William Lu and Linda Liang
Meet the owners of the Snow Lion Riverside Resort,
Cloud 9 restaurant and
7th
Heaven Cafe & Hostel
Let me introduce you to William Lu and Linda Liang, two good
friends of me. They are also the proud owners of 3 amazing businesses
in Yangshuo:
The oldest of the three businesses the couple have is the
7th Heaven Cafe & Hostel but that was not the first business of William. When I
met William the first time, I think it was 1998 or so, he was co-owner of the Countryside Cafe, a small
cafe that doesn't exists anymore. It was located in West Street, where you find now the Bank of China.
Linda,
William and their two daughters Christina and Sarah.
Times have changed since those days. While William had his
7th Heaven Cafe & Hostel,
Linda worked in both the White Lion Hotel in West Street and in the
Mountainretreat. After their marriage in 2003 (I was lucky enough
to be a guest on that cold first of January), several new ideas came up.
William started his disco adventure with Cloud 9.
Soon after the birth of their first child, Christina Cloud 9 was
transformed into the stylish restaurant which it is now.
Linda, with her love for cooking took the lead in the restaurant and soon
Cloud 9 became the single most popular Chinese restaurant
in Yangshuo. William once told me he had the desire to run a Chinese restaurant
for the local Chinese. With Cloud 9 in the new outlook,
he had what he wanted. And with Linda managing the menu, he knew he couldn't loose.
Soon after the transformation of Cloud 9, Linda started her cooking
classes which are now, by far the best organized in Yangshuo. At the roof of
Cloud 9 there's 2 student kitchens permanent available for cooking classes
and Linda had to make sure, if she wasn't around, she would have other excellent
teachers. She trained several girls of her staff in Cloud 9 and 7th
Heaven to be the teachers for the cooking classes.
The Snow Lion Resort, just outside Yangshuo.
In 2004 the idea of their own resort took shape. They found a piece of
land in Mushan, a little village a few km from Yangshuo town center at the Li River.
Papa William with his youngest daughter Sarah.
They named their dream resort Snow Lion, referring to the nearby Snow
Lion hilltop. Here's more about the
history and building of the Snow Lion Resort.
At the same time the 7th Heaven Cafe & Hostel
moved from its location in West Street to a new and much nicer location at Chengzhong
Road, just a stone throw away from Cloud 9.
William and Linda got their second child Sarah. Little by little their 3
businesses took more shape and get more and more successful, with hard work
and investing in quality instead of going for the fast money. Instead they
want a sustainable business that lasts.
William and Linda's children growing up, when I write this, in 2008,
Christina is already 5 years old. Their businesses are expanding.
There's no doubt when you visit either
Cloud 9,
Snow Lion Resort and/or the
7th Heaven Cafe & Hostel you will meet
either William, Linda and their children.
Linda, Sarah, Christina and William
In Yangshuo there are few people more helpful and friendlier then William
and Linda. Knowing William since he had the Countryside Cafe and Linda since
2002 I can only say, they are good people and even better
friends. Wherever you will stay, 7th Heaven or Snow Lion Resort, or eat in
Cloud 9, just know this: you are in good hands with William and Linda.
Peter van der Lans
Sitiawan Malaysia
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See also William and Linda's Cloud 9,
Snow Lion Resort and the
7th Heaven Cafe & Hostel
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