We’re in Minghe Town (鸣鹤古镇), near Cixi (慈溪). It’s been raining the whole three-day holiday, and I figured this would provide a great photography opportunity on an otherwise crowded location, with people opting to stay home or in their hotel. But I was only half right. The alleys are indeed empty — we also had to convince ourselves to grab an umbrella and go outside, rather than just watch a movie in the guesthouse. But the rain clouds put a grey filter on everything, and every photo looks washed out.

But as they say: 来都来了, four characters that describe something like “You’ve already travelled all this way, you may as well take your time and enjoy it”.

The shopkeepers continue to stoically prepare fresh rice cakes or tofu dishes, despite having no customers to sell them to. Despite our socks already being soaked, we continue to explore, and there’s plenty to see. Beyond the rows of shops, there are parts with original buildings, most a bit run-down, others beyond repair. There are operational wells, and a building with a Communist star on its facade as well as ”毛主席万岁“ (Long Live Chairman Mao). And there’s a museum about Yue ware (越窑) and an exhibition about Chinese medicine.

When the rain stops, a few more people show up and they buy fried tofu and rice cakes, and I guess the Stoics were right.