The Road Less Traveled
The road to redemption for us is also the road rarely travelled.
in our journey to seek the truth and beauty of made in china, we find ourselves traveling through different rural landscapes where our partner factories are located. because, more often than not, the type of production process involving masterful craftsmanship and traditional wisdom exist outside of the industrial environment of major metropolitan urban settings.
our production trips are arduous and challenging, for sure. unlike the manufacturing hubs like guangzhou or zhejiang where massive industrial centers conveniently huddle together with easily accessible infrastructures, the parts of china we travel to on our quest are usually underdeveloped, still preserving a sense of beauty that is only possible within regions not yet invaded by the destructive industrial impact.
although it may seem counterintuitive for anyone in today’s business world to go so far off the beaten paths where production time and process is lengthened instead of shortened, where cost and production efficiency of the industrial machine does not carry over, but we tread these paths with intention and sincerity, with hopes to dig deep and pave a new way of presenting a vastly more beautiful, kinder and more sustainable made in china process.
the average travel time from the nearest city or airport to one of our production sites is usually 2-3 hours, but we get to fill our eyes with plenty of beautiful mandarin landscapes unique to these parts of china. this image was taken during our 2nd production trip in 2015 on a poetically foggy day en route to our dye factory from dali old town in yunnan province, where there are beautiful farmlands amidst mountainous backdrops.
because we believe instead of following the easy, most traveled paths, we will ultimately be rewarded with magic that is only found on these paths less travelled we will pave with courage and determination.
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
And that has made all the difference.
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