During my kid’s kindergarten summer break, I took the whole family—grandparents and kids in tow—on a road trip. It took three days to drive the 2,000 kilometers from Hangzhou to Sichuan. From there, we drove another two days and 1,000 kilometers to Dali, Yunnan. The outbound leg alone stretched across nearly half of China.

This was my first time driving back to my hometown. Logically speaking, neither part of the journey made much sense. Compared to spending the summer at home in Hangzhou, driving back was more expensive and time-consuming. Even if we had to go back, flying cost about the same but would have saved a lot of time and effort. Furthermore, while visiting home could be somewhat justified, the detour to Yunnan was completely unnecessary—more of a spontaneous whim under the guise of escaping the summer heat. But who needs to be perfectly rational all the time? The real reason was simple: my parents are getting older, I happened to have the time and resources, and I wanted to see my hometown and the surrounding regions. After going through certain things in life, you realize that life waits for no one. When conditions allow, the sooner you do something, the better.

Impressions of My Hometown

The Vanished Old Houses

Unlike my last visit when the old houses were still standing, the entire neighborhood is now being demolished. From the outside, it looks completely wiped out. Where buildings once stood, there is now nothing but open sky and clouds. A small part of me crumbled along with them: the spaces where life actually happened and the familiar faces—they are all washing away with time. Soon, they won’t even exist in physical space. You can never go back, and you can never see them again. They will only live on in the memories of a few, slowly fading until it’s as if they never existed at all.

The School I Once Attended

At least my old school is still standing, though it’s practically unrecognizable now. Those days are truly gone for good.

The Much-Changed Streets

The streets look completely different now. Compared to major cities, they might not be particularly polished or bustling, but there are noticeably more restaurants. In the evening, small groups gather along the sidewalks to eat and chat. I imagine many people here don’t have the same opportunities, broader horizons, or income levels as those in coastal cities. But perhaps that’s exactly why there’s a rare sense of ease here, in stark contrast to the fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyle of the big cities. There’s really no need to debate which is better—coastal living or hometown life. Life is ultimately just the sum of our individual experiences. Do what you want to do, leave the rest to fate, and even if things don’t turn out as hoped, at least you can look back without any regrets.

The Beautiful Noodle Village

There were also some unexpected delights, like the noodle village in Sichuan. The vast fields of sunflowers and the beautifully designed architecture were a wonderful surprise.

Impressions of Yunnan

Jianhu Lake

This is Jianhu Lake, which we passed along the way—serene and beautiful, almost like a fairyland.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

I took this photo of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from a café in Baisha Ancient Town. The drive over was gloomy, with dark clouds and light rain. The bad weather almost made me call off the trip, but then I figured—bad weather or not, I just had to go. Mountain weather is notoriously unpredictable. By the time we arrived, the sky had cleared up, revealing bright blue skies and white clouds. I quickly snapped a few photos before the sun and rain started taking turns again. When we looked back on our way out, the snow-capped peak had completely vanished into the mist. We really lucked out.

Dali Guesthouse

This is the rooftop of our guesthouse near Dali, offering a great view of Cangshan Mountain and the rolling clouds.

Erhai Lake

Down by Erhai Lake. It’s incredibly vast with crystal-clear water. There were plenty of people taking photos, kids splashing around in the shallows, and a street musician performing nearby.

Hanyuan

This is the scenery we stumbled upon in Hanyuan after taking a wrong turn on our way back.

The Meaning of Travel

It was an exhausting journey, but overall, I’m glad we decided to drive home and take this road trip. Back in my hometown, just a few minutes’ drive covered the entire radius of the life I lived for over a decade. Visiting neighboring towns, playing in the local streams, and exploring countryside farms made my sense of “home” feel more tangible and multidimensional. The Yunnan leg was equally unforgettable. The traffic was indeed a nightmare, but the bustling ancient towns and vibrant night markets radiated a lively, down-to-earth charm. The natural gifts of the snow mountains and Erhai Lake soothed the soul, and the countless, meticulously maintained little shops showed how much time and money people invest into creating beautiful storefronts and goods, all carrying their hopes for a better life. Their passion for living is truly genuine.

I used to try to find the “meaning” of travel, but from a utilitarian perspective, it’s hard to pin down—much like asking what purpose there is in a bird flying, a fish swimming, or a plant blooming in spring only to wither in autumn. What this trip brought me, I think, was a kind of inner awakening. When I was a kid, my world was confined to a radius of just a few kilometers; driving out felt like breaking free from my own little Truman Show. At work, it’s always the same endless grind—spinning around and around within a fixed time and space, playing a predetermined game. But out on the road, you realize that even on a regular weekday, there are young people strolling through ancient towns, singing by the sea, and photographing snow-capped mountains. A lot of people out there aren’t playing by the standard rules or participating in that specific game. Perhaps the greatest meaning of travel is that it doesn’t need a meaning. It takes the tightly crumpled paper ball of our daily routines and flattens it out. It pokes holes through the monotony, letting you touch the real, boundless world, and allowing you to experience life in all its richness and diversity.