Picking up "gems", playing in the water, and drawing with Shusha

"Yesterday's rock-picking activity by the stream was so worth it! It was a wonderful and healing activity!

Among the many activities, the two children chose to pick up rocks and draw with Shusha! It's a testament to the magical power of fate. The two leaders were dedicated and diligent, teaching the children how to choose rocks and inspiring them to choose their own elements for their paintings, rather than just blindly imitating others. And with the lovely Shusha, the three children played in the water, collected rocks, chatted, and shared experiences together.

Ajin also used drawings to record the children's childish words and deeds along the way. It was very thoughtful! I highly recommend it to everyone!

-Fruit

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At the end of 2024, Yang Qiao collected many pieces of construction waste from the Dongshan coast in Fujian. The spot where she collected the stones was once the filming location for the scene in the 1983 version of Journey to the West, where Sun Wukong emerged from the rocks. Coincidentally, my print "Sun Wukong," created ten years ago, reflects the fate of these stones, just like Sun Wukong's: after completing his pilgrimage to the West, he ultimately struggles to return to the Flower-Fruit Mountain in his heart. These beach stones, constantly eroded by the waves, reveal their inner discolored veins. Yang Qiao enjoys painting them with color, bringing them back to life. These stones then found their way to Guizhou, where they became a work of art. One evening, Yang Qiao and I were chatting, and it suddenly occurred to me that these stones resembled the "five-colored stones" used by Nuwa to mend the sky. Then, I thought of those who once held important positions in the city. As time progressed, they left their jobs or were forced to return to the hometowns they had so desperately tried to leave. This led to a long-lasting dialogue with the people of their hometowns—people I call "raw stones." This dialogue between the five-colored stones and the raw stones is very similar to our own dialogue with nature.

After leaving Guizhou, we came to Dali, a place close to my hometown, with clear water and blue sky. There are white stones in the water. They flow all the way down from Cangshan Mountain and flow to the feet of Shusha. The children naively called them "gems". So our dialogue with our hometown and nature began on these small colorful stones.

Yang Qiao also plans to continue her creation. The relationship between stones is like that between people. What kind of stones will we encounter?

In 2019, Yang Qiao and I came to Dali and lived in Jason's house. I went hiking in Cangshan with Jason and Xiaojing, and was with nature every day. At that time, I thought to myself that I also wanted to have such a job, so I told Jason. Jason said that I had to learn to drive first, so I went back to Xiamen and learned to drive. In 2022, Jason said he was willing to lend me 5,000 to help me buy a second-hand car for 10,000 yuan. Later, I bought a Great Wall M2 through hard work, some of my own savings, and Yang Qiao's great help.

This year we came to Dali. Initially, I served as Phoebe's assistant, and we traveled to Cangshan Mountain to learn about insects and plants. Jingshan said he needed help with his stream-painting stone project, and Yangqiao, who happens to be particularly interested in stone painting, had a stone-based exhibition at the Guizhou Wayuan Space in April and May. So Jingshan entrusted the project to Yangqiao and me, and we began our Cangshan journey.

Ajin July 2025

There's something beautiful about doing something you love and making it part of your job, if not your entire job. That's what our friends are doing. I believe that when you truly enjoy something and put your heart and soul into it, it naturally inspires others.

time: 3:00 PM (may be adjusted depending on seasonal factors)
period: 2.5 hours

Services we provide: Paints, brushes, afternoon tea, fruits.
Things travelers need to bring: Just a small bottle of water. Wear sneakers, water shoes, or sandals—anything will work.

notes: The painting experience is about letting your own natural feelings flow, letting your imagination run wild, and letting your creativity run wild. Your guide will offer some tips, but this is not a teaching class or skills training – that's not the purpose of this activity.