Peace comes easy in Yumuzhai, a traditional rural village tucked in between the southwestern hills of Hubei Province. This sleepy hamlet is the private world of the Tujia, an ethnic tribe that observes strong traditions like a peculiar written language and narrating folk stories through opera and songs.
The sole gateway to Yumuzhai is a crumbling road from Yichang. Glistening terraced fields filled with water buffaloes signal that the settlement's aged gatehouse is close at hand. From the massive stone gatehouse, a stone path leads to traditional Tujia buildings, stone tablets, old tombs and carvings, which are accompanied by natural scenic viewpoints and precipitous drops.
During spring, the whole village is covered with fog. Every winter, the weather is cold and damp, making an overnight stay in a traditional peasant house uncomfortable since the mattresses are only made of straw. The best time to schedule a visit is on a summer or autumn, when the surroundings are clear enough for a snapshot and when the weather is just fine for walking around with a backpack.