A movable feast

Fans of recreational vehicles gathered at a park in the Xixi wetlands near Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in April. More than 70 RVs turned up, highlighting China's growing camper culture.

"The vehicle is like a movable home," says Ji Yuesheng, an enthusiast from Hangzhou. "Bedroom, washroom, kitchen, television, fridge, I've got everything I need in my camper."

He says there are two types of RV - modified and finished - and prices can vary from 200,000 to 2 million yuan ($31,000 to $310,000; 28,000 to 280,000 euros).

Most Chinese with RVs are in their 40s and over, and are usually people who can afford to take regular vacations, he adds.

Zhang Ying, a 61-year-old retiree from Shanghai, bought an RV as soon as she got her driving license in August last year.

"I've worked all my life in one place. Now I want to move and see more of the world," she says.

Li Bo and his wife, both from Heilongjiang province, even held their wedding ceremony in their RV after traveling across China. They now live permanently in the vehicle, with all their costs covered by what Li earns from busking with his saxophone.

"Some people are different from other people," he says. "Living in a vehicle is the life of my dreams."

(China Daily European Weekly 09/11/2015 page4)