Pathfinder Hostel - Art Vibes in Wuhan, China

I ended up at this hostel because it happened to be the only one open during Chinese New Years Eve. My friends and I made the error of traveling through China during this time because in our ignorance we believed it would be festive. Instead, everything was closed, trains were quadruple the price and each city was deserted as families made their way to the suburbs for the holidays. Luckily, Pathfinder Hostel in Wuhan was open and we were pleasantly surprised by what we encountered.

This hostel is more of an art studio than just a sleeping space. Four floors, hallways and bedrooms are decorated with murals and a dining set up near the front desk is bordered by walls scribbled on by fellow travelers. There is even an actual art studio near the back with empty canvases waiting to be painted on.

If visual art isn’t your jam, you can head into the main hangout zone: a large lounge in the middle of the ground floor with plenty of couches, tables of all heights and lengths, bookshelves with English and Chinese titles, a projector, mini bar and movie room. During peak season we imagined this area to be thriving with creativity, but seeing as we were the only guests at this hostel, we joined another gentlemen enjoying the space. He was a receptionist at the hostel but also an art student at a nearby college, so we observed him while he painted a traditional portrait of flowers on a white scroll, signing it in kanji.

We spent the next day sleeping off our hangovers and watching the hostel cats roam about the skylight windows, courtyard bar and frosted gardens. The apparent vacancy didn’t deter from our vision of what this place is like in the summer. Even the friendly staff spoke to us about the rise of artistry that runs through the place in warmer months. People from all over the globe gathered to share film, run workshops and work together on large paintings.

It is generally an unintended goal of mine to find community-oriented places all over the world. And this was another to add to the list. It’s a meeting place, a working environment for traveling artists/musicians/students and it gives you the feeling of staying inside an art gallery as every guest has access to free ink and paint for use on the walls or in private journals.

Book a spot directly through hostelworld.com if you want a slice of craftsmanship and local culture in your travels in China.