About this journey
Yesterday we participated in the streamside stone-picking and painting activity, and it was totally worth it! Such a beautiful and healing activity! Among many activities, our two kids chose to collect stones and paint with Shusha without hesitation. It turned out that fate is truly wonderful. The two guides were very dedicated and professional, teaching the children how to select stones and inspiring them to choose elements they liked to paint, rather than simply imitating. And lovely Shusha - three children played in the water, collected stones, chatted, and shared together.
A Jin also used drawing to record the children's innocent words along the way - very thoughtful!! Highly recommend!
-Guozi
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At the end of 2024, Yangqiao collected many construction waste stones from the seaside in Dongshan, Fujian. The place where the stones were picked was once the filming location where Sun Wukong burst out of a stone in the 1983 version of 'Journey to the West'. Coincidentally, my print 'Sun Wukong', created ten years ago, confirmed that the fate of these stones is like that of Sun Wukong - after the pilgrimage to the West, it is ultimately difficult to return to his beloved Huaguo Mountain. These seaside stones were constantly washed by the waves, revealing the changing veins inside. Yangqiao liked to paint these stones in colors to rejuvenate them. Then these stones made their way to Guizhou and became an artwork. One night, as Yangqiao and I were chatting, I suddenly realized that these stones were very much like the 'five-colored stones' used by Nüwa to mend the sky. Later, I thought about those who once held important positions in the city but, with the development of the times, left their jobs or had to return to their hometowns they had worked so hard to leave. They then engaged in a long dialogue with the people of their hometowns, whom I call 'rough stones'. The dialogue between the five-colored stones and the rough stones is very much like our dialogue with nature.
After leaving Guizhou, we came to Dali, a place close to our hometown, with clear water and azure sky. In the water, there are white stones that came all the way down from Cangshan and flow to Shusha's feet. The children innocently call them 'gems'. Thus, our dialogue with our hometown and with nature began on these small five-colored stones.
Yangqiao also plans to continue her creation. Stones are like people - what kind of stones will we encounter?
In 2019, Yangqiao and I came to Dali and stayed at Jason's place. We went hiking on Cangshan with Jason and Xiaojing, spending every day with nature. At that time, I thought I wanted a job like this, so I told Jason. Jason said I first needed to learn to drive, so I returned to Xiamen to get my driver's license. In 2022, Jason said he was willing to lend me 5,000 yuan to help me buy a second-hand car worth 10,000 yuan. Later, through hard work, some of my own savings, and Yangqiao's strong support, I bought a Great Wall M2.
In 2025, we came to Dali. At first, I worked as Phoebe's assistant, going to Cangshan to learn about insects and plants. Jingshan said his streamside stone-painting activity needed help, and coincidentally, Yangqiao was also very interested in painting stones. In April and May, there was an exhibition at the Wayuan Space in Guizhou featuring works using stones as a medium. So Jingshan entrusted this activity to Yangqiao and me, and we began our Cangshan journey. - A Jin, July 2025
Doing what you love and turning it into part of your work (even if not all) is a wonderful thing. That's what our friends are doing. I believe that when you truly enjoy and immerse yourself in something, it naturally inspires others.
Time: 3:00 PM (may vary depending on season and other factors)
Duration: 2.5 hours
What we provide: paints, brushes, afternoon tea, fruit.
What travelers need to bring: just a small bottle of water. Wear sports shoes, water shoes, or sandals - any kind is fine.
Notes: The painting experience is about your own natural feeling, free imagination, and creativity. The guide will offer some suggestions, but this is not a teaching course or skill training - that is not the purpose of this activity.
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