A group of three of us drove to Shenjiawan Wharf in Shanghai for a ferry ride to start our journey to Gouqi (wolfberry) Island at 8 am. After two and a half hours we disembarked on Gouqi Island. The endless sea, the turquoise water, the forests and the stone houses were layered on top of each other, as if inlaid on a cliff.

One of my friends surveyed the scene, turned to me, nodded, and said: "This is the ultimate." This guy is an inveterate traveler who can sometimes be extremely demanding when it comes to rating, food, hotels or scenic attractions, so this accolade was akin to an Academy Awards judge handing over an Oscar for best film after having seen only five minutes of the movie.

Across the wharf we walked 100 meters and arrived at a little hut nestling at the foot of the green mountains to where our guesthouse owner greeted us enthusiastically and drove us from there straight to our lodgings.