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Q: Is it possible to start a homestead in Qinghai with my wife?
I've been found of geodesic dome homes and earth/bamboo homes. My dream has always been to live in Asia, marry and build a homestead where I can build bows and make a nice little farm. I was wondering what you guys think about this idea and if it would be possible. I'm not really looking at purchasing the land because I already know the extreme cost and maybe I'd want to move again. However, renting or making a deal with a land owner is an option and I'd be willing to build some biodomes for him in exchange for some space of my own. So thoughts, comments and questions are most welcomed. Thank you.
I've always wanted to build a bamboo hut on a beach and maybe start my own tribe, of course I want to be king. Hopefully it would be a Amazon tribe.
So what do you smoke that gives you the experience to build a dome house and farm enough to substain yourself? What will you do for money? I can send my tribe out for raiding parties, they're a blast, raiding the neighbors for supplies and women.
I'm not sure that I like your plan, get married and live in poverty, just no excitement.
Lord_hanson:
I too have thought about creating my own viking warband.
TedDBayer:
I've always wanted to eat in an authentic Viking restaurant. 
Have you ever read Walden?
Look, you obviously have no idea of what I'm talking about and I don't appreciate your sarcasm either. There are thousands of homesteads and farms all over the world right now, this includes people not having to use money to sustain themselves. Do a little research and your mind will be opened. You can lookup organic farming, homesteads and if you're adventurous check out bushcrafting.
On that note, I never said I wasn't going to use money so don't start putting words in my mouth either. I'm also not looking at starting a tribe but merely build a home to for my wife and children to live in. I don't think this universal idea needs to be put down by ignorant people. As for experience goes, I've built multiple dome homes/ greenhouses and I've also been farming my entire life.
If you have serious comments to make or questions to ask I'd appreciate it if you did it without the sarcasm and put downs.
Thanks
sorrel:
the main problem will be "This is China".
what happens and is straightforward in most other countries of the world won't apply here.
You might have the experience, the contract, the materials etc, but all it takes is for one person to get it into his head that you are too happy or successful - yes these are things that p*** off some local people where foreigners are concerned, you life could quickly turn around.
It sounds like a great idea, but TIC.
Forewarned is forearmed
:
Yes, I'm completely aware of this. I'm not saying it won't happen to me but I'd like to take my chances. Hopefully my Chinese wife will be able to help out if there is any problems too.
TedDBayer:
re Walden, It's not 1850s. my great grand parents all homesteaded. I'm sure if I could talk to them today they'd rather live my life style. Something about bears etc. Wasn't the author a hermit? Sounds wonderful.
:
What are you a child? Oh wait, you must be from the USA. That's exactly why I left that country and I'm never going back.
The problem I could see with that is greed.
Let's say you make a deal with someone who owns some land, you get set up and comfortable, build him some biodomes in return for use of the land then... he sees how comfortable you are, figures you are vulnerable so decides to change the deal. Now he wants monthly rent, or if you are paying rent already more rent. The agreement with the free biodomes wouldn't apply anymore because he has them now so no need to honor the contract.
Or let's say you are paying rent for the land, you would need an income to pay for that rent which might not be easy,and I can't see you having much in the way of legal rights and protection. Once he has your money the problem with the landlord not honoring the contract would probably come up again at some point.
Yea, I definitely agree with you on that greed issue. My wife is Chinese so I'd be sure to have everything in her name and we'd also make a contract. I'd do my research and probably get a lawyer before I actually started building any of this. The good thing about the dome homes is they only take about a day to put up and about an hour to take down. So if problems did happen I'd, in a way, light a match to it..
Stiggs:
I think you would need to be ready, with a plan B to just torch the place and move on when they decide to f**k you over. Not saying that would necessarily happen but Sorrel is right, this is China. Would you want to build your life knowing it's dependent on a lot of different people with very dubious ideas of integrity?
I really doubt any legal agreements you make would mean a thing.
Stiggs:
I'm not trying to piss on your idea by the way, I think it would be a cool thing to do.
:
I do understand and see where you guys are coming from. I'm not ignoring the fact that this would happen but to me it's worth a shot. If it all goes down the toilet then I guess I'm going to have to figure something else out. I agree though, this is China and I do know how people are here. I'm hoping to just find some old hermit out in the middle of nowhere and make a deal with the devil there. But, I can't live my life in fear and not do things because something "might" happen. I wouldn't be here if I did. Also, these homes aren't that expensive and hard to build. They are actually quite portable. So if something does happen, I'd easily be able to take it down and move on. Although, I'd probably lose my crop but saving seeds is always a good idea.
If you want to sell them, I would not do it in China.
There is no market here. People don't dream of moving to the country. If they do, it's because they want to go back to their own house in the country and actually spend time with their family.
You know a lot about your subject, and I know nowt.
I would think a more tourist focused country would be better. Your target market is most likely foreigners wanting to live the dream.
Rural China is littered with abandoned homes because everyone want's the "convienience" of the city. People would not buy a rural home unless you built a shopping mall, a hospital and a school next door. In short, you would need to build a city to attract them.
The work visa/ settlement issues etc here are just to prohibative to set out on a such a venture here.
Also, although China is changing fast, Chinese people don't actually like change. They want to build the same house as their neighbours have, only bigger.
Just my opinion
:
Thank for your opinion.
I'm actually not wanting to sell anything but maybe my bows that I make. I'm just wanting to live a simple and quiet life, hard to find in Chinese I know, and have a nice little farm. I'm definitely not into making a bunch of money either. Actually the purpose of this is to enjoy the Chinese culture whilst still living my country style life and be as far from the city as possible.
ScotsAlan:
Yup. That's a good ambition to have.
It just might be difficult to get a visa for it.
I suppose it would be like a Chinese National applying to the US Government for a visa to live in the Rockies and become a trapper.
China is a bit strange. There are no suberbs as such for one thing. City ends and countryside starts.
And because of the Houkou system, the people in the countryside want to get to the city and and the people in the cities have no intention of going back.
Your idea could maybe work if you could get a tie up with a National park or such like. Or a big hotel at a tourist spot.
But good luck with your dream.
China has so much to offer to spiritual people such as yourself, but the Government don't realize it yet.
They are too scared you could become an activist.
ScotsAlan:
Yup. That's a good ambition to have.
It just might be difficult to get a visa for it.
I suppose it would be like a Chinese National applying to the US Government for a visa to live in the Rockies and become a trapper.
China is a bit strange. There are no suberbs as such for one thing. City ends and countryside starts.
And because of the Houkou system, the people in the countryside want to get to the city and and the people in the cities have no intention of going back.
Your idea could maybe work if you could get a tie up with a National park or such like. Or a big hotel at a tourist spot.
But good luck with your dream.
China has so much to offer to spiritual people such as yourself, but the Government don't realize it yet.
They are too scared you could become an activist.
:
Well I am married so I don't need a visa. Plus I'm just planning to have everything go through my wife because she's a Chinese national. Anyways thanks for all the information and opinions. I especially like the one about the National Park.
ScotsAlan:
If you already have a Chinese wife you will be fine .
That was not clear on your original question.
TedDBayer:
'' the purpose of this is to enjoy the Chinese culture whilst still living my country style life....'' not the culture card? What culture? The Chinese have not evolved into any higher state.
Qinghai is very nice, but it's not exactly the ideal place for a foreigner to do anything long-term. Qinghai is the home of China's nuclear industry, both civilian and military. When traveling there, many areas were forbidden to me, and the locals were not exactly glad to see me around, (not discretely) murmuring about me being a spy. I would expect every administrations to be very nosy about your intentions.
Mountain districts in Sichuan are less problematic, I remember guesthouses run by foreigners for years without apparent troubles. They had nice ideas, like using state of the art solar boilers and photovoltaic panels, they were fluent in Mandarin, Tibetan and Sichuanese dialect (!).
As other explained here, a common pattern with businesses and landlord is, if a business is successful, the landlord will want his share. So the rent will be proportional to the greed of the landlord. It killed some good businesses, such stories are common. Contracts won't protect you, rule of the law is not exactly the strong point of China. Especially in backwaters, it's the Far West style of justice.
:
Thanks,
I'm starting to hear a lot about foreigners not being welcomed. My next option was actually Sichuan so it's good that you say that.
I had to chime in here. The comparison to "Walden" is a tenuous one. Thoreau built his cabin on land owned by Emerson, a good friend. You propose to build your biodome on land that is ultimately owned by the Chinese government. Any deal you make with a landowner will, in all probability, fall through due to the unscrupulous nature of the indigenous population. Also, in "Walden Pond," Thoreau grows vegetables in his garden and catches fish in the pond, all the time forming a transcendental connection in a natural landscape unaffected by human activity. You said you want to build a farm in Qinghai, but, as with much of the land in China, it is suffering the adverse affects of industrial pollution and severe drought, not to mention the yearly sandstorms blowing down from the Gobi Desert. You could, of course, grow your crops in a greenhouse or biodome, but then any connection to nature would be artificial and thereby negate the transcendent experience you are hoping to find, as Thoreau did at Walden Pond. I suppose you could always raise yaks.
:
There reason I mentioned that book is because I wanted to show that "living in the city" isn't a life for everyone. Also, I'm not doing it specifically like Thoreau nor did I say that. It's not about spiritualism, it's about having a house and growing some food on a small farm. To live a life that I'm comfortable living with out in a place with not a lot of people or problems. Self-Reliance
Why is not wanting to be around other people and society such a bad thing in all these cultures? China, America, are very known for this. You say anything about wanting to be alone and living in a secluded place, you're the crazy bad guy. Has the media warped everyone's mind so much that making your own choices is a wrong thing now?
TedDBayer:
My Canadian home is 4 acres, next to Lake Ontario, it's too quiet, cutting that much lawn drives me crazy. I still have real arsholes for neighbors even though I can't see them, Murphy's law. Why bring up ''Walden'' then?
Sounds nice, but I'm not sure it would work in China. Aside from everything else mentioned above, especially the points made by Quinn68, what would you do visa wise?
Sinobear:
And what does your wife think of your idea? You do realize that your Q-visa is tied to where her hukou is registered...you can't legally just move anywhere in China.
If you built a few comfortable ones, i would pay to stay there for a week. Once i stayed on a coffee farm in Colombia, super cool as a hotel/ work stay place. Ive often wondered about that in China. Im not talking about some crappy village in Hunan, but i would pay for a stay in Qinghai for sure. As long as the domes were actually comfortable.
I think its a great idea. Hope everything works out.
:
Thank you,
I have given some thought to a self-sustainable organic farm that would be run by volunteers. These farms are usually referred to WOOF. If that is what I eventually do and things do work out, it'd take a while to get everything to the standards of being comfortable. Every persons idea of being comfortable is completely different and it'd be hard to get there. My idea of being comfortable is a hammock between two trees next to a lake. Some people need a single room, shower, wifi, etc....
What would make you comfortable?
xunliang:
Mike might have a good idea here. Making a vacation resort business out of it might be more feasible. These sort of rural holidays are already popular with the Chinese (农家乐). And if you could make like a dude ranch or something, you might be able to start up a decent money earning business, at least during the holiday seasons.
mike695ca:
To actually make it sustainable there would need to be some investment. Hammocks would pretty much alienate all women and couples from coming. So, comfortable beds in the domes and my best guess is that you would need a club house or central lodge with lounge , showers and clean bathrooms. Still a big deal but much more feasible than putting water in every dome. The time to strike is now. With that damn ba ba qu naer show, everyone is hoping for a stay like that. But never forget. No Wi-Fi = no chinese = no money.
mike695ca:
Btw , where is your wife from??? Doing it on the edges of where her hukou is registered could save ALOT os hassles. She may have access to land for low prices that you guys didnt even know about. If shes from Shanghai not so much but hell my wife is from Zhongshan Guangdong, a city and she has access to land. I was just assuming your wife was from western China, which could give you some great options and you should probably look into that first. It would be your safest bet from trouble from officials and landlords.
I think you have a good idea you have just chosen the wrong country. This is something I would like to do when I am older. I would choose a country that has lots of land and few people though. Probably Canada. You said it was your dream to settle down in Asia. Perhaps you could try a country where you can buy the land. This would add security.
Lord_hanson:
How about New Zealand? Beautiful weather, friendly locals. Rule of law.
You want to build a homestead? Like, out on the range amongst the prairie dogs an' all them critters, raise some young'uns, head o' cattle, "Hey Ma, hogs got the fever," ball o' yarn, spinning Jenny, whisky still, moonshine, "There's gold in them there hills," Buffalo Bill, leather chaps, "Reach for it mister," cowboy and injuns, "All the nice girls like a sailor," kind of homestead? Sounds weird. Good luck.
Lord_hanson:
There are worse than injuns in China. They will start to shuffle slowly towards the ranch. First you will hear them, the moaning and groaning. Then they will come into sight. A few at first but more and more will arrive. The smell will be terrible. Ripped clothes and unkept hair. Dirt under their fingernails and flesh between their teeth. Terror will grip your heart as the horde reaches the gates. You forgot to lock the gate and the mass of bodies swarm through. You get a good look at one, dribble is falling from his mouth. You tell your family to get inside and barricade the doors. You grab your shotgun and prepare to fight the zombie menace. Your gun jams. As you prepare yourself for death the horde stops. One of them shouts "KAN KAN, YOU LAOWAI!KAN YOU LAOWAI!" You realise it is just the locals. They slowly leave. The only evidence of them being there is the newly formed pond make from their spit.
