This Photographer Ditched The City Life To Build A Home In The Mountains Of Yunnan
Ditching the big city for more rustic pastures that allow for a slower, more intentional way of living might sound like the stuff of Disney+ movies. For individuals like photographer Ting Wang, it has become not only a reality, but also a calling that sees them parlaying their mindfulness mantras into unique lifestyle experiences that others can also get a taste of. We discover more about her expedition happiness.
By Keng Yang Shuen ,
A Shenzhen native who lived in Singapore for more than 20 years, photographer Ting Wang signed up for a natural dyeing course in Shaxi village in Yunnan, China, two years ago and loved the place so much, she decided to build a house there. Now, the 39-year-old is fine-tuning her entire experience for a yet-to-be-named getaway programme that’ll launch next January.
For starters, tell us more about how you ended up building a house in Shaxi?
“I’d been practising principles of slow living and natural dyeing for about two years back in Singapore when I heard about this village. I was immediately attracted to its rustic environment, and after spending three months here documenting and learning from a local dyer (Yunnan is said to boast the largest diversity of plants in China, in turn offering plenty of resources for natural dyeing), I decided that I wanted to stay on, as I’ve always wanted to live surrounded by nature as well as delve deeper into the art of natural dyeing ... Starting with the sloping landscape around me, I drew inspiration from ancient Chinese sensibilities about structure, lighting and space division. For example, the house should be comfortable to all senses: warm in winter and cooling in summer. I also wanted it to blend harmoniously with the neighbouring houses that were here before me. This should be a space that initiates connections; where people can bounce ideas off one another, and friendships and community can grow.”
What’s a normal day for you like here?
“Typically, I wake up between 5:30am and 6am, and start my day with a 15-minute-long meditation session before doing what I deem as the most important thing of the day: anything that requires deep focus. This can be anything from reading or finishing a sewing project to writing and planning content for my Instagram account (@abrightplace__). As the sun rises and my body becomes stiff from sitting down, I tend to do a few sets of stretching exercises taught to me by my partner, who’s a Taoist TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) practitioner. They’re slow and simple, but warm the body up and calm one’s thoughts down, and have long-term benefits for the neck, back and shoulders. The rest of the day is pretty much similar to that of someone living in a city – a balance of work, household chores, exercise and hobbies – though of a different pace and setting. As undisturbed personal time is very important to me, I also make sure I have one day to myself every week. Often, the villagers nearby would come by to chill out and have a little chat. Sometimes, they bring along fresh vegetables from their fields.”
It must be very different from your life in Singapore, where you had previously been living for more than two decades.
“I’d describe the environment here in Shaxi as very real and unpretentious. It’s nice to romanticise about it, but the unhurried pace also means that this place can be lacking in terms of technology, work opportunities, public amenities and so on. You can also feel really lonely here because of the general quietness ... People sometimes see slow living as an ideal kind of life. The truth, though, is that slowing down doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically have less challenges, make less mistakes or achieve perfect mental wellness. It also doesn’t mean that you need to live in a mountain village to lead such a lifestyle. To me, living a slower-paced life simply means being honest with your boundaries and being willing to re-establish a deeper connection with your own body, mind and what surrounds you.”
Tell us more about your plans to turn this lifestyle of yours into a slow living experience for visitors.
“The plan is to open my house periodically to solo travellers or groups of two. There will only be one booking each time to keep things intimate and so that I can focus on each person or duo. I’m still thinking of a name for this concept, but people can expect to book the experience for a minimum of five days and up to a month, with prices starting from $1,280 per person, inclusive of accommodation and meals. Guests will stay on the second floor of my home, which comes with an outdoor deck and is furnished with natural products that I’ve created (these include naturally dyed bedding and handmade herbal soaps). They can also share in some of my daily activities, which include Taoism-inspired exercises, natural dyeing workshops, slow cooking sessions with local villagers and me, walking tours to explore the various villages around the forest, and herbal baths.”
With Yunnan so rich in plant life, the food must be incredible.
“The quality of food here is very different from those found in cities. For example, the farm animals are largely free-range and feed on natural sources such as grass and grains. The meat here thus has the taste and texture that it’s supposed to have naturally. The same goes for the vegetables, milk and eggs. Everything is sweet and fragrant, and I feel nourished and like I’m eating well even if the dishes are simple ... Then there are special dishes that we eat depending on the season. For example, in spring, there’s wild pine pollen that helps to boost bowel movement and detoxify the digestive system. In summer, I collect semi-wild plums to make plum wine and, in July and August, wild mushrooms from unpolluted forests ... October is the season for fresh, slow-pressed walnut oil that goes perfectly with freshly baked bread, while winter is the best time for naturally preserved foods such as pickled vegetables, salt-fermented bean paste, sweet rice wine, and fermented chilli paste. These foods can last us throughout the year, adding an authentic taste to our cooking.”
What do you hope people can take away from your slow living experience?
“Many people have reached out via Instagram (where she has been documenting her journey) and commented that it has been motivating to see me forge this path. They often say they’d like to live the same lifestyle, but for various reasons are not able to. I, too, grew up in fast-paced city environments, and while that’s not to say that I live a carefree life here, I hope for this to be a platform for tired or curious souls to get a glimpse of a different way of living. I hope people come to know that they don’t have to wait till retirement to lead a slower life. Come if you need some quiet quality time to re-centre and recharge, or if you prefer simple days spent close to nature without a fixed itinerary, enjoying life in a mountain village not as a tourist. And come with an open mind and without expectations. This is a retreat about un-doing, not doing.”
The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity
A version of this article first appeared in the June 2023 Time, Labour, Love Edition of FEMALE