A light is placed on the stone bank of the river in Xitang. Local residents traditionally place lights on the river or along the riverbank to make wishes. [Photo Source: CRIENGLISH.com]

If you come to Xitang, make sure that you stay for the night. The town is at its best when darkness falls and it is lit up with strings of red lanterns.

The moon and lanterns, combined with the flickering lights from homes provide a dim and romantic environment as calmness settles across the water. Rowing a boat through the water, you can sip a cup of fragrant tea while watching a folk opera on the water stage. Humming easy tunes, the performers dressed in ancient costumes, bring to life the revelry, sadness and conflicts of long ago. The difference between reality and fantasy becomes so obscure that your encounters in Xitang will seem no more than a dream.

I cannot believe that I will leave here tomorrow. My days in Xitang have flashed by without many clear and distinct memories. It seems to me that each stroke of the oar has taken me further and further from reality, from the worries and stress of everyday life. I wonder what life was like hundreds of years ago? Perhaps they were just like the lives of Xitang locals today, with everyone having time to savor each drop of tea and enjoying life to the fullest.

My trip to Xitang must end for now, but I will surely return to this oasis of serenity, the ancient town of Xitang.