A school on top of the hill

After three hours of hike into the mountains and climbing over two ridges, we reached a primary school sitting on top of a hill.  Since this is the only school in the vicinities, some kids had to hike up and down the hills for 2 hours each day to go to school. 

Their school house was under the danger of landslide, therefore they moved to this make-shift building where the glasses on the windows were all broken.  It was mid October and the wind coming from the valley felt quite chilly.  There wasn't a heating stove in the room either.

Our arrival generated a lot of excitement.  Before leaving the cities, we loaded our backpacks with small gifts.  As the teacher helped us distribute the gifts, the kids' little faces beamed with joy.  As we were all touched by the harsh environment they were in, we were even more moved by their contagious jolly spirits.  

A Happy Man

On our hike on the Loess Plateau, we encountered an old man in his 70s.  Living in a house built on the side of a hill and spending almost all his life walking up and down the mountains, he was in great health and good spirit. 

He warmly invited us into his house built with silt soil, which, compared to people who live just three miles away down the hills inside the city, was in a very primitive condition and almost had nothing valuable.  However, unlike the often sullen looking that city dwellers wear, this old man is beaming with happiness that comes from within.  He cheerfully told us that he was very satisfied with his life and he has no need that he can not fulfill. He invited us to come back in spring time, when the blooming flowers cover the entire slope in front of his house and fill the air with enchanting aroma...

The modern technologies we enjoy in our society have no doubt tremendously improved our living standard, enhanced human health and expanded knowledge.  However, our encountering with people on Loess Plateau clearly showed that one doesn't necessarily need to rely on them to live just as happily as we do, if not more. 

If the day comes when people on Loess Plateau, as the rest of the one billion Chinese people, are all eager to adopt the "modern" life style, there simply won't be enough natural resources to sustain development on that scale. And yet, will the modern life style necessarily lead to a happier society? 

When our modern age focuses so much attention on developing newer technologies to fulfill our ever-growing material needs, are we on the right track of the pursuing of happiness?