Renovated home offers glimpse of past

Dwelling built during the Qing Dynasty and refurbished by expats is now a vacation rental

When Dutch national Maarten Dickinson first laid eyes upon Langshi village, in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, he instantly fell in love with its Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) cottages and dramatic karst landscape.

"The village had a beautiful harmony of friendly people, traditional houses and amazing scenery along the Lijiang River, making me love the place at first sight," he said.