[Mi You Travel] Xiamen Chronicles, Summer Love

I record it here to commemorate the year that is about to pass and the remaining, increasingly cheap youth. Behind Zhenzhen's urging to get married, I believe that my current life contains that kind of rare happiness and freedom. Thank you to those friends who have accompanied me on this journey. Even though we met and separated, even though we were on the unknown road, we would still meet different people.

Sometimes only if you are willing to believe can you get what you want to believe. Therefore, every time before I prepare to leave, I always want to believe that I can meet the right person this time and enjoy the beautiful scenery together along the way. Leaving again and again and embarking on different journeys, sometimes to let go, sometimes to encounter. The world is so big, and I want to see it. Maybe in ten or twenty years, I will have the confidence to tell the world: I have really been here. Many times I think about a question over and over: If there are no descendants in this life, what else can be left to the world? Probably all that's left is some boring text. Thinking about it now, the reason why destiny is beautiful is that it contains countless variables, which always make it difficult for us to figure out.

In recent years, traveling to and from Xiamen has become much more frequent. While the sense of intimacy has doubled, the sense of surprise has also faded. I still remember the first time I went to Xiamen in 2014. It was already late at night when I first arrived. The warm and humid air swept over my face the moment I got off the plane. Everything was full of expectations. I smiled and felt the happiness fermenting. Early the next morning, we set off for Zengcuo'an, a place full of romance. Various small shops, unique decorations, colorful flowers, and various snacks... all attracted me as a first-time visitor.

This is a place where you need to walk with your lover. When you walk there, you will feel that the world has become more beautiful. Whether it is a sudden drizzle, a scorching sun, or a drunken night, it will become a story about love. Baptism, there is always a moment here that makes people burst with happiness.

Zengcuo'an is very close to Xiamen University, and there are direct buses. If the weather is not too hot and the sun is not too dazzling, you can also choose to ride a section of Huandao Road to see the beach, the sea, and the green plants on both sides. Speaking of Xiamen University, it is really “big”! Especially for me who is studying in Tianmei, I am extremely envious. Watching the students studying in the greenery and walking by the lake, there are different canteens to choose from, you can shuttle between school buildings, you can ride a bicycle from north to south, you can go through the stadium, across the bridge, you can Looking at different scenery, this feeling is enviable, and at the same time I feel the wonder of campus life, which is a kind of serenity that is out of this world... (Although I am also living comfortably on campus at this time, the feeling of envy is Not very expressive.)

We seemed to be a part of Xiamen University, watching swans playing in the water on the campus, taking a nap under the shade of trees to enjoy the shade, playing and strolling on the sidewalk, reading poetry in the coffee shop and looking out... In short, time flew by and it was evening in a blink of an eye. However, a sudden heavy rain caught us off guard. It is precisely because of this that she gave us an unexpected and sumptuous dinner - the Xiamen University Canteen - compared to the seafood stalls in Zengcuo'an, the food here can be said to be affordable and delicious. All chicken, duck, and fish can be eaten for only a few dozen yuan. money. The rain gradually subsided, but with a hint of coolness, we said goodbye to Xiamen University and walked on the road around the island. There was a constant flow of vehicles, colorful lights obscured the raindrops, and the spots blurred our vision... We walked in the direction of Zengcuo'an, watching the bright lights, the night market beating, the food stall waiters shouting along the street, and the diners enjoying their tables. When eating delicious food, they sometimes exchange cups and cups, and sometimes laugh out loud, which is about the imprint of life.

It is said that Gulangyu is a desirable place. (For those who visit for the first time, this is true) She has buildings from all over the world, a piano beach, birds singing in harmony, and flowers blooming in abundance. We can walk on the trails of Gulangyu Island, feel the ups and downs of the terrain, feel the rugged rocks on the island, and feel the collision between the beach and the reef. Here, different architectural styles line up side by side, nestled in tropical and subtropical woods. The uncanny workmanship of nature has created her beauty and timelessness. Coupled with the rendering of modern landscape and the creation of literary and artistic atmosphere, it is indeed an ideal tourist attraction.

The unique shops here always arouse people's curiosity, and the warm and romantic layout always makes people want to take a look at "her". Every time they walk into a shop, they can't help but touch them up close. Here we ate a lot of snacks like shrimp and eggs, and drank a lot of strange juices like guava with passion fruit. This feeling of trying something new is quite special. Although I know that the business atmosphere here is quite strong and travel souvenirs abound, I will still be infected by the unique atmosphere of the store owner. This is Gulangyu Island, a place where you can join hands with your lover.

I have always felt that traveling with your lover should be romantic enough, ritualistic enough, and unforgettable enough. This does not mean that huge sums of money should be spent on some kind of major ceremony, but it means that you can experience many very tender moments here, a kind of first love. It's like walking up and down among the ancient buildings, looking for a cat or a dog, and then taking a photo under the bougainvillea; or enjoying the food and the first cup of spring/summer/autumn/winter Milk tea; or holding a stamped souvenir book and asking for stamps everywhere, not to see more scenery, just to prove "I have been here"!

You must go to Gulangyu Island as early as possible and while you are young, so that you can feel the romance of exclusive couples here, sometimes literary and sometimes fresh...

In the evening, with nothing to do, three or two of us went on a night cruise along the Lujiang River, sitting on the ferry to experience the nightlife of the city. Although the scenery is not picturesque, it can be regarded as enchanting. This is the last night in Xiamen, and I can feel the atmosphere of Xiamen on the left and Gulangyu Island on the right. After the night tour, the mysterious Gulangyu Island became clearer. The sky was clear and the air was clear again. It was already half the morning when I woke up. After a beautiful sleep, I was almost full of energy.

The trip to Xiamen ended in a hurry. The eight-day journey was short, hasty, and beautiful. People always ask me: What has traveling brought me? However, after several trips, I still haven’t understood the meaning of travel to me. Is it release? Is it relief? Is it experience? Or escape! After every struggle, I would choose a place to take a rest, climb mountains, and look at the water. In fact, my requirements for myself are very simple: reading or traveling, soul or body, at least one of them is on the road...

Regarding this trip to Xiamen, Gulangyu Island, and Wuyi Mountain, I don’t want to compare which one is better or worse. It’s just that I have been here today, and I have seen its tall trees, nine-curved streams, and felt it. The heat of summer and the pouring rain. Goodbye, Xiamen! Goodbye, Fujian! I never get attached to a certain trip, because I know that no matter how perfect the journey is, I have to face the return journey, and I choose to leave with this moment of happiness...

This article was originally written in 2014 in Tianjin after my first trip to Xiamen. Now, six years later, I have traveled to and from Xiamen many times, but I no longer have the purely playful mood I once had. Either on a business trip, or on a business trip, or on a business trip. In short, every time I went there after that, it was for business. . Take a short break in Xiamen, have a meal with your family, just finish your "business" as usual, and then leave. Looking back at this essay and this trip at this time (2020), it is still unforgettable. It's just that the mood is not the same, so when revising the article, there are many cognitive differences, so the original appearance of Shishi's article is retained, only the "1" part is slightly modified, and some exaggerated words of praise are deleted. This doesn’t mean that I think it’s a bad place, I just think that the superposition of beautiful adjectives is too frivolous and not real enough. After going to Xiamen again in 2019, I wrote an essay called "Gulangyu Island, Facing Your "Literature", I Love the Silence of the Mountains and Forests More". I think it is more in line with my mood at this time.