers who logged the large trees that covered the mountainside.

  

Young man, there's no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy.

 Meet Grandma. She followed her husband to the village in the early 60's. She has outlived him and raised a family of 8. Many who still live in the village. She told us stories of  trees so big it took two people to put their arms around them and eating fish from the river that ran through their village. The fish have all disappeared and only small scrawny trees cover the mountain side. There has been no logging for many years. For the last decade the village has been slowly  transitioning into a tourist destination.


 

Young man, there's a place you can go.
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough.
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.

Meet the ladies at the local 7-11.When the munchies strike, they got you covered but only from 11:00 ish to when ever.

 

It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A. 

 

 

The village has running water or perhaps "walking water" might be more appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

  

No man does it all by himself.
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.
I'm sure they can help you today.

 

 

Nonie inspecting dinner or is the dinner inspecting Nonie? 



It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

 

 

 

 

These happy retirees kept asking us why we waited so long to retire. We had no response.  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, what do you want to be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams.
But you got to know this one thing!

 

 

Their kitchen was stocked with the latest gadgets.  

 

It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A. 

 

 

Meet the "frog hunter". He was busy harvesting live frogs. Soon to be another vanished species of the village.













The villagers have constructed kilometres of plastic fencing along the river. The frogs, drawn to the water, are stopped by the plastic wall making them easy prey for the "frog hunter".  We hiked up the creek for hours and found no part of the river not fenced in.  

 

 

 

No man does it all by himself.
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.
I'm sure they can help you today.

 

 

 

Found this little guy making a valiant attempt to breach the wall. Gave him a hand up and over the fence. The villagers have no concept of managed harvesting and along with the fish, deer, bears, the frogs will probably be hunted into extinction.

 

 

 

 

  

 

It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

 

 

Meet our hosts. They were the first family to see the potential for tourism in the village. With  money earned inviting tourists into their home, they built a larger home, then a second home for grandma.  Many other families are now getting on the bandwagon and new and larger homes have and are sprouting up around the village to accommodate the growing demand. The Chinese are moving into the cities, but still crave a little nature, once in a while. All be it, one without any animals

You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal,
You can do whatever you feel ...

 

 

 

 

 

This giant wok kept us well fed. All the food we ate was made or grown in the village.

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

 

 

It's 4:30 AM and the tofu guy has been up for hours preparing fresh  and tasty tofu for the village. His secret ingredient, the ash that fell into the tofu from the ever present cigarette dangling from his mouth.  

 

 

 

 

 

They have everything for you men to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys...

 

 

 

Meet the guys. With not a lot of action in the village, the tofu guy commands an audience. Perhaps they get to lick the spoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's when someone came up to me,
And said, young man, take a walk up the street.
There's a place there called the Y.M.C.A.
They can start you back on your way.

 

And of course Nonie has to put her two cents in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down.
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.

 

 

The village is not rich but everyone had a smile. Even the corn bugs were smiling. Neighbours were helping neighbours and we were welcomed where ever we went. It was a nice escape from the big city.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.