Hei Di, a young woman who grew up on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, is the founder of Dandelion Hiking, which organizes weekly hiking trips to mountain ranges and farming villages around Beijing. What started with a group of like-minded friends who enjoyed hiking has now blossomed into an organization offering over twenty trips of varying difficulty.

On a recent trip, Hei Di led us up mountain trails, pointed out the remnants of ancient cabins and temples and took us to local villages to meet the farmers. We stumbled across crumbling ruins of old farmhouses, where we found beautiful shards of broken porcelain bowls and a farmer corralling his herd of grazing goats.

Whereas mainstream approaches to tourism concentrate on adding modern amenities to make scenic areas more comfortable for visitors, Dandelion focuses on preserving the cultural integrity of the areas it visits, as well as helping to create economic opportunities for local people. On our day out with Dandelion, we took the opportunity to quiz Hei Di on how the organization got started and what it’s all about.

What brought you to Beijing originally?
I came to Beijing to work as a waitress three years ago. From there, I leased my own shop in the basement of the Silk Street Market.

How was working in Silk Street?
Because I grew up on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, I saw the sun and blue skies everyday. My family were farmers on the grasslands, and I was used to being among nature. When I was at Silk Street, I was working ten hours a day from 6am to 8pm. I was in the basement, and there was no sun.

So how did you decide to leave Silk Street?
I would leave the store to go hiking, but I never felt at peace leaving my store in someone else’s hands. Finally, I decided to do something completely exciting and new, so I sold the store and started Dandelion Hiking. Some jobs, you just work and work and get bored. But with Dandelion, each hike is different. Seasons are different, and the flowers are different. Each time is a unique adventure. 

Did you always have a love for hiking?
Actually, my love for the mountains developed after I moved to Beijing. I felt enclosed here by the tall buildings, so I started looking for ways to escape the city. In the past three years, I have gone on over 100 trips. Mother Nature really helped me once I moved to Beijing, freeing me from the confines of the city. There is life and hope in nature, and hiking is rejuvenating.

How did you get the idea for Dandelion Hiking?
I met many people when I went on hikes in the mountains, and there is a community of hikers in Beijing. We started talking and decided that it would be a great idea to start a platform for others to join in. Besides, I have been in more commercialized hiking areas before and I always remembered seeing tourists with other groups. I wanted to give them another option.
The typical Great Wall hikes have a lot of marketing detours. There’s so much history in these areas that more time should be spent climbing and exploring and not in stores. I think it is more fun to go on an eco-tourism trip where you can interact with the local farmers. It’s not fun to just stand there and listen to tour guides.

What type of experience can people expect on a Dandelion hike? How do you differ from other groups?
The focus of our trips is protecting the environment. If we see trash along the hike left behind by others, we pick it up. I love showing people the mountains because I really treasure them. We have over 20 treks for different hiking levels; each week on our website, we announce the trip for the upcoming weekend with pictures and history. There are different routes for each season, depending on what is in bloom and what is more beautiful. 

What types of treks are your favorite?
My favorite trips are to sections of the Great Wall that have not been commercialized yet. It is so beautiful and majestic. I also really enjoy visiting little villages left over from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Some of these used to have over 10,000 residents; now, they have barely 100, and it’s so intriguing to go and look at the architecture, the crumbling remains of old houses, and talk to the remaining residents. I also like visits to Gansu and the Mongolian border. We went twice last year. We had to take a plane and then train to get there, but it’s so worth it. Another place I like is called Swan Lake, a place where swans stop off during their migration. Finally, I can’t forget my homeland of Inner Mongolia, with its beautiful grasslands.

How was your first trip with Dandelion?
There is a funny story about the first trip. We got everything set up and then I only had one person sign up for the first excursion. I was a little scared because I was wondering how it would be up in the mountains with only one person, a stranger who I had never met. So I found a friend to go with me, and all three of us had a great time! That client ended up coming back for six more trips, so it was a great success!

And what are your future plans for Dandelion?
I saw a spread in National Geographic recently on Antarctica. Since then, I’ve had this huge urge to go there and lead an expedition. Everything there looked so pristine and natural. And I want to see the penguins, too!

For more information on Dandelion Hiking tours, see chinahiking.cn or e-mail buqunzi@gmail.com. Trips run at around RMB 200-300 and include round-trip transportation, refreshments and lunch.
 

Interview and translation by Jennifer Ying Lan. 

Taken from the June 18th - July 1st edition of agenda, out around town now. To find out where to grab a copy, send an email to distribution@agendabeijing.com