National Day in Rural China: 6 Days at My Parents’ Home in Hunan

October 1st is China’s National Day, and it comes with a seven-day holiday every year.

This year, my family of three, my husband, our daughter, and I, left our home in Changsha, Hunan, and drove to my parents’ countryside home for six slow days. Here’s what National Day in rural China looked like for us.

A 4-Hour Drive That Usually Takes 2

It was raining when we set off from Changsha. The drive normally takes about two hours, but with the whole country on the road for the holiday, our navigation app told us it would take four.

My husband drove, my daughter watched the scenery, and I read on my Kindle. Then I suddenly noticed that my watch had stopped. The battery had died, and I almost wished time would stop with it, so our relaxing holiday could last a little longer.

The older I get, the more home feels both close and far away. Close, when it’s only a two-hour drive. Far, when a busy year means less and less time with the people who raised you.

I missed my mom and dad. And I missed every little part of my hometown.

Mom’s Stir-Fried Rice Field Eel

When we arrived, Dad was preparing rice field eel, a freshwater food that’s common in Chinese cooking. It takes a bit of patience to clean and prepare, and whenever we come home, Dad makes some for us.

Mom prepared green and red peppers, garlic, and a little oil. She stir-fried everything together, added some water, and let the eel simmer for a while. This is the kind of home cooking she has made for me since I was little, and I absolutely love it.

Feeding the Chickens

After lunch, it was time to feed the chickens, my daughter’s favorite “activity.”

For a child who has grown up in the city, everything in the countryside feels new. This backyard used to be our family vegetable garden. Later, because the surrounding trees blocked too much sunlight, my parents started keeping chickens here instead. There are still peach and tangerine trees that Mom planted years ago, and the tangerines are almost ripe.

Mom fed the chickens some grain first. Then Dad brought out the leftover eel innards, which, for the chickens, was apparently another delicious meal.

What Grows in My Parents’ Garden

My parents grow all kinds of food in their garden.

Sugarcane

In China, sugarcane can be used to make sugar, but people also eat it like a fruit. You peel off the hard outer skin, bite into the white inside, and suck out the sweet juice. There’s a lot of juice in it, and eventually you spit out the fibrous part.

Dad was removing the leaves from the sugarcane. This helps the plants get more sunlight and air, and can also help reduce pests and diseases.

Pomelo

Next to the sugarcane is a pomelo tree. My parents grow a variety with pale white flesh. Pomelos are huge compared with many other citrus fruits, and their skin is surprisingly thick.

Vegetables

The vegetables are growing really well at this time of year. Mom was picking baby bok choy, and of course my daughter came over to “help.” Honestly, she was mostly playing, but Grandma and granddaughter were having a wonderful time together.

There are also taro, beans, cabbage, chives, carrots, loofah, and pumpkins.

Chili Peppers

And look at all these chili peppers. The branches were almost bent over from the weight. What a harvest.

Sesame

Here are the sesame stalks after my parents had already shaken the seeds out. These tiny white seeds are the sesame we normally eat. It can be pressed into oil or used in all kinds of dishes, so it has many uses.

There’s also a little river right outside our home. It’s not big at all, but it holds so many memories from my childhood.

A Land of Fish and Rice

During our six days at home, we also visited my grandmother’s house and my uncle’s family, and went to the local market in town. Every time we drove along those narrow country roads, I wanted to stop and take a picture.

My hometown is what we call a land of fish and rice in China. The land is rich, there is plenty of food, and people here are warm and close to each other. I really love this place.

Dad’s Old Waders

This is the part of our National Day in rural China that stays with me the most.

Dad has made his living from the water since he was young, and even now he still repairs his old waders. They’re waterproof clothing you can wear while walking through water, almost like a raincoat for your legs.

These waders are probably several decades old. Dad has patched and repaired them again and again, and his hands move like he’s done it a thousand times. They’ve been with him through decades of work, and in a way they’ve also been part of the story of how my parents raised my brother and me.

My parents later helped my younger brother make the down payment on an apartment in the city, but they never renovated this old house. It’s a little worn now, but they still love living here.

In a few years, I’d like to find a way to rebuild it for them. I only hope they stay healthy and safe.

Six Days, Four Extra Pounds

On the sixth day, my younger brother came home with his girlfriend, and Mom prepared a huge family meal. There was soft-shelled turtle, duck, chicken, pork trotters, ribs, and rabbit that my brother brought home.

There’s a saying in China that you gain three jin, about three pounds, over the holidays. Well, I gained four pounds in six days.

My parents’ love is hidden in every little thing: the food they cook, the vegetables they grow, the tea they make, and the meals we share. And apparently, all that love showed up on my bathroom scale too.

Heading Home After a National Day in Rural China

Then, just like that, six days were over, and it was time to head back to Changsha.

We had arrived in the rain, and the way back was a sunset. My daughter watched the colors through the car window and talked about how much fun Grandma’s house was. For me, there was more sadness and reluctance to leave.

These six slow days let me follow my parents through their everyday routines and notice the little details of their lives. And somehow, it made me realize again how quickly time passes.

It was gentle.

It was healing.

And it was comforting.

No matter where we live, home will always be a warm place to return to. And going home is always something to be grateful for.

If you’d like to see more of our everyday life in China, you can follow along on YouTube at Smile in China.

Next time, I’ll share a very ordinary family dinner in China.

More from Our Life in China

If you enjoyed this little glimpse into our family life in Hunan, you might also enjoy another ordinary family day in Changsha — a relaxed evening bike ride around Songya Lake with our daughter.

→ [A Family Bike Ride Around Songya Lake in Changsha]

A Few Things We Used on the Trip

When we travel as a family, there are a few simple things that make the trip easier. These are some of the items we actually use or find useful for family trips and everyday life.

For Family Trips

• Kids’ Water Shoes — useful for riverside walks, farms, beaches, and other outdoor family activities.
• Kids’ Backpack — handy for letting children carry their own little things during day trips.
• Travel Organizer & Electronic Organizer — useful for keeping small items together when we’re away from home.

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