ChinaThe love of Chen and his girlfriend was made into a movie about a couple from very different backgrounds but together building the dream of a house in the mountains.
In the film “Your World Without Me” (If your world doesn’t have me), Abu, a young man in Moxi town, Sichuan province, works as a tour guide for a girl traveling to his hometown. In front of the heavenly natural scenery in the mountains , together they built a wooden house on the top of the mountain.
In fact, the story of Abu, whose real name is Chen Jianyong, 34 years old, is a bit different. The boy built his own house before his girlfriend appeared, even though it wasn’t as beautiful as in the movie.
Chen with his dog at the top of a mountain in Sichuan. Image: Zhuanlan
Chen was born into a poor family in Gansi, Sichuan province. His hometown has the 2,200 meter high Ruoding Mountain, opposite the 7,500 meter Gongga Snow Mountain – the highest peak in Sichuan. Standing here, if you’re lucky, you can witness the “Golden Mountain Sunlight”, a natural phenomenon that occurs when the sunrise reflects off the snow mountain as if it glows on its own. For people, this is a phenomenon that brings good news.
But to go up the mountain to watch the sunrise, visitors must camp overnight. At that time, there was no infrastructure so Ruoding had very few customers. Chen, 20 years old, dreams of changing the fate of the mountain and his locality. In 2008, he started building a wooden house on the top. At that time there were no roads and there were bushes everywhere, so Chen had to transport construction materials up the mountain by carrying loads. He built the road himself, found water sources and connected the electricity grid.
Thanks to improved facilities, since 2014 the number of tourists coming to Ruoding Mountain has increased.
In 2015, Ms. Liu Yina, 23 years old, a master’s degree holder from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, also went to Ruoding to camp and sightsee. She said that when she booked the room, it was a bit expensive so she wanted to bargain, but she didn’t expect Chen to agree immediately. “My first impression of him was that he was a generous and straightforward man,” she said.
Chen and his girlfriend Liu, at Rouding Mountain, Sichuan Province in 2015. Photo: Zhuanlan
Staying here for two days, Liu Yina was attracted by Chen Jianyong’s romantic, windy temperament. “He often took his dog for a leisurely walk on the top of a picturesque hill, as if nothing was bothering him. At that time I was very jealous, because basically I only thought about work. What he did touched me. to the softest part of my heart,” she shared.
After the trip, Liu Yina returned to her hometown. The two kept in touch via the Internet. Occasionally Chen visits Liu. Every so often, the girl takes the boy to see movies or listen to musicals to understand her world. Then they confessed their love to each other.
Chen shared that he and Liu come from two different worlds, with completely different backgrounds, personalities and temperaments. “I live in the countryside, and she grew up in the city. We cannot avoid arguments, but our love for each other and for this mountain unites us,” Chen shared.
One is busy in the city, the other is in the mountains, but they are determined to build the most beautiful wooden house as a symbol of their love. The young couple used local architecture, combined with the angles of Gongga Mountain, to create a 60 square meter wooden house. “Every winter, I put the tub on the roof and bathe there, watching the snow-capped mountains in the distance,” Chen shared.
After 5 years of long-distance relationship, Liu Yina quit her job and moved here to live with Chen Jianyong. In addition to continuing to build and develop the Ruoding Mountain scenic area, they also sell specialties via livestream in the hope of promoting local economic development.
The house symbolizes the love of Chen and his girlfriend. Image: Zhuanlan
Chen said that since 2018, the number of visitors coming here has been stable. Most days there are 300-500 guests. “The land on the top of the mountain is the collective property of the village. The villagers trust me so they will hand it over to me to continue building, and they will enjoy dividends,” Chen said.
Since local tourism has developed, many young people no longer go to other provinces to work, staying to open shops and welcome tourists. Investors also see business opportunities so they come to the village to rent old houses to renovate. Under Chen’s guidance, many households in the village also renovated their rooms and rented them out, helping to increase their income.
“In the 15 years of renovating Ruoding Mountain, I have not only grown up but also benefited the people around me, this is a sense of accomplishment for me. It’s also great, thanks to this place I have found love.” love my life,” Chen said.
Bao Nhien (According to Zhuanlan)
