Experiences and Insights from a Two-Day Trip to Chongming

### A Day Trip to Chongming: A Detailed Account #### Duration: 1 Day #### Activity: A detailed accou[...]

### A Day Trip to Chongming: A Detailed Account

#### Duration: 1 Day

#### Activity: A detailed account of the author’s trip to Chongming

#### Visited Places: Chongming Xintiandi, Qianwei Village

#### Published on: 2009-05-03 20:04

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**Impromptu Two-Day Trip to Chongming**

An impromptu two-day trip to Chongming was planned after researching a bit online. I read that the accommodations at Xintiandi were quite good, so I called to make a reservation, but they were fully booked, saying it was full a month ago. What a booming business! Instead, they recommended a farmhouse stay, the Red House Farmhouse, right across the river from their home. We booked a room with a bathroom for 110 yuan per night. So, we set off!

**Departure and Arrival at Shidongkou Dock**

On May 1st, we woke up early and headed straight down the North-South Elevated Road, arriving at the Shidongkou Dock at 6:40 AM. Since it was our first time there, we saw three lines of people queuing up, and the outermost line seemed to move the fastest, so we joined it. …And we waited and waited, and moved and moved. By the time I saw a police officer, it was too late to change; all cars outside had to turn around and start over. …What a frustrating situation. Fortunately, after turning around, there was a car with a large gap, and I managed to slip in after a quick greeting (fortunately, or else we would have had to wait for a long time). Even with this small queue jump, we still waited for several hours, and at 10:15 AM, we finally boarded the boat (53 yuan for the car with driver, 18 yuan per person, insurance is optional and can be declined).

**Boat Ride and Arrival at Dongping Forest Park**

At 10:30 AM, our boat finally set sail, forgetting the troubles of waiting and daydreaming about the beautiful scenery, the real journey was just beginning! After an hour’s boat ride, we finally disembarked and set our first destination: Dongping Forest Park. It was easy to find following the signs (although it’s said that the forest park is quite ordinary, we decided to go in since we were already there). The entrance fee was 40 yuan. Since it was noon, the first thing we did upon entering was to find a place for a picnic. With not many people around and the sun shining brightly, we decided to find a shaded bench to start eating! (Halfway through eating, we heard from the staff that Comrade Lao Jiang would be coming the next day… Not sure if it’s true or not.)

**Activities in Dongping Forest Park**

Here are the activities available in the park:
– Tandem bicycles (20 yuan per hour)
– Horse riding (15 yuan per lap)
– Paintball shooting (since it was just the two of us, we didn’t go in, but it might be more fun with more people, 60 yuan for 30 bullets)
– Grass sliding, zip-lining (I didn’t dare to try these activities, so I’m not sure about the prices)

Overall, I felt the park was quite average, similar to the Binjiang Forest Park, with the only live animal we saw being a sika deer (probably due to being raised in captivity, its antlers were cut off, which looked quite pitiful).

**Accommodation at Qianwei Village Red House Farmhouse**

Around 4 PM, we left the park and headed to our accommodation: Qianwei Village Red House Farmhouse. Mr. Shi, the owner, was very enthusiastic, guiding us on how to get there and arranging for us to stay on the first floor (I must mention that there were no towels in the room, as the owner said it was some kind of regulation here, so it’s best to bring your own when you go, because the ones you can buy there are really poor quality, not only do they fade but they also shed lint).

**Evening Stroll and Dinner**

After settling our belongings, we took a brief stroll around the area. The commercial atmosphere seemed a bit overwhelming, overshadowing the natural charm. We decided not to visit the avant-garde village, partly due to mixed online reviews and the late hour, which was nearly 5 pm. We visited several farmhouse-style eateries to consider where to have dinner, and the menu options appeared quite similar across the board. My husband suggested returning to our lodging for dinner, so we went back and ordered our meal from the hostess. We then took a shower, as the owner advised that the solar-heated water supply might be unreliable later in the evening. At 6 pm sharp, we joined other diners in the dining room. I must mention an issue we encountered with the service: we ordered half a white-cut chicken for 28 yuan, which seemed reasonable when we saw it freshly prepared. However, the portion served was meager and clearly lacked the leg portion. When I inquired about it, the hostess claimed it was indeed half a chicken, with the bones removed. We were speechless, as it was evident that the portion was far less than half, to the point of being less than a quarter. This experience serves as a cautionary tale to avoid being deceived by such practices.

**Retiring Early and Sunrise Plans**

We retired early to bed, planning to watch the sunrise the next day. Since the avant-garde village is nearly 70 kilometers away from Dongtan, we set off at 5 am. The morning air was fresh and earthy, and the rural paths lined with large trees provided a serene setting, making us feel as if we were the only ones in the world, undisturbed and free from stress, basking in the gifts of nature. The radio played soft tunes, and the endless scenery stretched out before us, a release like no other.The tranquility, comfort, and happiness were indescribable. However, we must temper our enthusiasm with a reality check. We started too late and missed the sunrise at Dongtan as the sun had already begun its day. For those planning to watch the sunrise here, it’s advisable to stay at Yingdong Ecological Village. It’s closer and although slightly more expensive, it offers a better chance to arrive on time during spring and autumn seasons.

We encountered groups of four cycling enthusiasts, which made us lament our advancing age and the vigor of youth. Contrary to expectations, Dongtan did not offer the abundant birdlife we anticipated as it is the breeding season. The reality was far from the宣传 photos, with only the rarest of sightings. We also saw a family of three searching for snails in the mud, an activity for those not deterred by dirt.

Ascending the small bridge to its end, a pavilion comes into view. From there, one can gaze upon an endless expanse of reeds, growing in clusters not too tall. Curiosity piqued, one wonders what lies beyond the reeds, but the camera’s capabilities are limited. No matter how much one zooms in, all that appears is more reeds.

After spending two hours there, we returned and noted the impressive size of the wind turbines. One had never seen such large ones before. After venturing out, I took a short walk to experience the surroundings. The next destination was the Yingdong Ecological Village. A 20-yuan entrance fee granted access to the area. I observed many people fishing and it seemed to me that their success was related to the local feng shui. We did not dine within the village as there was only one restaurant. With my varied preferences, we opted to leave.

Not far away, there was a farmhouse called ‘Tianjing Agritainment,’ which appeared quite ordinary but offered surprisingly good food. I particularly enjoyed the saltwater green shrimp and the pepper salt duck tongue fish.

Unfortunately, the weather turned unfavorable as rain began to fall in the afternoon, thwarting our plans to watch the sunset at the West Beach. On the way to the Nanmen area, I pondered whether to visit the Xisha Wetlands, which were highly praised online. Eventually, I decided to check it out before returning, not wanting to leave with any regrets. At worst, we would return a bit later.

The journey there was tiring for my husband, while I was contentedly munching on sunflower seeds and humming tunes. After navigating the winding roads, we finally arrived at the Xisha Wetlands. Like the Dongtan area, it did not charge an entrance fee or parking fees.

Upon entering, I realized that it was quite similar to Dongtan. The main difference being the taller reeds in Xisha and the bridges that allowed for a deeper exploration. At least with the camera, one could now see the distant river waters. Despite the rain, the number of visitors at Xisha was still considerable and the experience was different from the morning.

Walking with a small umbrella on the winding wooden bridges, one could observe numerous crab holes of varying sizes. Some with crabs resting outside and others lazily crawling at the entrances. Many people were catching crabs. Since we had already done so in Zhoushan, we refrained from participating. However, it is quite an entertaining activity, albeit a bit dirty due to the wetland environment.

We left Xisha around 4 pm. Time was running short and we had planned to visit the Pearl Lake, which closes at 4:20 pm. We arrived at the dock at 5 pm, waited briefly, and boarded a ship that departed at 8 pm. On the return trip, due to the lack of seats for tourists, the fare was only 5 yuan per person and I managed to get into the teahouse.

We arrived home at 9:30 pm, concluding our pleasant journey. However, due to waking up early for two consecutive days, I was quite exhausted. I’ll write about this for now, and anyone with questions is welcome to ask me! (Xisha Wetlands) (Shaded Pathways) (Dongtan) (Pitiful Fawn).