Levajunjun
August 14, 2023
I took some time off to take my kids to Shengsi (one of the places I have always wanted to visit). The island is very small and you can explore the entire place in about 4-5 hours by electric bike, but the road around the island is very beautiful, and you can see different scenery at every turn.
The people on the island have very simple customs, and most of the indigenous people make a living by fishing. The changes in the past 20 years have seen an increase in the number of tourists, an increase in the number of homestays, and a gradual expansion of the commercial scope of the urban area.
On the first night we stayed at the easternmost part of the island, where there was a small fishing pier. We went there to watch the swimming crabs and shrimps that had just been caught, and went to the beach to catch small crabs at night.
It was a great experience to drink coffee and eat seafood at the beach. The next day, I took my kids for a bike ride around the island and took a stroll on the Left Bank Highway. There were many white buildings on the beach similar to those at Erhai Lake, and Mediterranean Greek-style check-in spots, but for me, they were beautiful but too commercial.
Compared to the Left Bank, I prefer the Donghai Fishing Village, where the fishermen and local customs are preserved. However, there are only a few original residents left... It is said that two-thirds of them are sub-landlords.
Some of the original islanders have left. There are 79 taxis on the island, and most of the drivers are indigenous people. I know the housekeeper of the B&B, who is a graduate of East China Normal University. However, because his younger brother had to go out to work, he stayed on the island, stayed with his parents, and ran a business he loved. He is enthusiastic and patient, which is probably the biggest gain of this trip.
Finally, let’s talk about Jihu Beach, a commercially operated beach that charges a fee. It has the Dopamine Heat Wave Music Festival, the rhythm is very exciting, there are a lot of people, and the coastal beach is very dirty... Apart from the music, the cost-effectiveness is not very high.
If this island continues to maintain such folk and natural landscapes, preferably without takeout and with less plastic waste that damages the environment, it will be a place where you can stay for a long time.
Original TextTranslation provided by Google