Travel Notes | A colorful trip to Xiapu

My wife had long wanted to visit Xiapu as a family, but when she asked what attractions there were in Xiapu, except for Dayushan Island, she was blinded by the rest. So before going out, she and her daughter bought a travel guide to Fujian Province from the bookstore. Using the map, I roughly understood the scenic spots, and planned to stay in Xiapu for at least 2 days to try to get to Dayushan Island.
After a good night's sleep in Fu'an, we arrived at the express hotel we had booked in Xiapu at around 10 o'clock. We settled down for accommodation first and then came down to prepare to enjoy the feast of Xiapu's dazzling scenery. But the weather forecast said rain was coming soon, so I was prepared to take it one step at a time.
The landscape of Xiapu is mainly tidal flat farming on the seaside. There are many scenic spots. After settling in, I decided to explore the road on the first day. I went to Huazhu, the farthest point, and visited Xiaohao, Dongbi and other scenic spots along the way. Look, finally go to Beiqi and decide where to watch the sunrise the next day. The itinerary for the next day will be decided according to the situation. If the weather permits, we will go to Dayushan Island. At home, my daughter always seems to be on the same side as me, so we are always in the majority. When I drive, my daughter is responsible for navigation, observation and other matters. Of course, she is also often responsible for making phone calls, booking rooms according to the itinerary, etc.
Open the mobile phone navigation and locate Huazhu directly, so you don’t have to worry about getting sidetracked.
Shortly after getting off the highway, I passed a village by the bay. Judging from the distance, it should be Xiaohao. My daughter picked up the phone, looked at the map and said, that’s it. But there didn’t seem to be much scenery, so I drove over without any hesitation.
After passing the village, the road temporarily left the beach and went up a hill. At the intersection, there was a sign for Xiaohao Photography Base and a parking lot. It was empty and there was not a single car. Anyway, let’s go and have a look. Bar.
Walk along the road to the top of the slope, and then around to the side facing the sea. A new observation deck is being built here. I spent more than half an hour on the accessible places, including crossing the simple fence and entering the dirt road. I didn’t feel much. Ideal, I have the intention to give up this scenic spot.
After driving for about half a kilometer, there was a faint path in the bamboo forest on the right, leading to the rocky beach under a cliff of tens of meters. It looked better than the Xiaohao Observation Deck, so I parked the car at a relatively safe place. A place where one can explore the road alone.
The road is about 1 meter wide and has concrete steps. Branches and grasses invade the road from both sides. Apparently there are very few people walking on it. After taking a few steps, I realized that my judgment was correct and I should be able to gain something. When we reached half the height of the beach, the cement road ended in front of two large tombs. I also understood the purpose of this cement road. There is a high platform about 1.5 meters below, and further down, there is a path leading to the seaside. This is a piece of cake for me.
Standing on the rocks on the shore, I was very happy. The viewfinding, composition and sunset scene were definitely much better than those at Xiaohao Viewpoint. I was full of joy, but just before returning to the main road, I found a green bamboo leaf in the bamboo forest.

About 2 kilometers ahead is the east wall, which stretches along the road on the hillside along the coast. The view is very broad and it is a perfect place to take pictures. The grand Mazu Temple was offering sacrifices, the roads were blocked and there was no place to park.
It was close to 12 o'clock, and I was going to have lunch in Sansha Town in front of me. The street was very narrow, and there were many parked cars. I looked to the left to see if there was a restaurant, and to the right to see if there was a parking space. By accident, there was already one. After walking through the street, there is a fork in the road that turns left at about 30°.
The road is not wide, so if you miss a car, you need to find a suitable place. The slope is relatively steep and there are many bends. At a corner, the navigation prompts you to turn right. There happens to be a straight road that can accommodate small cars, so I drove in. , walked 30-50 meters, and found that we had entered a farmyard. When we returned to the correct road again, we found that there was a fork in the road 20-30 meters ahead, which was blocked by the corner of the mountain.
According to the navigation instructions, there are still 2 kilometers to reach Huazhu. There is a newly built road leading to the bay more than 100 meters below. There is a large platform on the seaside. It looks like a new pier. Take a look. With the attitude of the scenic spot, I drove down the road and drove around 3-5 kilometers with many twists and turns.
At 12:50, we arrived at Huazhu. There were a lot of cars parked in the parking lot. The observation deck was on the top of a hill near the sea. Behind it was a small fishing village. Behind the village was a bigger and higher mountain. On the sea There are several islands in the east direction, scattered in a patchwork manner. On the beach between the offshore islands and the mainland, there are farmed bamboo rafts scattered. There are also several abrupt rocks near the viewing platform, which are used for photography. It is indeed a good viewing spot.

We lingered in Huazhu for nearly an hour, and then continued on for another 5-6 kilometers. From another village to the seaside, dozens of fishing boats were parked quietly in the sun, and the rows of cultivated bamboo stretched continuously, which was very beautiful. Peaceful.

It was already past 2:30 when I returned to Sansha. I was already hungry. I walked around two small streets in Sansha and finally found a restaurant. There were many more, but they were not across the street. On that county road. We ordered 2 types of seafood noodles. The owner of the restaurant was very enthusiastic and added a lot of ingredients according to our requirements. While eating, we chatted with the owner and his family. We were very harmonious and learned about the food in the town. Accommodation is not a problem in many inns.
After eating, it’s almost 4 o’clock, and we are ready to return and head to today’s last destination, Beiqi. According to the information, the sunrise and sunset are very charming viewing spots, and it is right on the edge of the county. The temple fair on the east wall has ended, and the road seems much wider. On the other side of the observation deck, the road is protruding 3-5 meters with a retaining wall, which can be used as a parking lot. At this time, there was still enough time to go to Beiqi. walked to the observation deck with in mind to take a look.

Standing on the observation deck and looking down, the sea is wide and has an unobstructed view: dozens of large and small fishing boats are parked on the east side of the bay, bamboo farming rafts are continuous on the west side, and in the distance are low mountains stretching into the sea. , there is a slight mist on the sea surface - the idea of ​​​​staying arises spontaneously.
The sun was still relatively high, so in order to see the sea up close, we decided to go below. The road to the beach goes down to the west on the west side of the observation deck. When it reaches the edge of the cliff, it turns back to the west (turning point 1), and when it reaches the small ravine, it turns back to the east (turning point 2), dozens of meters down there is a fork going west (fork 1 ) , which looks like a seal character for "人" .
Looking west at turning point 1, there are green trees on the shore, and a 6-story yellow building is built against the sea. The beach has sparkling rocks, gentle waves, and large fishing boats anchored in the silvery white waves.
There is a small road that can reach the strange rocks, but the road is rugged, and you need to go straight down dozens of meters on tens of thousands of square stones dumped during road construction. I left my daughter and wife on the road and went there alone. .
The road was not as difficult as expected, and we arrived at the beach smoothly. There were clear traces of water on the rocks. It must have been low tide soon. From a distance, the small reef looks like a huge thing, but when you get close to it, it seems to be negligible for a person picking seafood.

Back on the road, my daughter and the others sat under the shade of a tree and looked up from below. The Dongbi Village built on the mountain was well-proportioned. Under the setting sun, it was so charming in my heart. No less than the Royal Palace of Monaco.

Looking west from fork 1, when walking past a fisherman's house, there is a huge banyan tree. On the side of the banyan tree facing the sea, the sloping light stone surface extends into the sea. Near the water, it suddenly turns into an almost 90° straight slope. The fisherman was picking up the debris in the front yard, and asked if he could stay there. He replied that his house hadn't opened yet, and the new house and new sheets were ready. If I wanted to live in it, they would help me clean it up now, and the price was better than that of a hotel in the city. It was much cheaper, so I had to decline the offer, knowing why I would have to deal with accommodation in the city.
The banyan tree was covered with red cloth strips. I knew they were used by fishermen who went out to sea to pray for blessings. I lowered my head and walked under the branches. Behind it, at the end of the big rock away from the sea, there was a large Mazu temple. Smoke curled up.

The fog on the sea gradually thickened, and the sun got closer and closer to the top of the mountain. At 5:20, we returned to the viewing platform. Tourists had begun to gather, and tripods had been set up in the best positions. We quickly found a position we could still occupy. .
The light gradually became reddish and yellow, and the sea surface under the mist was like a dream. I used a 16mm full-frame camera , and my daughter brought a 200mm mirrorless camera with 2x magnification. That's it, It is difficult to truly reproduce the real scene: either I feel that the scene in the photo is too small, or it cannot express the details. Only then do I really feel the advice given by my friend before: When going to Xiapu, bring something under 16 and over 400. lens.

At 6 o'clock, the glow gradually disappeared, and we drove back to the city. We were unwilling to give up and wanted to see what Beiqi looked like. It was completely dark before we even got onto the expressway. The road to Beiqi was very narrow and had to go through a village. The road was just big enough for two cars to pass each other. When we arrived at the parking lot at the beach, there was no one there. There was a road going behind the mountain behind the gate, and no trace of it was found. The beach in front of us was not very big, and some of it was not a good place for viewing, so we decided to go there the next day. Huazhu watching the sunrise.