Qingyun Town Hides European Charm, Yabuli Warm Residence Embraces Summer Light

Driving to the southern foothills of the Yabuli Mountains, Qingyun Town slowly unfolds amidst the sea of trees—blue-gray eaves stacked over creamy white walls, wooden fences covered with blue-purple hydrangeas. When the wind brushes past the spruce treetops, one might momentarily mistake it for a village at the foot of the Alps, yet the fragrant scent of grass and wood rising from the mountains pulls the mind back to this northern secret land. The midsummer town is soaked in greenery. The stream running through the town carries the coolness of melting snow, with pebbles glowing softly beneath the water. Occasionally, a long-tailed tit skims the water surface, splashing droplets onto the blooming golden lotus flowers on the shore, startling a series of delicate trembles. Walking deeper along the cobblestone path, every household’s courtyard reveals a casual elegance: dried lavender hangs from old pine flower racks, cast iron pots grow hardy kale, and even the old lanterns hanging on the gates emit a gentle glow polished by time under the sunlight. Reaching the middle of the town, the Yabuli Warm Residence villas are nestled within this scenery. Without any flashy decorations, they outline simple lines with natural wood and glass. Upon entering, the warmth of wooden furniture collides with the rough texture of the stone fireplace. A birch bookshelf in the corner holds a few slightly curled Russian poetry books, with a pressed maple leaf specimen from the forest left by a previous guest tucked inside the front page. Sitting on the terrace’s rattan chair in the afternoon, brewing a pot of local Siberian ginseng tea, watching the distant green mountains appear and disappear in the clouds, and listening to the larch trees around the villa rustle softly, even time seems to slow down. During the day, you can hike along the trail behind the mountain, where untouched moss wetlands lie deep in the forest. Stepping on the thick humus, you can hear the faint sound of pine needles falling. In the evening, head to the old mill at the town’s entrance to watch the sunset dye the distant mountains honey-colored. Villagers slowly lead their cattle and sheep back to the village, smoke from cooking rises above the white walls forming a light blue mist, mingling with the aroma of baked rye bread—a gentle warmth unique to northern summer nights. Locals traveling with us said that when the first snow falls, this greenery will be dressed in silver, and the open space outside the Warm Residence villas will turn into a "backyard" for skiing enthusiasts, where you can step out the door and glide into the snowy forest. Though the winter spectacle has not yet arrived, seeing the ice lantern frames hanging from the villa eaves prepared for winter already evokes the romance of twinkling lights on snowy nights. Here, there is no need to chase after attractions, just surrender yourself to this landscape—read a leisurely book by the Warm Residence window, wander aimlessly on the town’s cobblestone streets, or sit by the stream watching the clouds roll by. When the city’s noise is blocked out by the forest, you realize that “emptying your mind” is never about escape, but about finding calm and reconnecting with nature and yourself in such a secret place.