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Sweeping Leaves for Wintertime

The location of the future monastery was decided to be in Yangjiaping, a remote village in the Taihang Mountains. This large piece of land, about 100 square kilometers, was donated to the church by the Yang family who lived nearby. Not rich fields, the desolated land was full of rocks and stones.”

One of the essays in Lin Da’s new book, Sweeping Leaves for Wintertime, tells a story about western monks who worked hard to establish a Trappist monastery in a remote mountain area in China, a small group of people in a society dominated by majorities. The author asserts the monastery was a place for religion but also for a unique way of life.

Lin Da’s books have been very popular in recent years in China, especially in intellectual circles. This is the fifth book on American history and culture by Lin, who now lives in the United States. Offering more than the exotic scenes and personal opinions often found in most travel books, the author observes this foreign country with cool eyes and his own sensibility.

It is a pleasant and enlightening experience to read this book, especially in a heavy sofa with a cup of hot tea in winter times. Follow the author to see the lives of small warm southern towns in the United States and temporarily forget the grey smoky sky of cold Beijing. The book artfully shifts back and forth between then and now with rich historical and current information, asking questions like: “What if this happened in China?”

“With a hand-made map half a century old, and with the spiritual guidance of Trappist monks, we crossed the cascading Taihang Mountains in search of Yangjiaping, where the old monastery was set. When we finally stood on its ruins, we were shocked and speechless.”

Some may find the ending saddening, but it feels good to know that there are always people who dig hard and deep into history and thoughts and who bring us true stories that may otherwise be forever lost.