Forgotten Missionaries and Their Living Legacy
On a remote slope high above a valley in northern Yunnan, we discovered an intimate testament to an exciting history. In a small hamlet nestled deep in the mountains, just before the border with Tibet, a local woman named 慈仁 (CiRen) led us into a narrow yard behind some ordinary houses. She is a descendant of the first family converted by French missionaries over 150 years ago in this remote western Chinese area, far from Beijing. Tucked between unremarkable dwellings stood an old wooden house. CiRen warmly welcomed us when we happened upon it and showed us her modest private museum in the cellar.
The story began in the mid-19th century. In 1867, French missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society built a church in a place called Tsekou. In the turbulent years that followed, many mission outposts were destroyed. In 1905, the original church burned down during anti-missionary attacks. Undeterred, the mission was reestablished slightly northward, in an area that would become the village of Cizhong, where a new church was built. Over time, the church in Cizhong evolved into the heart of a unique community, a melting pot of Tibetan, Lisu, Naxi, and other ethnic heritages. The missionaries shared three gifts: Christian faith, the French language, and viticulture. They planted vineyards on the slopes above the valley to produce wine for Mass.
In the cellar of that old wooden house, we found dusty glass bottles of homemade wine, preserved letters from pilgrims, black-and-white portraits of early believers, and faint French inscriptions alongside Tibetan prayers. The woman showed us a few bottles that she still produces by hand each year with her neighbors, using the old methods. Most of the small harvest goes to restaurants on China's east coast. She sells the rest, bottle by bottle, to travelers like us who happen to knock on her door. The wine might not be the finest vintage we have ever tasted, but it is certainly unique.
There are more wineries nearby with excellent red wine and a historical heritage in the families of the winemakers.
At China Serendipity, we don't travel to tick boxes. We search for moments of real human depth. We seek encounters that strip away clichés. We seek stories rooted in soil, memory, and living culture.
The woman in that yard is more than just a gatekeeper to a museum. She connects centuries and cultures in these remote mountains. Through her, we tasted the wine of forgotten missionaries and realized that heritage can survive in the smallest of places.
When you travel with us, you don't just see landscapes. You meet the people who care for them. You engage in conversation. You drink wine that echoes old chants.
Cizhong, with its fragile balance of faith, culture, and unique identity, reminds us that the richest travel experiences are not about consumption. It's about listening. Observing. Respecting distance while seeking closeness.
When you travel with us, we cannot promise what you will discover. But we promise to walk beside those who carry hidden maps. We will create chances for serendipity. We will also share what the people we meet are willing to reveal.
Related Tours: Yunnan Three Rivers & North Yunnan Winemakers
