"Travel Notes" is a series written during a journey, recording the feelings and insights about different cities. It measures the vastness of the earth with footsteps and experiences the cultural customs of a place through words.
Preface#
Traveling, for many people, is a romantic and wonderful journey through time and space. Similar to reading, there are always interesting discoveries along the way, and we often pick up these fragments and piece together the best memories of the journey in our minds. While walking on the road, looking at unfamiliar landscapes, curious thoughts accumulate in our hearts, always wanting to explore the unique personality of a place in a deeper way, treating the passers-by as the owners of the city.
I don't know much about the world, and my footsteps only recently crossed provincial borders. At least before university, I was still an ignorant teenager in a small town, and the outside world was like clouds, vaguely appearing in my mind, knowing but never seeing. That summer, in the town library, holding a book about the world, it was the first time the teenager glimpsed different corners of the world from the book. However, the desire to travel was mostly a luxury at that time, and the seed remained in my heart without taking root or sprouting. The teenager's aspirations could only wander in the sea of books.
But now it seems that the teenager's footsteps have long crossed the boundaries of the original ideals, but the world is vast, and the more you explore, the more wonderful it becomes. Traveling is still a mysterious and unknown exploration, always moving forward, there will always be many surprising discoveries. I rarely write travel articles or travelogues, simply because a few days of shallow journey is difficult to have a deep understanding of a city I have never been to. But after all, I have been here, not satisfied with just leaving a mechanical full-body photo in front of various attractions, I want to simply record some feelings and experiences, as a memory node in the journey, adding another picture to life.
Young City#
Sitting on the high-speed train to Zhuhai, I deliberately chose a window seat and often looked out. The scenery passing by outside the window was like a promotional video of the city on a television. I imprinted these unseen scenes in my mind, constructing my initial impression of this city.
If we calculate it in terms of human lifespan, Zhuhai, which is 43 years old this year, is in the prime of its youth. At this time, Zhuhai has a more stable style of dealing with the world, introverted and low-key. But in terms of the city's development history, Zhuhai is a young and romantic city, attracting countless young men and women to feel the beauty of the sea and love under the Stone Mountain.
Zhuhai is a young city, a place surrounded by mountains and seas. Unlike the outside world, life here is full of romance. Whether it is the Zhuhai Fisher Girl by the lover's road, the Sun and Moon Shell on Wild Fox Island, or the Love Post Office accompanied by the lighthouse, they all reflect the romantic charm of Zhuhai. I think this is probably Zhuhai's pursuit of beauty. Here, looking at the sea from the mountains is a beautiful experience that people look forward to becoming a reality.
Youth means infinite possibilities. In the prime of their youth, Zhuhai and the young men and women in this romantic city feel the comfort of the mountains and the sea, letting love resonate with the waves.
Cycling by the Seaside#
When writing this article, I initially used the term "strolling". But in reality, cycling was the main mode of transportation for the day. Otherwise, if I walked this distance on foot, I wouldn't want to walk for several days.
Most of the seaside attractions are distributed along the Lover's Road. On one side are mountains and parks, on the other side are the sea and rocks. If you ride a bicycle and travel along this road, you will see people swimming at the seaside swimming area. A little further ahead is the Love Post Office and lighthouse, which are must-visit spots for couples. If you happen to have a sunny day, taking a photo in front of the lighthouse is the best thing to do. If you want a better view and see further, the second floor of the Love Post Office is an excellent scenic spot. Here, you can see the lighthouse and the sea in the same frame, feel the pleasantness of a sunny afternoon while blowing the sea breeze.
After leaving the lighthouse, continue along this endless Lover's Road, ride to the corner, cross the U-shaped bend where the mountain extends into the sea, and the famous Zhuhai Fisher Girl sculpture is not far away. The Zhuhai Fisher Girl is a city landmark of Zhuhai, telling the love story of the city. However, according to historical facts, Zhuhai existed before the Zhuhai Fisher Girl.
After listening to the story of the Zhuhai Fisher Girl, continue walking forward. There is a winding beach called Xianglu Bay. People often sit there and daydream, enjoying the sea breeze. Next to the beach is a small commercial complex, which has a very artistic name called "City Balcony". The endless Lover's Road passes underneath the City Balcony. Interestingly, behind the City Balcony is Jing Shan Park, and in between them is a main road of the city. This natural and modern spatial structure is somewhat fascinating.
When the beach is behind you, looking into the distance, there is a shell-like building standing on the sea. That is the most popular landmark in Zhuhai, the Sun and Moon Shell, which also has a simple name, Zhuhai Grand Theater. Next to the building is Wild Fox Island Park, but I don't intend to write about it because shared bicycles are not allowed. However, the scenery there is still very good, sitting on the lawn in the park, blowing the sea breeze, is very pleasant.
On this road that has just been walked, there are many parks. When cycling, I often see people sitting or lying in the parks. On a sunny afternoon in autumn, people spend leisure time with their loved ones, family, and friends. The sunlight at this time is warmer and more romantic than in summer.
Multiple Perspectives of Travel#
Looking at travel from the perspective of a tourist, the experiences throughout the journey are the most important. However, as a passerby in the city, there may be shortcomings in understanding the city, but the various feelings along the way can reflect the temperature of the city. I try to understand this city from a factual perspective, but personal feelings often take the lead. And people are diverse, so there are a thousand impressions of Zhuhai.
More than just Lover's Road#
Before coming to Zhuhai, I searched a lot of travel guides online and found that almost all the shares were about Lover's Road. So even before arriving in Zhuhai, I had a clear understanding of the distribution of attractions on this road.
But Zhuhai is more than just Lover's Road. Zhuhai has a name called "City of Hundred Islands". Although it is the smallest prefecture-level city in terms of land area, it still has a large number of islands. The scenery of these islands is also very beautiful, but I haven't been there, so I can't make an objective evaluation.
In addition to the islands, in Zhuhai, going to Chimelong is also a popular choice for people. Moreover, Zhuhai is connected to Macau on land, and as neighbors, Macau's advantages are more obvious. In the journey in Zhuhai, the flow of people near Gongbei, which is close to Macau, is often more considerable and more popular. In the face of the strong charm of Macau, Zhuhai is slightly inferior, which is an undeniable reality.
Approaching the topic from a tourism perspective, Zhuhai is not considered a tourist city. Zhuhai's tourism resources are not rich. Regarding Lover's Road, whether it is the Love Post Office, Zhuhai Fisher Girl, or Sun and Moon Shell, they are difficult to be considered as attractions. Zhuhai Fisher Girl is a modern sculpture that caters to the needs of urban development. It is mixed with the personal emotional experiences of the designer and creates a romantic cultural symbol with mythical love stories, but it is not favored by young people in reality.
The Zhuhai Fisher Girl sculpture stands on a giant rock not far from the shore, and there are no tourist facilities around it. It can only be regarded as a check-in spot, and the people who come here to take photos are like waves hitting the shore, rising and falling.
The Love Post Office is a trendy shop selling desserts and drinks. It probably got its name because it has a mailbox for sending letters and you can also buy some cultural and creative products. The lighthouse is a hydrological facility near the Love Post Office, and there are many people taking photos there. If you come during holidays when there are many people, there may not even be a place to sit, and the same goes for shared bicycles.
Lover's Road is very long, and for tourists, it is best to explore it by riding shared bicycles. If you walk, you will probably get tired, which is one of the reasons why the travel experience is not good. Xianglu Bay Beach along the way is an artificial beach because Zhuhai is located at the mouth of the Pearl River, and the quality of the seawater is not good, often turbid and yellow throughout the year, which is an unavoidable geographical factor. So for those who want to see the sea, it is better to go to the islands in Zhuhai. Of course, the cost will also be higher.
Next to the beach, City Balcony is just an ordinary commercial complex, and the same goes for City Living Room. In the distance, the Sun and Moon Shell, which is Zhuhai Grand Theater, has a special meaning for tourists, mostly as a distinctive building, and it does not bring any other tourist experiences. To go to the Sun and Moon Shell, it is about 1.5 kilometers away from the shore, and it takes at least twenty minutes to walk. The nearby Wild Fox Island has beautiful scenery, but unfortunately, shared bicycles are not allowed, so you can only ride to the parking lot next to the Sun and Moon Shell.
Zhuhai has a long coastline and beautiful scenery. The shore along Lover's Road is wide and suitable for cycling, and there are large and small beautiful parks along the way. However, for tourists, it is not suitable for tourism. If you come here to relax or live in Zhuhai, I think it is a beautiful place with a lifestyle.
It is worth mentioning that the construction of non-motorized lanes in Zhuhai is very well-developed and friendly. For those who want to ride bicycles, Zhuhai is a city with warmth. In addition, the one-yuan bus is also heartwarming.
Lack of Cultural and Historical Heritage and Cuisine#
Zhuhai is a young city, and like other young modern cities, it lacks cultural and historical heritage. Compared with other cities in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai's foundation is much weaker. Every city has distinct cultural characteristics and symbols, but Zhuhai does not have a proud heritage in this regard. Therefore, it is difficult to leave a deeper impression of the city on tourists in terms of travel experience.
In terms of food, there are very few choices in Zhuhai, and there is no local specialty. Moreover, there are very few dining options around Lover's Road, only ordinary commercial areas to choose from. Around 10 o'clock at night, almost all shops are closed, and the night economy is not as active.
From the perspective of population size and land area, Zhuhai is a small and leisurely city. Walking on the streets of Zhuhai, there is always a sea breeze flowing through the streets and alleys, making people clearly feel the flow of the city's air. It is also a young city because of the visits of young people, adding a touch of vitality.
Zhuhai is a romantic city, with love and the charm of life.
Side Note#
This is my first time writing a travelogue, and I am sincerely anxious and worried. As the saying goes, "The more you say, the more mistakes you make." However, when writing an article, it is necessary to follow personal feelings to some extent. Good or bad, I will try to be fair and unbiased. But how to put it, there still needs to be some factual basis. Travel, as a subjective human activity, pays more attention to personal experiences. Just like "a thousand faces for a thousand people," in the hearts of a thousand people, a city has various appearances.