The home of Mulan...

The flower that blooms in adversity... is the most rare and beautiful of them all.

Mulan (1998)

So, we have been in China for a little while now and are slowly becoming accustomed to a new way of life. 

At first we found it a little hard to adjust so when the Mid Autumn Festival (read holiday) came around it was just the right time for us to get out of the city and see less people and more trees. 

As with being foreigners in such a large city like Wuhan we really have no idea what there is to do and can become quite lost exploring just a few stops down the subway from our house. Luckily for us we have made friends with a group of Americans who graciously invited us come with them to the Mulan grasslands. Funnily enough upon arrival we realised that the we were in the mountains and not the grassland part of Mulan, this is what happens when you try and do translating yourself.

As you can see it is quite beautiful out here, a real shock to us that China could look like this after only 2 hours on a bus out of the city.

To get in we had to pay a 60rmb entry fee (about $12 NZ) as this is similar to a National Park. Once through the gates you are struck by just how well kept these places are, the paths we paved even when walking through the forest, the open areas are littered with statues and gardens.

Mushu: Of course. I'm travel-size for your convenience. If I was my real size, your cow here would die of fright. - Mulan 1998
It was impossible to walk around without random quotes from the movie popping into your head. Our friends had in fact watched Mulan the night before to properly prepare themselves for the tasks ahead, they even demonstrated this by singing as we walked along some of the higher paths. 

At the top of our walk there were several activities that could be paid for, one of which was zip-lining over the lake. Unfortunately the harnesses were made for people of slightly smaller stature and therefore very uncomfortable. After reaching the other side of the lake we got pleasure boated back to where we started.