Travel Guides & Tips in this video
- Tip 1When you reach the cable car, buy tickets in advance if possible and arrive a little early to avoid crowds. The ride offers sweeping mountain views and a taste of the village’s setting. (04:02)
- Tip 2Time your visit for autumn when maples turn brilliant colors and the rooftops showcase drying chilies and dandelion tea. Wander slowly, take photos, and watch where locals dry crops to understand Shai Xiao culture. (06:50)
- Tip 3Explore small Western-style eateries and stalls; don’t worry if you don’t read Chinese—sharing dishes is common and you’ll likely end up tasting multiple items folk-style. (10:10)
Always Away takes us from the familiarity of Shanghai into a dramatic mountain landscape as they drive to a centuries old village near Huangling. The morning begins with a chaotic, charming honesty: a late-night arrival, a first look at unfamiliar roads, a bunged-up nose that becomes part of the humor, and the couple’s easy banter about their Stitch backpack mascot. The road trip itself feels like an invitation to slow down and notice details—the silhouettes of towering mountains, the contrast between Shanghai’s bustle and the mountain town, and the sensation of suddenly being “in China” in a way that feels both traditional and surprisingly modern. They ride a cable car up to Hang Ling Village, a place famed for Shai Xiao harvest practices and chili drying on rooftops, and immediately start noticing the textures that define the place—the woven baskets of chilies, the dandelions drying into tea, and the colorful autumn foliage that coats the village in reds, yellows, and copper hues. As
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Always Away travels from Shanghai to a mountain village near Huangling, arriving in the mountains with a mix of awe and humor about the journey. The cable car ascent reveals the village perched on a steep hillside, where Shai Xiao harvest traditions and chili drying on roofs create a vivid, photogenic landscape. Autumn brings maple trees and bright colors, while the market streets reveal small stalls, dumplings, and pork buns that illustrate a culture of shared meals. The pair narrate with warmth about their hotel stay, the quirky hotel lobby onset, and the comfortable car they drive, all while balancing practical travel notes with discoveries like dandelion tea drying in the sun and the everyday lifeways of locals. They encounter friendly dogs, bustling terraces, and the surprising Western-leaning eateries that appear in the village center, underscoring how travel can feel both authentic and unexpectedly cosmopolitan. The video closes with a cozy hotel tour and a plan to edit the footage, inviting viewers to imagine their own trip to this remarkable rural China.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: Is Hang Ling Village hard to reach?
- A: It's a bit of a journey from the city, but the road is scenic and the cable car makes the final ascent easy and fun. Plan for a few hours to explore.
