Cows, Kids, and an Abundance of Kindness

The one memory that sticks out the most was the trip to WuFa Village in Datong. Throughout our travel we had been to the most wonderful tourist sights filled with perfectly manicured flowers and hand painted pagodas, but that wasn’t the real China. The village was filled with roaming cows in backyards, dogs running loosely, homes that looked as though they were made of hardened clay and would crumble at the slightest rumble of thunder. The adults and children there were so warm and welcoming. As one of the first group foreigners to be allowed in that particular village, for once we were not at an attraction, but THE attraction. Children would run up behind us and giggle and whisper. They were proud of their homes and family and it showed in the smiles spread wide across their faces. Once there, we were graciously welcomed into a man’s home. He spoke of his several jobs, his home, the government, and of course, his family. It was heartbreaking yet uplifting to see how, according to American standards, such a poor man could be so happy. He was delighted to share his small home with foreigners, offering us his gratitude for visiting.
In America, happiness is the outcome of wealth. However, the competition for the best title, biggest house, and nicest car are all temporary worldly pleasures. Values such as family, community, and friends are what last a lifetime. And in most cases when you look at the people of China, you see those values holding strong. If their satisfaction was based on flat screen televisions, $40,000 vehicles, and ipods, they would be the most unhappy people in the world, always grasping for more, the best never being good enough. I find it very interesting that China is the primary source of our worldly desires and products. Their work ethic is strong, their morals are high, and their respect is above standard. It would truly be interesting to see the lazy, overpaid, and unteachable Americans take lessons from the Chinese.

I loved having the opportunity to visit the village and absolutely adored the children. If I have the chance to go back to China, the WuFa Village will be one of my anticipated stops.