Fang Lei didn't plan to build a museum. She and her husband were interior designers from Hong Kong with a love for fossils. But when they found the right building in Keqiao, an ancient town in Zhejiang Province, they decided to make their private collection public. What started as a personal passion is now the Pangu Fossil Museum with over 3,000 specimens.

In this episode, Amelia sits down with Fang Lei to discuss what it means to preserve ancient history. The museum houses dinosaur fossils, ancient marine life, and specimens that date back millions of years. Ms. Lei walks through how she curates the collection, why she displays fossils differently from traditional museums, and what she hopes visitors feel when they stand in front of something that existed long before humans.

The conversation goes beyond fossils. Scientists and paleontologists began visiting the museum and needed somewhere to stay, which led to the creation of Shaoxing's first museum-themed homestay. Fang Lei shares how she teaches students about the dinosaurs that once lived right here in Zhejiang, creatures that existed millions of years ago beneath the very ground they walk on today.

Keqiao's history goes back 1,700 years. The Pangu Museum goes back millions.

Additional Notes
This episode is sponsored by China Eastern Airlines, who supported my travel for this journey. You can learn more about their routes and destinations at us.ceair.com.

Interested in visiting this homestay? You can find them on Trip.com 

https://www.trip.com/w/YPUkzsE7aT2

Photos and moments from this journey are on social at @AmeliaOldOfficial, and more about my work can be found at AmeliaOld.com

Zhu Qingli runs an intangible cultural heritage-themed homestay in Zhejiang Province entirely dedicated to yellow rice wine—or Huangjiu—a craft that has defined his hometown near Jianhu Lake for generations.

In this episode, Amelia sits down with Zhu to discuss what makes Shaoxing wine irreplaceable. The region's mineral-rich water, unique bacteria, and climate create conditions you can't replicate anywhere else. Zhu walks through the traditional brewing process—over twenty steps, including a technique called Kaiba where a winemaker's personality actually shows up in the wine. They discuss why this wine is fundamental to Chinese cooking and how it's been central to family ceremonies for thousands of years.

The conversation goes beyond technique. Zhu shares how a guest from Beijing arrived unfamiliar with yellow rice wine and left as a passionate advocate for the culture. He talks about his book, Searching for the Taste of Shaoxing, which documents local food customs and the deep connection between hospitality and tradition.

This episode is about what it takes to protect something meaningful—and why certain traditions are worth preserving because they connect us to something larger than ourselves.

Topics: Shaoxing wine, Huangjiu, Chinese rice wine, traditional brewing, cultural preservation, Chinese food culture, artisan craft, fermentation, Zhejiang Province, intangible cultural heritage

Additional Notes
This episode is sponsored by China Eastern Airlines, who supported my travel for this journey. You can learn more about their routes and destinations at us.ceair.com.

Interested in visiting this homestay? You can find them on Trip.com https://www.trip.com/w/k4gak3FtPT2

Photos and moments from this journey are on social at @AmeliaOldOfficial, and more about my work can be found at AmeliaOld.com

Shen’ao Village sits just outside Hangzhou, in China’s Zhejiang province. This is where Amelia met JoAnn Leung.

JoAnn left city life behind and restored a 240-year-old courtyard house here, turning it into Eight Blessings Inn. It isn’t built around amenities or schedules. It’s built around meals, conversation, and the belief that time spent together still matters.

In this episode, Amelia and JoAnn talk about following a calling later in life, starting over without certainty, and taking responsibility for a place and the people who move through it. JoAnn doesn’t frame her story as reinvention. It’s simply the life she chose—and the one she continues to tend to every day.

Shen’ao isn’t preserved. It’s lived in. Craftsmen open their workshops. Neighbors stop to talk. An ancient drainage system still works beneath the stone paths. The village does what it has always done.

This episode isn’t about travel as escape. It’s about paying attention—to where you are, to the people around you, and to the kind of life you’re building.

🎥 The YouTube version includes photos and video clips from Shen’ao Village and Eight Blessings Inn.

Topics Covered

• Life inside Shen’ao Village, a thousand-year-old working community
• Following a calling later in life
• Restoring a 240-year-old courtyard house
• Building Eight Blessings Inn around meals and conversation
• Responsibility to place and people
• Choosing attention over pace

Keywords

Shen’ao Village, Shenao Village, Hangzhou China, Zhejiang China, Zhejiang Province, Eight Blessings Inn, historic villages in China, slow travel, cultural travel, heritage travel, China bed and breakfast

Listen & Share

If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with someone who values thoughtful travel, meaningful conversation, or stories about choosing a different way to live. Following the show and leaving a review helps these stories reach others.

Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by China Eastern Airlines, who supported Amelia’s travel for this journey.

You can learn more about their routes and destinations at:
 https://us.ceair.com/en/

Photos from this journey are shared at @AmeliaOldOfficial, with additional details at AmeliaOld.com 

This episode was recorded during Amelia’s stay at Qianhuang Bay, a family-run homestay in Xiling Village, Zhejiang Province, and features a conversation with owner Zhu Xiaokui.

Zhu opened Qianhuang Bay in 2016 after returning to his home village following years working in the city. It was the first homestay established in Xiling Village. Since then, the village has grown into a network of more than thirty family-run homestays operating cooperatively rather than in competition.

The conversation touches on opening one’s home to travelers, hospitality across language barriers, and how rural communities in China are navigating tourism without losing their footing. Rather than offering recommendations or itineraries, the episode looks at what happens when people choose to stay, work together, and build something slowly over time.

This episode is part of a larger series recorded across Zhejiang Province, focused on people, place, and community-led travel.

Topics Discussed

• Qianhuang Bay homestay
• Xiling Village, Zhejiang Province
• Family-run homestays in rural China
• Returning home after working in the city
• Cooperative tourism models
• Hospitality beyond language
• Rural revitalization and community leadership

Keywords

Qianhuang Bay, Xiling Village, Zhejiang Province, family-run homestay China, rural homestay China, community tourism China, sustainable travel, cultural travel, rural revitalization

Additional Notes

The YouTube version includes photos and video clips from Qianhuang Bay, Xiling Village, and the surrounding area.

This episode is sponsored by China Eastern Airlines, who supported my travel for this journey. You can learn more about their routes and destinations at us.ceair.com.

If this conversation resonated, consider sharing it with someone who could use a reminder to slow down. You can subscribe, leave a review, and find more episodes wherever you listen.

Photos and moments from this journey are on social at @AmeliaOldOfficial, and more about my work can be found at AmeliaOld.com.

A roadside crowd in South Carolina. An ancient mountain path in Jingshan. A scarf passed hand to hand and a cup of whisked tea that turns strangers into friends. This episode traces those moments to show how small, intentional acts can travel farther than we expect.

In this episode, Amelia sits down with Zhang Hongyan, a second-generation tea practitioner who returned home to preserve the art of Diancha and open a tea-focused homestay at the base of Jingshan Mountain. She shares how the Jingshan Tea Banquet, rooted in the Tang and Song dynasties, brings together Zen philosophy, etiquette, and presence. Beyond ceremony, she founded Songyun Tea Affairs, a women-led collective that has trained and employed dozens of local women, creating opportunity while keeping cultural heritage alive in the village.

We also step into Jingshan Temple and the living culture that surrounds it. Amelia reflects on wearing Hanfu with care, the difference between appropriation and appreciation, and why heritage here isn’t preserved behind glass. It’s practiced every day, in temples, teahouses, and family rituals. 

This episode is sponsored by China Eastern Airlines, who supported my travel to Changxing, China. You can learn more about their routes and destinations at: https://us.ceair.com/en/

In this episode:
• The origins of the Jingshan Tea Banquet
• The art of Diancha and why it still matters
• Building a women-led tea collective
• Visiting Jingshan Temple and wearing Hanfu with respect
• How one cup of tea can change a life

If this conversation spoke to you, share it with someone who could use a reminder to slow down. Subscribe, leave a review, and find more episodes of Voices of Inspiration wherever you listen.

Photos and moments from this journey are on social at @AmeliaOldOfficial, and you can learn more about my work at AmeliaOld.com . 

Keywords

Jingshan Tea Banquet, Diancha, Jingshan Temple, Hanfu, Zhang Hongyan, Songyun Tea Affairs, Buddhist monks Walk for Peace, women in tea culture, Chinese tea ceremony, Voices of Inspiration podcast

In this episode of Voices of Inspiration, Amelia Old travels to Yinxing Guli Homestay in Changxing County, Zhejiang, China, located near the famous gingko tree corridor.

Amelia spends the afternoon with the homestay owner, experiencing a traditional herbal tea bath and moxibustion therapy, and reflecting on how challenging it can be to sit still without distractions. The owner shares how she transitioned from the tea industry to running the homestay, the meaning behind the name Yinxing Guli (“ginkgo hometown”), and the everyday values that guide her work.

Photos and video from this visit are available on the YouTube version of this episode.

Topics Covered

• Yinxing Guli Homestay in Changxing, China
• Herbal tea baths and moxibustion therapy
• Ginkgo corridor and seasonal travel in Zhejiang
• Journey from tea to hospitality
• Family values and daily life at a rural homestay
• Learning to slow down while traveling

This episode is sponsored by China Eastern Airlines, who supported my travel to Changxing, China. You can learn more about their routes and destinations at: https://us.ceair.com/en/

For more information about Yinxing Guli Homestay and planning your own visit, you can find their listing here:
https://us.trip.com/hotels/changxing-hotel-detail-9055720/yinxing-guli-hotel/ 

Keywords:

Yinxing Guli Homestay, Changxing China, Zhejiang travel, ginkgo corridor China, herbal tea bath, moxibustion therapy, rural homestay China, Voices of Inspiration podcast, travel wellness China

In this episode of Voices of Inspiration, host Amelia Old visits Yunqishe Homestay in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, to meet Mr. Fang Xiaoping, a fifth-generation practitioner of Wumei, a smoked plum tradition that has been part of this region for more than 500 years.

The episode features Mr. Fang speaking in Chinese with translation by Joanna, allowing his voice to remain part of the conversation while making his story accessible. Together they discuss how Wumei is produced, how rural homestays are growing across Zhejiang, and what it takes to run a small, twenty-room property outside major cities.

Amelia also reflects on what it was like to move through daily life while relying on translation, and how that experience reshaped the way she paid attention to people and conversations around her.

Topics in this episode include:

• the history and process behind Wumei
• rural homestays and short-stay travel from cities like Shanghai and Hangzhou
• balancing tradition with modern hospitality
• staffing challenges in the countryside
• plans to build a working farm and complete production chain
• what visitors take home beyond photos

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you enjoy the episode, a rating or review on your preferred podcast platform helps more listeners find the show.

More information about Voices of Inspiration, along with episode updates and newsletter sign-ups, is available at ameliaold.com and voicesofinspirationpodcast.com 

This episode of Voices of Inspiration takes place in Miaoxi, a village in the Huzhou region of Zhejiang Province, China.

The episode follows time spent at a family-run homestay and a conversation with the owner, Wang Ying, about daily life, hosting travelers, and her transition from working in finance to welcoming guests into her home. Through the discussion, the episode captures moments from the property, walks through tea-covered mountains near the village, and the small details that shaped the experience of staying in rural Zhejiang.

Rather than focusing on major landmarks, the episode centers on place, pace, and everyday life outside of China’s largest cities.

KEY TOPICS

• Staying at a family-run homestay in Miaoxi, Zhejiang
• Time spent walking through tea-covered mountains near the village
• Daily life and seasonal rhythms in rural Zhejiang
• A conversation with Wang Ying about hosting travelers
• Family involvement in running the property
• Navigating language barriers while traveling
• Small tools that helped simplify travel logistics
• Beginning the homestay-focused portion of the China series

BOOKING INFORMATION

Listeners interested in staying at the homestay featured in this episode can find details and booking information at the link below:

Huzhou Miaoxi Slide Meisu
https://www.trip.com/hotels/v2/huzhou-hotel-detail-44559210/huzhou-miaoxi-slide-meisu/

The property is located approximately 16 km from Huzhou Railway Station and is near local attractions including Elves Alley, Xisaishan Holiday Resort, and Huzhou Giraffe Manor.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you enjoy the episode, a rating or review on your preferred podcast platform helps more listeners find the show.

More information about Voices of Inspiration, along with episode updates and newsletter sign-ups, is available at ameliaold.com and voicesofinspirationpodcast.com

In this episode, Amelia looks back on her time in Shanghai, the first stop on a recent project in China. Outside Yu Garden, she found herself thinking about her childhood and how different her sense of the world is today. She describes her visit to Jing’an Temple, an afternoon in Peace Park where people gathered to dance, and the way Shanghai’s neighborhoods shift from one block to the next. She also shares her time at the observatory with its wide city views and a night river cruise along the Bund that offered a completely different look at the skyline.

Amelia also talks through the practical side of her trip — the apps that made communication simple, the tools that helped her stay connected, and why Shanghai felt surprisingly comfortable to navigate on her own.

This episode lays the foundation for where the series is headed next and why Shanghai was the right place to begin.

This episode is sponsored by China Eastern Airlines. Visit their official site for routes and booking information. https://us.ceair.com/en/

After an unexpected year-long break, Amelia returns to Voices of Inspiration with a candid look at why the past year pulled her in a different direction and how she found her way back to the mic. In this episode, she reflects on a year shaped by significant challenges, including a family emergency that required her full attention. She also reflects on completing 100 Things to Do in South Carolina Before You Die and what’s ahead for 2026.

Now that the manuscript is turned in and life feels steadier, Amelia is back behind the mic with a clearer understanding of why these conversations matter and why this season felt like the right time to return.

This season includes interviews with homestay owners in China, specifically in Shanghai and Zhejiang, whose work supports their communities through local hiring, cultural preservation, and the use of homegrown or locally sourced products.

Whether you’ve been listening from the start or tuning in for the first time, this episode brings you up to date and sets the direction for what’s ahead.