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When I was deciding what I could write for the title ‘The Craziest Things I Have Done In China’, three stories sprang to mind. While writing them however, it became very clear that I have these stories due to a series of bad decisions that turned out better than could be expected. I have tried to cut them down to the important parts so hope you enjoy!
A day with my taxi driver
One crazy thing I did while in China was spend the day with my taxi driver. As strange as it might sound, it actually turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve had in this country.
I was determined to climb Mount Hengshan in the Hunan province and had planned a two-day trip to accomplish this challenge. Everything seemed fine until I arrived and realised the entire province was about to go into lockdown due to a COVID-19 outbreak. My Didi driver suggested I visit the temple nearby, as it was about to close and the mountain had already been shut to visitors.
It was at the temple that I met his wife, who kindly showed me around and helped me take part in some of the local customs.
After the temple visit, my driver—Mr Yang—offered to take me to his house and B&B for dinner, as he wasn’t sure what else would still be open in the area. I accepted, and we drove about 20 minutes from the temple to his home. There, I met Mr Yang’s son and daughter, aged 7 and 13, and we shared stories. Not long after, his brother and family arrived, and the storytelling continued.
Mrs Yang then served dinner—some of the most delicious food I’ve had so far in China. It was a lovely meal, enjoyed with a family I’d only met that very day.
After dinner, we shared some local tea, and Mr Yang’s son thoroughly beat me at Chinese chess—a game I still don’t quite understand!
Instead of staying the night, I decided it was best to head home, bringing to a close a strange but memorable day.
Looking back, it was probably a poor decision that could have gone badly, and I wouldn’t recommend doing the same. But it was such a crazy day because I never knew what would happen next—and it ended up being one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had in China.
Finding a secret paradise
As you might have guessed from the previous story, I’m an avid hiker and always on the lookout for the best hiking spots in the area. This passion led me and a colleague to a place called Yingde, located in Qingyuan province. I had seen photos of a stunning cave and long, flowing rivers that I couldn’t get out of my mind—so I hatched a plan to visit. I found an address on TripAdvisor.com and quickly booked a train.
If you’ve ever used TripAdvisor in China, you may already know what I learnt that day: the addresses listed aren’t always accurate. As a result, we ended up nearly 300km away from the actual destination. Since the journey had already taken over three hours, we decided we might as well have a look around and head back later that evening.
I was disappointed. I’d been looking forward to soaking in some natural scenery. As we wandered around, I was frantically searching online to see if anything similar was nearby. That’s when I stumbled across a small resort on the far side of a mountain, right on the edge of a lake. We had to go!
When we arrived, the resort was beautiful, and with hardly anyone around, it was perfect for exploring. There we discovered a large cave system, a glass bridge, and several charming tea shops.
This experience felt crazy because, much like the last story, what started off as a potential disaster due to poor planning turned into a hidden adventure—one we would never have found if things had gone to plan.
Hiking off the trail
Finally, the last of my craziest experiences—and if you’ve read this far, I’m sure you can guess what I was doing. That’s right: hiking! In Shenzhen, Guangdong, there’s a large mountain called Wutong. I’d been wanting to climb it for quite some time, having visited Shenzhen on several occasions and admired the mountain’s size from afar.
When I arrived, I set off straight away—music on, maps open. After about 45 minutes of following the marked paths, I noticed a deliberate gap in the fence, leading to a dirt track winding through the trees. This felt like real hiking, and curiosity got the better of me—I wanted to see where it led.
It’s safe to say I bit off more than I could chew. The trail became extremely steep in places, at times almost vertical, and I found myself scrambling up the hillside. Still, as with any mountain, the higher I climbed, the more spectacular the views became.
Roughly halfway up, after two hours of hiking, I stumbled across a makeshift campsite high in the mountains. Clothes and belongings were scattered about, but no one was around. I thought little of it at the time—perhaps a group had camped there overnight. I pressed on and eventually reached the summit, taking in the vast, stunning view.
After snapping a few photos, I looked around to see where I could go next—only to realise, with some horror, that the mountain I had just spent four hours climbing was nothing compared to the enormous peak it was connected to. As it was already beginning to get dark, I decided to retrace my steps.
Passing through the campsite again, it suddenly struck me that I hadn’t seen a single person during the entire hike. I began to wonder who the campsite belonged to, and whether the trail I had taken was even an official one. The descent was equally solitary, and by the time I reached the bottom, I had a strong feeling that I’d unknowingly used a path meant only for those familiar with the area—perhaps even just for accessing that very campsite.
This hike was less crazy and more mysterious than anything else. I got to see a side of the mountain few others likely have—but in hindsight, I think I’ll stick to the marked trails from now on.