"I think you know what midsummer tastes like"
E114°.05, N22°.38
Shenzhen,China
As soon as I finished writing the title, I realized that this time the Shenzhen Third Company seems to be inseparable from Sister KO.
Yes, the B&B town here at Jiaochangwei was also brought here by her circle of friends. She is simply my local treasure.
In fact, in the first half of the year, I had been thinking about going to a beach and a B&B village for the third time. And all I can think of is Zeng Cuo'an.
However, due to the tight schedule for the two weekend days and the need to book the Xiamen high-speed rail in advance, I have been procrastinating.
Taking advantage of this visit to the Color Gallery Exhibition, I happened to arrange the end of the competition the next day. The little outing that Gouzi had been talking about for a long time came true.
Starting from Guangzhou, go southeast along the Guangzhou-Shenzhen River Expressway. Outside the window of the passenger seat is the port and cargo ships. Because it is close to Bao'an Airport, you can also see the aircraft passing by the roof of the car at a very close distance.
There was not much traffic on the road, and the rainy and bad weather did not come as the weather forecast said. I rode all the way listening to the song under the blue sky and white clouds, and my mood was really good at that moment.
Finally I couldn't hold it any longer and took out the camera from the back seat, but unfortunately the plane never showed up again.
📌 First time in town
I have always felt that as long as it is within the city, transportation should be convenient. It is estimated that the end of Jiaochang will be around Meisha and Meisha.
Unfortunately, after careful investigation, we discovered that Jiaochangwei was forty or fifty kilometers away from the city center. If it is a bus, you will have to transfer several times after getting out of the subway, which will take several hours.
Even taking a taxi is not cheap. So I'm glad I drove here, otherwise I would have spent all my time on the road.
The weather suddenly changed in the afternoon, and it seemed that the weather forecast was not a lie. After experiencing traffic jams and heavy rain, and meeting Xiao Chai Chai and Cai Cai on the road, we finally arrived at the end of the competition.
From the road signs outside to the people in the full parking lot with swimming rings and barbecue grills, it really feels like a vacation!
I thought that the car should be able to go directly to the door of the B&B, but I didn't expect that there would be unified planning here. There is a parking lot outside the town. You need to take off your luggage and walk into the scenic area, and then find the corresponding B&B.
The B&B I booked was 700 meters away from the parking lot, so we had to drag our luggage towards the B&B and explore the situation first.
Looking at all kinds of B&B stores, there are also snacks such as fruit ice cream barbecue bar. The scale and closedness of the entire area really makes people think, wow, this is very Gulangyu Island!
(Gulangyu Island is on an island. Although it is not an island, the functions in the scenic area are concentrated, and the outside area is relatively deserted, with few people and commercial areas.)
Jiaochangwei was originally a village by the beach in Dapeng New District, Shenzhen. Later, it relied on the cluster of homestays and became an emerging tourist attraction in the local area.
The overall area of the town is not large, and everywhere you go there are colorful B&Bs with different designs.
The exterior walls are painted dazzling pink, the floor-to-ceiling windows look directly onto the street, and there are swings and puppies in the yard. Every time I walked by, I was thinking, it's so beautiful, I wish I had booked this one.
As I walked, I didn’t remember any of my family’s names. But their respective appearances were so impressive that they became signs for identifying the way behind.
📌 Bread tree
Everyone who comes here wants to stay in a unique and comfortable B&B, and I am no exception. However, B&Bs are always more difficult to choose than standardized hotels.
I had no choice but to be a bit cynical and choose the one with a higher overall rating on the app, called Bread Tree Theme B&B . It just so happens that I also liked the book "The Woman on the Bread Tree" when I was studying.
The location is not easy to find.
Using mobile phone navigation and road sign guidance, we can find it by walking from the street into the alley. Don't worry about getting lost here, just call the store if you can't find it.
Tell him about the surrounding signs or buildings, and he can immediately tell where you are. If you are a roadie, they will come out to pick you up.
Judging from the door of this B&B, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the bread tree. The perimeter is filled with plants, and the doors and windows are painted in contrasting red.
The swings and long sitting tables in the garden are decorated with heavy ethnic elements. It looks dazzling, completely different from the cold styles favored by today’s Internet celebrity stores.
In my impression, most of the owners of B&Bs are artistic young people with sentiments and personalities. But that's not the case with this shop owner.
He is not tall and looks like a down-to-earth guy next door. When he saw us dragging our suitcases over in the heat, his first words were not greetings to others, but "Hurry up and get some air conditioning, it's too hot."
While registering documents, I was informed about the situation inside the B&B and on the island. For example, before eating or buying anything, you have to ask about the price, pay attention to safety when doing offshore projects, and I will thoughtfully ask you to add a WeChat account.
"If you have anything, just ask me directly."
There are three halls on the first floor of this house.
In addition to the outer courtyard hall that you just saw before entering, there is also a sofa and coffee table in front of the reception desk that can be seen after entering.
Going further inside, there is a bookcase and an extended bench inside. The books on the bookcase are yellowish and look a bit old.
The benches are separated by small coffee tables with some lighting or tea sets placed on them. It's a bit like Japanese tatami, and also like Northeastern Ondol.
When I arrived, two or three tourists were lying lazily here, leaning on the backrest and playing with their mobile phones. He didn't raise his head to glance at the visitor, and looked like he was at home.
It is probably because B&Bs are not as rigorous as hotels and pay attention to private space that they can reduce the sense of isolation in this way.
The room I booked was very small. It probably doesn’t exceed the area of 4 1.5 beds, and once the suitcases are spread out on the floor, there’s basically no room for big steps.
I don't think it has anything to do with it, I just find the curtain hanging next to the bed interesting. When you turn on the night light and lie on the bed, you can also find a star-shaped hollow ceiling on the ceiling.
The light just shines through, and it feels like you are lying down and looking at the stars.
The bedding, carpets and tiles inside the house all continue the dazzling style of the outer courtyard. It creates a sense of visual squeezing in a small room, making the space seem smaller.
However, after an overall browse with Gouzi, I came to the conclusion that this B&B is very thoughtful in its layout.
Even the bathroom equipment is made of brass or black copper, which adds to our liking.
In addition to single rooms like this, there are also large and small family rooms and elegant rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. There are also independent joint rooms with courtyards, which meet the different needs of girlfriends, couples, family vacations, etc.
📌 Night Tour
I came to Shenzhen in the morning and visited the Color Gallery exhibition at noon. I traveled another fifty or sixty kilometers to get here. Although we wanted to continue hiding in the room, it would be dark if we didn't go out.
I simply tidied up, put on flip-flops and came out.
From the B&B, you can reach the beach in less than ten minutes. Even if the sun is going down, it can't stop the dense crowd from continuing to stay at the beach.
Judging from the texture of the gravel and the cleanliness of the sea water, this is not a seaside sanctuary with an excellent experience. But everyone was so happy to play in the water.
Boaters kept coming to ask if they wanted to go out to sea, go on a sea motorcycle, or go sailing.
This kind of excessive enthusiasm makes people feel insecure, coupled with the B&B owner’s previous warnings about prices.
I'm afraid that as long as I show interest, I'll be followed, not to mention agreeing, and I might even get ripped off.
The beach is really dense. It is almost impossible to find a spacious place to sit or watch quietly.
We decided to go back to the town to see if there were any markets or fun things to do. What was a bit disappointing was that there were only seafood shops and fruit ice cream shops selling green coconut on one street. Occasionally I see skewers stalls, but more often the first floor of a B&B is opened as a bar or small restaurant.
We also wanted to eat some fruit, so we randomly found a store and asked about the price.
"Regardless of the unit price of the category, you can choose whatever you want. It is calculated as 15 yuan per catty." I didn't have much idea about this price when I first heard it.
Later, I had an epiphany and felt that this was not much different from what the B&B owner said before, when a guest bought watermelon for 18 yuan a pound.
I also remembered that when I was in Gulangyu many years ago, the price of 4 mangosteens was 24 yuan. It seems that the name here is quite worthy of its name.
But it doesn’t matter. Supply and demand determine market prices. Neither of us is good at bargaining, and cares too much, which will affect the mood of the game.
I quickly picked my favorite oranges and mangoes. I had no idea when I was choosing, but when I went to weigh in, I was a little nervous, afraid of the sky-high price. Fortunately, it was only over 30 yuan after weighing.
I asked the boss to help add some extra ice, and then topped it with sour plum sauce and plum powder. Holding this box of fruit in the cold mist, sour and cool, it feels like it can cool down a bit in the middle of summer.
Take a bite of a juicy orange. Ah, so enjoyable!
At night, the lights are turned on in the streets and alleys. The B&Bs seemed to be awakened, and the rooms were filled with light. I really like this Yiyue restaurant.
The whole building is in simple dark and light colors, and both floors have floor-to-ceiling doors and windows. The bar was moved to the courtyard, and the ground was covered with white pebbles, and a path was built to lead to the door.
Even the photo of their LOGO looks like a watermark signature. Their house is right next to the main street. I passed it back and forth and stopped to look at it several times.
This store is also a bit interesting. At first glance, I thought it was a women's clothing store. There are actually glass showcases installed on the outer fence.
Some of them are covered with vines on the outer walls, which have reached the third floor rooftop. I don't think it's poetic. If I lived there, I'd have to worry about whether there were bugs or geckos in the middle of the night.
I wanted to see if fireworks or Kongming lanterns could be set off here. Then I asked the boss before going out, and he said that it is also prohibited here.
A little disappointed, but still finished the meal. We took a walk and bought some wine, then went back to the room and turned on the TV to watch the World Cup.
This is probably the place where you are least afraid of loneliness during the World Cup.
Most B&Bs or hotel bars have projection screens or giant screens. People who come for vacation, whether they know each other or not, can just sit down and have a drink and chat.
If the opponent's favorite team is not the team you are on, it doesn't matter, just be quiet and peaceful. What makes me happy here is that I didn't see anything disharmonious and everything was in order.
📌 Revisit the next day
I had planned to get up early the next morning to watch the sunrise, take pictures of the town in the morning, and then go back to sleep. The result was that the ideal was too perfect, and it was almost noon when I woke up.
The price of breakfast is still not very reasonable. A portion of fried dough sticks costs RMB 5, a cup of soy milk costs RMB 5, steamed dumplings and rice rolls. In total, the items that usually cost less than RMB 20 cost about forty or fifty.
The price is forgivable.
What's unforgivable is that it tastes terrible.
I originally wanted to say that noon in midsummer is when the heat is at its peak, so why not retreat and go back to Guangzhou directly? Anyway, it is difficult for me to take photos that I like under such strong natural light.
Gouzi thought it didn't matter. I just want to come over and warm up at the beach. If you are afraid of the sun and heat, why would you go to the beach?
I couldn't help but feel it was a pity not to walk again. Apply sunscreen thickly and come out.
Since I was carrying two cameras and a large backpack, I didn’t even use a parasol. When I saw the businessmen who came out to greet customers and enjoy the projects, they all held umbrellas. In contrast, I felt that I was brave.
If we walked all over the streets the day before, then we were digging alleys today. It was also from these alleys that I realized that the B&B town was indeed well-deserved.
Of the portals I saw last night, I can only count them at most 1/6.
I don’t know if the owners of these B&Bs have all studied art or design. Even if it doesn't look very good, it doesn't feel that bad.
Pink with green, blue with red.
Since this is my own B&B, I feel free to be bold with the colors. Plant your favorite plants and buy your favorite furniture accessories. The rooms are all given different names, and finally they are branded with a favorite store name.
A B&B carries one’s full dreams. "Look, I'm working hard to share with you everything I like."
No wonder many photographers and artists choose to open a B&B or cafe to add a new entrance to their lives to accept the outside world.
More than 300 homestays are gathered here. You can see Mediterranean style, as well as Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian styles. There are also Chinese classical styles and retro small bungalow styles.
I especially like the blue ones.
The white house is not very eye-catching, but the pink, red, yellow, and green ones always feel too warm. Blue is different. It's refreshing and cool, and it feels like summer under the white clouds.
Perhaps in midsummer, the most iconic thing is to hold a large bowl of shaved ice topped with jam and mixed with fruit pulp, and take one bite after another.
Happily, the B&B owners opened their yards in a tacit understanding. If you like it, you can come in and take a look even if you don't stay.
Even the doorways of some rooms directly face the alley. If you don't draw the curtains, you can also see the decoration and configuration of the room through the glass windows.
It's just that such a room is probably very insecure. It would be very scary if someone opened the door in the middle of the night.
Even if there are many B&Bs, you don’t have to worry about it. You can find useful opinions by reading the reviews and messages from guests. Prices and conditions won't differ much either.
It’s just that if you can face the sea, wake up in the morning, open the curtains with a brush and look at the scenery, how wonderful it will be.
Be careful when walking in the alleys, otherwise you will miss the giant deep-sea octopus crawling out of the wall when you turn a corner.
I posted this photo on Weibo, and some netizens left a message saying that they were so familiar with shopping at the end of the field that they didn’t even notice the graffiti, and asked me where I took the photo.
I kept wandering aimlessly, how could I know which alley this was. Whether we can meet each other really depends on fate.
In addition, I have to admire the author's painting skills. I didn't notice it when I was watching it on site. When I came back and looked at the photos again, I found that the deep sea behind the octopus was really three-dimensional.
When I walked through the room of a B&B, I was amazed by the flowers on the window sill. Maybe if I saw it head-on, I wouldn't pay too much attention to it.
But when it was on the other side of the glass, I felt that the whole picture was very retro and cold. Even with a little reflection in the background, I don’t feel it’s flawless. I really like it.
There are also door lights on the high wall and mailboxes outside the fence.
Whether it is for decoration or put into practical use. Some small details are enough to show the intentions of the B&B owners.
A B&B can provide so much room for play. In addition to the design and creation of decoration, the basic functions of accommodation are realized. There are also personal themes or concepts that can be expressed and brand influence that can be promoted.
Nowadays, B&Bs are not only used for overnight stays, but also include social activities such as parties and competitions, which are conducive to improving a better customer experience.
If there was ever a time when I had the idea of opening a B&B, it was probably here.
But at present, there are still certain shortcomings or hidden dangers in B&Bs. For example, whether the sanitary conditions and safety precautions can meet the standards, and whether they can pass the prescribed testing level.
Moreover, brand hotels generally have enterprises or groups to provide financial and visibility endorsement, and can assume certain social responsibilities.
And can B&Bs, which are highly personal businesses, be able to afford the risks?
Although I have not stayed in many B&Bs so far, in fact, the concept of insufficient or inadequate facilities is still relatively high.
For example, there are water pressure or shower problems, drainage problems, room kettles, etc. This time, including the sink, which caused the bathroom to be a little flooded.
Therefore, instead of choosing a hotel that is standardized but relatively boring, it is better to choose a B&B that is personalized and lively but has some risks. This question is a matter of different opinions.
Before leaving, we walked around the beach again.
Although the sun is shining, the color of the sea water is much better than yesterday, and it can still be seen as clear blue in the distance. But in fact, the offshore area is still relatively dirty.
There were not many crowds at noon. However, the merchants were not idle at all and continued to solicit business from every passing passenger.
If you want to engage in marine activities, it is best to check if there are any pits before setting off to avoid stepping on mines. If the B&B owner seems trustworthy, you can also try to ask him to help you understand and make a reservation.
If you want to stay temporarily but don’t have a reservation, it doesn’t matter. Just look for a B&B with a “room available today” sign on the door and go in and ask.
📌 Others
Not far from the end of Jiaochang there is Dapeng Ancient City. It is said that it is very close and can be reached on foot. I couldn't go exploring due to time constraints.
If there is a gap in your schedule, you might as well arrange it.
In addition, because the types and quantities of restaurants in Jiaochangwei are limited. So if you are driving by yourself, you might as well drive half an hour west (toward the city) to eat at Dameisha Outlet Shopping Village.
Eh? Does this name sound familiar?
That’s right. It’s right in the Eastern OCT that I wrote about before! That shopping village full of European style, the original post can be clicked👉 Shenzhen | Two days in OCT East: Jockey’s trip to old places
When Gouzi heard me talking about the Outlet Shopping Village, he thought it was a wholesale mall with a rustic feel and wondered what delicious food there was.
I just thought I was on my way back to Guangzhou, so I just wanted to eat here. When I arrived, I found out that this was a very popular resort, and I was a little surprised.
There may not be any very delicious and unique restaurants.
There is a German restaurant that I pass by many times. But this time I had the opportunity to test it myself, and the product and price were both OK. If you have no choice, you might as well come here, at least the lakeside dining environment is very good.
In addition, Starbucks and Naixue Pizza Hut are also available. If you see Pizza Hut, take a photo of the rainbow staircase next door. 👇
Then I also found that it would be a bit accumulated if I often look at the navigation and maps. At critical moments, you don’t need to use software to find friends to ask. You can think of it immediately by recalling it yourself.
But this kind of accumulation requires a lot of energy and cost. Moreover what is accumulated is only experience and cognition, and how to effectively use experience and cognition is the expression of wisdom .
To extend the discussion a little bit, whether you are reading thousands of books or traveling thousands of miles, you must pay attention to application and combined thinking, which is the transformation of benefits and not just a photo in the circle of friends .
