Living Wisdom
An embodied journey into the ancestral ways of Fujian
Experience an ancient Chinese worldview through living traditions, across two UNESCO World Heritage landscapes and the historic Hakka village of Peitian.
Winter journeyDecember 2026
Spring journeyApril 2027
A Worldview of Interconnection
At the heart of Chinese cosmology is an understanding that has shaped a civilization for millennia:
Rather than seeing life in isolation, this worldview understands everything through relationships: human and nature, self and community, past and present.
Modernization has transformed many of the contexts these traditions once lived in. Yet in parts of rural Fujian, this ancestral wisdom remains tangible, woven into daily life through architecture, ritual, food as medicine, craft, and the bond between people and land.
Living Wisdom is an invitation to encounter the worldview through the places, people, and practices that still carry it.
Explore the journey →
Two Ways
of Experiencing
Yin and Yang describe a dynamic relationship between complementary forces: inner and outer, stillness and movement, self and world. Throughout the retreat, we experience both as one continuum.
Living Wisdom
- Body & breath
- Nourishment
- Senses
- Reflection
- Relationship
- Creativity
Arising
Living Systems
- Water & land
- Food & agriculture
- Medicinal plants
- Architecture & Tulou
- Village ecology
- Local production
Inner and outer shape one another.
Three Places,
One Living Cosmology
Across Fujian, the same relational worldview takes different forms.
Peitian
Historic Hakka VillageImmersed in village life, experiencing ancestral wisdom through food, medicine, craft, community, and the rhythms of everyday life.
Here, wisdom is lived.
Fujian Tulou
UNESCO HeritageStep inside these earthen communal homes and see worldview become form: center and edge, individual and collective, dwelling and land.
Here, wisdom is built.
Wuyishan
UNESCO HeritageMountains, water, tea, and temples. We slow down and deepen our attention, letting tea and landscape become our teachers.
Here, wisdom is cultivated.The Four Waters Metaphor
In the traditional courtyard architecture you’ll encounter in Peitian, the roofs slope inward, allowing rainwater from all four directions to gather in a single open courtyard.
We borrow this image as a metaphor for our gathering — people from different backgrounds, cultures and fields of life, drawn together by shared inquiries into how we might live differently, and meeting for a time in one shared space.
This journey may be for you if…
You’re a regenerative practitioner
Interested in how people, place, ecology and culture can relate differently — and what living traditions might offer to the way we shape the future.
You’re a global citizen
Curious about Chinese wisdom and ways of life — from cosmology, food as medicine and tea to ecology, community and regenerative living.
You want to learn through embodied experience
By walking, making, tasting, practicing and spending time in places where these traditions are still alive.
You’re part of the Chinese diaspora
And feel drawn to reconnect with land, culture and ancestral traditions closer to their source.
You’re an artist, maker, thinker or creator
Looking for another way of seeing and being, and want to let what you encounter here find expression through your own work or practice.
You value slower, more intentional ways of traveling and gathering
With space for reflection, meaningful conversation and connections that continue unfolding after you return home.
We arrive from many directions and gather around a shared question:
How might we live more deeply in relationship with ourselves, one another, and the world around us?
The Five Elemental Journey
Across five days, each day takes on the quality of one of the Five Elements, offering a way of experiencing the land and traditions around us.
Arrival
Arrivals & settling inOpening ceremony & welcome dinner
How do we listen before we act?
Qigong
Village tour, waterways & water ritual
Herbal tea & listening circle
What conditions allow life to grow?
Qigong
Fields & medicinal plants walk, natural dyeing
Creative studio & reflection circle
What brings us alive?
Qigong
Local food & cooking, traditional fermentation
Fire gathering, storytelling & song
What holds us together?
Qigong, then travel to Tulou
Tulou architecture & history, reflection circle
Dinner with local villagers
What is worth carrying forward?
Qigong
Creative offering & witnessing
Closing circle & ritual
Wuyishan Extension
After five days in the village, the journey opens into Wuyishan — a UNESCO mountain landscape known for tea, dramatic peaks and a long tradition of contemplative life. These final three days offer more space for nature, reflection and integration.
Transition & Arrival
Itinerary
Free morning
Train to Wuyishan, arrive & settle
New Year’s Eve dinner
Tea & Mountain
Itinerary
Qigong
Mountain walk & tea farm visit
Rest & journaling
Integration & Return
Itinerary
Qigong & reflection
Tea roasting & tasting
Farewell dinner & closing circle
Choose your journey
All prices are per person and include lodging, every meal, in-country transport, guiding, and every workshop and activity. Not included: flights to Fujian, travel insurance, and personal expenses.
Complete Journey
Traveling together
As a pair: save $250 each ($500 off) when two share a room. Couples, friends, or siblings. Use promocode TOGETHER250.
Family or group of 4+: save $400 each ($1,600 off for four) across two shared rooms or one family suite. Use promocode FULLHOUSE400.
Scholarships: If this retreat feels like it would be life-changing to you yet cost is a significant barrier, please apply to our scholarship program here. .
A $500 deposit secures your spot; the balance is due 60 days before departure. Spots are limited to keep the group intimate.
Yappo
With Hakka roots in Fujian, Yappo’s path has taken her across China, the United States, Australia and Europe, shaped by an ongoing inquiry into how we might live in deeper relationship with ourselves, one another and the living world. As co-founder of Musing Earth, a narrative-weaving initiative for collective sense-making, she works across stories, cultures and worldviews. This journey brings that inquiry home to Fujian, encountering ancient Chinese wisdom anew through a regenerative lens.
Tian Tian
Tian Tian’s journey has taken her from Harvard Business School, Wall Street and Silicon Valley into a life rooted in embodiment, ancestral practice and inner cultivation. Years of study and practice across Daoist, yogic and somatic traditions shaped her life’s work. She leads transformative experiences and spaces where ancient wisdom and modern healing meet. She’s led domestic and international retreats for over 10 years, including Ancestral Homecoming Retreat in Yunnan, China.
Rooted in place, connected by people.
Etienne 一天Marine Biologist · Photographer · Co-founder, Musing Earth
Etienne 一天Marine Biologist · Photographer · Co-founder, Musing Earth
A marine biologist from France and a China-based photographer, Etienne uses photography to reveal the interconnections between people and the natural world. Over the past three years, he has explored China through a regenerative lens, developing a deep connection to its rural landscapes and communities.
Xiang 项惠斌Peitian Native · Village Regeneration Practitioner
Xiang 项惠斌Peitian Native · Village Regeneration Practitioner
Trained in fine art and experienced in brand strategy, Xiang returned to his native Peitian after years away. Through Yimi Shanhe and Peitian Art Museum, he restores terraced fields, stewards forests, revives Hakka farming traditions, and brings new life to old village spaces through art, agriculture and cultural programming.
Haiyan 黄海燕Peitian Art Museum · Cultural Space Steward
Haiyan 黄海燕Peitian Art Museum · Cultural Space Steward
A Liancheng Hakka native, Haiyan chose to put down roots in Peitian. Through the art museum, dye studio, seed library and other community spaces, she helps bring new life to old houses while weaving together culture, land and everyday village life.
Wu Meixi 吴美熙Village Historian · Heritage Keeper
Wu Meixi 吴美熙Village Historian · Heritage Keeper
Born and raised in Peitian, Teacher Wu has spent decades in rural education and village conservation. He has worked with local elders to document Hakka history, record village stories and protect historic buildings, quietly safeguarding Peitian’s living cultural memory.
Questions before you come
Which airport do I fly into?
Fly into Xiamen (XMN) in Fujian, China, where the journey begins.
How do I get to Peitian?
From Xiamen, you’ll take the high-speed rail toward Peitian, and someone from our team will meet you at the station to help with the final leg to the village. We’ll share recommended trains and arrival times, and help manage the logistics, as we get closer to the date.
How long is the retreat?
The complete journey is 9 days, 8 nights (Peitian + Wuyishan). Peitian only is 6 days, 5 nights (Dec 25–30). The Wuyishan extension adds 3 days, 2 nights, and includes the 6th night’s lodging plus transportation from Peitian to Wuyishan.
How big is the group?
Small, with up to 10 adults, so the experience stays personal and everyone is truly met.
What language is the retreat in?
English, with Chinese interpretation where needed.
Where will we stay?
Village guesthouses in Peitian and mountain lodging in Wuyishan, comfortable, characterful, and rooted in place. You can choose a shared or private room.
What’s included?
Lodging, three meals a day, tea and snacks, in-country ground transport, guiding, and every workshop, activity, and entrance.
What’s not included?
International flights to and from Fujian, visa, travel insurance, and personal expenses.
Can dietary needs be accommodated?
Yes. Meals are largely plant-forward and locally sourced, and we can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and most allergies or restrictions with advance notice. Let us know when you book.
Come experience another way of seeing and living.
We gather a small group in the last days of the year to meet an ancient worldview where it still lives. If it’s calling you, we’d love to have you with us.