Armin Schober, from Innsbruck, Austria, and his Chinese wife, Huang Qiong, run a homestay and a pizza and coffee bar in Hongcun, a town at the foothills of Huangshan Mountain, the world-famous mountain and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site, in East China's Anhui Province. "Living and starting a business in this tranquil, and beautiful, place really makes me feel happy," Schober says.
Cross-Cultural Homestay
In 2021, Schober and his family traveled to Tachuan, a village in Hongcun, a town in Yixian County, Anhui Province, where they were immediately attracted by the picturesque landscape, and by the distinct local culture. "I love Hongcun. It is similar to where I lived when I was a child. It has distinct seasons and beautiful scenery, and the people here are very friendly," Schober says.
He and Huang decided to settle in the village, with their daughter Alina, and take over a homestay. They named the homestay, which has a gurgling stream flowing through the backyard and splendid mountain scenery in the distance, Alina's Garden (after their daughter), to celebrate the fact their daughter could grow up in such a beautiful environment, and so close to nature.
Alina was born in 2018 in Shenzhen, a technology hub in South China's Guangdong Province, where Huang οnce ran an advertising company. Schober and Huang initially planned to escape the urban hubbub, and retreat to the European countryside, when Alina turned 3.
"I want to preserve her innocence as much as possible. I hope she will grow up in a free and natural environment, and live her life to the fullest, just like I did when I was a child," says Schober. His hometown is a mountain village in Innsbruck, which is nestled in the Austrian Alps.
"When I was a child, I often played in the forest, and I built my own tree house," Schober recalls. Such memories help him picture his ideal image of Alina's childhood garden.
The 2021 trip to Tachuan changed Schober and Huang's minds about moving to Europe. "We immediately felt that this was the life we wanted," Schober recalls.
The homestay is situated in a 200-year-old house, which features Huizhou architecture. Also known as Hui-style architecture, Huizhou architecture is one of the major Chinese architectural styles from ancient times. It features memorial archways, black tiles, white walls, exquisite wood and brick carvings. "This ancient house tells a lot οf stories, and that is what makes it special. It sparks my imagination about what life was like 200 years ago," Schober says.
It took enormous effort from Schober and Huang to move from the fast-paced metropolis of Shenzhen, to the small mountain village, to renovate and run the rural homestay.
From painting the walls to fixing tables, to installing lighting fixtures, the couple did almost all of the renovations themselves. Eventually, the ancient house was transformed into their dream home, which blended the local Hui-style architecture and European elements.
"The fusion of Chinese and Western elements is not only a characteristic of our family, but also the most distinctive style of our homestay. The Western-style kitchen and the Chinese-style dining room complement each other well. The carved, wooden windows are inlaid with imported colored glass, and the hall's gourd-shaped beams are hung with European-style antique bronze chandeliers," Huang says.
The couple hopes the homestay brings the best of Eastern and Western elements together. During Spring Festival, Schober usually writes English red couplets, with a Chinese ink brush, and posts the couplets at the entrance of the homestay.
Although business is booming, Schober says his greatest sense of accomplishment is the way his daughter is growing up — with confidence and independence. "Although she is little, she can already help us greet our guests, show them around, and play with the guests' children. She is like a little boss here," Schober says.
"People here are all very friendly and willing to help, from our next-door neighbors to the village cadres. I don't have to worry about Alina, because everyone knows her, and everyone helps take care of her," Schober adds.
Presenting Real China
Schober enjoys recording his rural life through his lens. Tea farmers working in the morning mist, elders editing family pedigrees in the ancestral hall, neighbors weaving bamboo strips under the eaves … such images, full of the aroma of daily life, help his European relatives and friends see — and understand — the tranquility and vitality οf rural China.
"We have a sincere wish, which is to help Western people understand China, from a small and real perspective," Huang says.
In 2023, Schober expanded his business, by opening a pizza and coffee bar in Hongcun, the ancient village hailed for its exquisite Hui-style buildings and listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Both Tachuan and Hongcun villages are located in Hongcun Town. The village of Hongcun was one of the filming venues for the Oscar-winning film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Schober restored one of the old buildings in Hongcun to house his coffee and pizza bar. After having realized Hongcun is increasingly popular among international tourists, he began οffering free English classes in his bar every Thursday night.
Village cadres, owners of other shops, and even tour guides have been among his students. "Only through better communications can civilizations better understand each other," Schober says.
Four years of living in Hongcun has given Schober a deeper understanding οf the area's history and culture. He now regards Hongcun as his second hometown.
Thanks to the couple's concerted efforts, the homestay and pizza and coffee bar have become popular among tourists, both from home and abroad.
On April 27, 2024, Schober and Huang welcomed Pansy Ho Chiu-king, vice-chairperson of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and group executive chairperson and managing director of Shun Tak Holdings Limited, to their pizza and coffee bar. Ho visited Hongcun with a business delegation from ACFIC.
"It was an honor to be introduced to Ms. Ho. Many times, I was asked why I came to settle in rural China from Austria. Ms. Ho also expressed curiosity, and she highly valued our choice. I can feel we are all people who love Chinese culture, and who are willing to promote it. I love Hongcun very much. It is the most beautiful of China's countryside, in my eyes, with its ancient architecture, distinctive seasons and delicious cuisines. I am glad to have a lot of friends planning to come to Hongcun," Schober says.
Schober's story has been reported by many mainstream media outlets in China. At the end of 2024, China's Xinhua News Agency produced a video report that introduced Hongcun and its Austrian counterpart, Hallstatt, both of which have similar landscapes, and both of which are World Heritage sites.
In the video, Sheng Maocun, mayor of Hongcun, and Alexander Scheutz, mayor of Hallstatt, introduced the histories, cultures and natural sceneries of their respective villages. The video also documented Schober's story in Hongcun.
In May 2025, after having watched the video, a journalist (whose Chinese name is Du Yuefu) with Austrian Broadcasting Corporation visited Hongcun. Du filed a report on Schober, his family and business, and on the beautiful scenery and traditional Chinese culture in southern Anhui.
"Schober feels happy and proud when he introduces the real Chinese countryside to people in his home country, and even the world. We invited the reporters to climb Huangshan Mountain, tour Hongcun, taste local delicacies and experience intangible-cultural-heritage items, such as making and parading with fish-shaped lanterns. They also visited our daughter's kindergarten," Huang says. Du told Huang that his stay in Hongcun was among the best of his several trips to China.
"I think Schober serves as the link between international tourists and Chinese culture in Hongcun, and he lures more tourists from abroad and shows them the local culture and the architecture. Exchanges are always good. If there are no exchanges, there is no mutual learning anymore," Du told a reporter from Xinhua.
"It is very important that I continue to promote the traditional Chinese culture, especially the culture in rural areas. Our foreign guests come to stay, and we help them experience authentic local culture. When they leave here, they have memories that will last, and they can share them with their families and friends. If you want to learn about China, Huangshan Mountain and Hongcun are excellent choices," Schober says.
Photos from Fan Chengzhu and Interviewees
(Women of China English Monthly August 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
