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Longkou

A Taste of Rural Chinese Farming Life

A seven-hour journey into the countryside north-east of Xia Guan (New Dali city) took us to Long Kou, the small home-village of Lana, one of the College's Grade III students. We stayed here for three nights and had a fantastic time - even if our sleep was a little disrupted on the first night be cheeky little farm mice scrapping over corn! During the day we helped Lana's mum pick, wash and prepare beans - which became one of our favourite dishes.

Lana's mum cooked in  the biggest wok I have seen in my life - heated by a fire of dried out corn cobs from the farm yard. Freda and Edie really enjoyed being in the countryside and had many happy hours exploring small paths between fields with long sticks and bean baskets. 

We also had a short hill walk. Lana and I continued up the pony path to visit their higher fields - where they grow peanuts and corn, but not for much longer due to new regeneration policies - while Ali, Freda, Edie and Lana's nephew build dams across an irrigation scheme. They unblocked them before descending back to the village.

On their arrival back at the farm Freda and Edie witnessed the slaughter, plucking and gutting of one of the fattest chickens. It was later served up in a soup and Edie tucked into one of the chicken claws, most of which she seemed to consume and even enjoy! 

This was the morning of our departure. We waited for a passing minibus or truck but with no luck. We eventually jumped on a small 3-wheeler taxi, which took us to the main Bin Chuan-Xia Guan road where we caught another taxi because all the passing buses were full. We then chugged back to the city in first gear due to a slipping clutch.