Family Circle

LiShui is a magical place. It is where my Dad was born, where he would help his dad on the farm. The scenery is beautiful, with the graceful lakes and quaint little towns. I have been there a number of times, and I loved it. I loved to chase the chickens about the cobblestone tracks. Every time I went there was a great, fun memory.

LiShui is composed of one city, seven counties, among one of the counties made up of the Shè group. They all have towns, and they all are lovely. Among the towns is XiaoXi, or ‘little river’. That is where my dad was born. They all speak LiShuihua - Language of LiShui – instead of Mandarin. They taught me a little, like how to say ‘I am a LiShui person’.

LiShui is about the same size as the Bay Area. It is on the south-western side of the ZheJiang province and it tilts up from the south-western side to the north-eastern side, where the mountains are plentiful. There are not as many people in LiShui as in the Bay Area, though. The lower population density offers more land for building, farming, etc.

LiShui has a great big amount of trees. In fact, it has gotten the nickname “The Foliage Ocean of ZheJiang.” Every time I went there, I always marveled at the great green mountains. It also has much running water, so that many waterpower stations can be built. It 600 current waterpower stations has a potential waterpower of 2M Kilowatts. Then, LiShui will have more than enough energy to keep people going.

LiShui also has a ton of precious rocks and minerals, such as gold, silver, lead, zinc, etc. The 500 mines full of these rocks and minerals give it national acclaim. They use the abundant trees, rocks, and minerals to make traditional handiworks, like wooden toys, small electronics, gold pens, etc. They are very famous throughout ZheJiang and beyond.

LiShui is also a great farming capital. It makes teas, edible fungi, vegetables, and nuts, anything you can imagine. Foods such as Xiang Gu Mushrooms, bamboo shoots, etc. are known throughout ZheJiang.

As you can see, Lishui is a wonderful place in scenery and farming, and its trees and lakes only add to the charm. It has been a wonderful experience for me, from seeing my Dad’s old house to picking oranges from an orange tree. Its scenery is amazing, and I hope you will go there sometime, too!

David Xie
7/25/2008