YLF has unique connections. The second day conference were held in unique places. June connected us with Shui Lu An where she helped to preserve, and Haisong and Phil connected us with Jade Valley Winery, where we held the nice discussion in the afternoon and dinner.

Photo by Ron Xu

Image taken by Ron Xu

Jade Valley Winery

Jade Valley Winery is one of the most unexpected encounters during the last few years for me. In the middle of the mountains of Qin Range, and beside the villages that cannot be more common in the area stood a Stone House, a residence that is built with the modern architect. We also visited the Jade Valley Resort – a well designed and constructed site at the top of a hill, facing the G40 Shanghai – Xi’an Expressway, and a large grape land.

In fact, it was amazing aspiration to start to plant grape in Xi’an – a place traditionally not connected with wine, and some decent architects in the mountains, well, in the middle of no where before its existence. Mr. Sun’s talk about the dream they were pursuing were very moving. He and Professor Ma are not the only people we met with a big dream and do it in a persistent way, even to an extend of behavior art. I understand the idea behind everything they did was to turn a new face for the rural area of China, and allow the humble Chinese farmers to live in a more dignified life.

I’d like to do what I can to support the dream. The Jade Valley wine is good (well, at least to me), and it can be ordered in M on the Bund, the new Peninsula hotel on the Bund and other places. The name is Jade Valley.

I wrote Not be afraid of Grace and Beauty in my first YLF conference:

A Chinese, which is not afraid afraid of grace and beauty

I believe when people in China end the centuries of hunger, and war, we get back to the original track to pursue happiness, grace, beauty, and all kinds of great things, just as our ancestor did in the last few thousands years.

Mr. Ma, Mr. Sun, Ms. Wang and all the team are the hope.

P.S. I am very looking forward to the tomorrow’s session (I missed part of the sessions this morning due to a conference call, and I felt terribly bad about it), and I am looking forward to the next decade of the YLF.

P.S. 2: Topic of my presentation about YLF Time Capsule tomorrow? I am going to talk how YLF build a bridge between US and China via personal connection, sharing different perspectives, and first hand experiences.