Hong Mei (left) is seen with local girls in western India's Gujarat state. Hong and her husband toured India from 2009 to 2010. [Photo/China Daily]

For many Chinese, India is a land of mystery, but one couple traveled China's southern neighbor and wrote a book about their experiences. Xing Yi reports. Xing Yi With a vast territory, large population and diverse culture, India is similar to China in many ways, yet for most Chinese people, the southern neighbor seems so near and so far, so familiar yet so unknown.

Daunted by the humid and hot weather, crowded traffic and complex languages, few Chinese would put India in their list of backpacking destinations. But Hong Mei, 34, is one among the few.

From 2009 to 2010, Hong and her United States husband Tom Carter entered India four times. They spent their time in cities and villages in the magical land and took thousands of photos. Last year, Hong published their travelogue The Further One Travels, the Nearer One Comes to Oneself, recounting their stories and adventures in India.

"For many Chinese who haven't been there, India is associated with poverty and chaos and filthy streets," says Hong who resigned from her job in a media company so she could travel. "But this is only one part of India. For me, India is a country full of amazing surprises."

The book is divided into four chapters following the four trips Hong took to India, as she had to leave the country every three months because of visa regulations.

In the book, Hong writes detailed observations of each city they visited, such as White City Udaipur, Pink City Jaipur, Golden City Jaisalmer and Blue City Jodhpur. Each is nicknamed after the color most used in the architecture of the city.

"In China, due to rapid urbanization, cities looks alike," says Hong. "But India is like a kaleidoscope, and thanks to the different religions and cultures, each city has its special image."

Among all the cities and regions Hong traveled, Varanasi, the holy city lying on the bank of Ganges, is her favorite.