Beihai City Underwater World Aquarium and Old Street

Beihai City is located on the coast of the Beibu Gulf in the southern part of Guangxi Province. We spent a whole day in the city visiting the aquarium and the old street. The Beihai City Underwater World Aquarium is located in the Seaside Park, with a variety of corals, numerous fish, drifting jellyfish, slow-moving turtles, waddling penguins, elegant sharks, and cheerful seals, all bringing surprise and joy to visitors. The diver's performance of feeding and dancing with a stingray as tall as himself captivated the audience. Four seals, under the trainer's command, displayed various talents, with their clapping actions being adorably clumsy, and their ring-catching and ball-balancing acts being precise and stable. Their single-fin stands and inverted walking were impressive, continuously winning applause and exclamations from the audience. The park has a beautiful environment, and the aquarium is both educational and entertaining, with a constant stream of visitors. A ten-minute walk from the Seaside Park takes you to the east entrance of Beihai Old Street, now named Zhuhai Road, which is about 1.5 kilometers long. It is a true old street that, despite some damage, has retained its old charm and added new colors. Beihai Old Street was a bustling commercial street that gradually formed over a hundred years starting in 1821. It declined in the late 1920s for various reasons and only prospered again with the development of Beihai ten years ago. The arcade buildings on the old street, a blend of Chinese and Western architecture, stand shoulder to shoulder, with numerous shop signs and smooth stone-paved roads. In front of some old shop locations, there are bronze sculptures reflecting the commercial activities of the past. The old street is full of dried seafood and tropical fruits, various drinks and snacks, clothing, shoes, hats, and crafts, all dazzling and reasonably priced. Many tourists come here, with women's smiles blooming like flowers and men's faces full of joy, tasting sweet drinks, trying delicious food, and choosing fine products. The most common sign on the street is for grilled oysters, '10 yuan for 20 pieces.' Some shopkeepers process ingredients at the door and enthusiastically solicit customers. Once you sit down, the shopkeeper will clarify that the sign refers to small oysters, with medium oysters at 20 yuan and large oysters at 35 yuan. We ordered a portion of large oysters, which can't be described as leaving a lingering taste, but only as having an acceptable flavor. Each shop has different skills, and everyone has different tastes. Since it's not expensive, there's no need to ask for too much.