Beihai Wanderings | Rediscovering the Relaxed Pace of Travel in the Salty Sea Breeze

| Rediscovering the relaxed pace of travel in the salty sea breeze. I arrived in Beihai on the fifteenth day of my Guangxi trip. This city is like a wicker chaise lounge on a journey, allowing me to comfortably settle in for five days at a friend's vacant apartment🛋 [Qiaogang Twilight: Sunset and Humanity] I rushed to Qiaogang at 5 p.m., mingling with the locals on Qiaogang Beach to wait for the sunset☀. The beach is open to everyone—watching the setting sun gild the fishermen into bronze statues, an old man with a bucket rolled his pants up to his knees, a girl live-streaming a dance, a mother and daughter digging for sand crabs, a mother and son with cute hats digging in the sand, a cute puppy giving me a curious look, and a newlywed couple posing for photos under the photographer's direction💃. When the salted egg yolk-like sun plopped into the sea, the entire beach suddenly fell silent, like an open-air cinema with the pause button pressed🌄. At this moment, the lights of the coffee shops on the shore began to twinkle, and the moon🌙 began to rise. The relaxed feeling of this city is hidden in these scenes (Tip: Sunset is around 6 p.m. in winter). [Beihai Old Street: A Living Historical Specimen] The brick crevices of the arcade are filled with a century of salty sea breeze. The old customs house, post office, church, and Beihai Old Street are particularly warm under the setting sun, set against the backdrop of bougainvillea🌷. The old street is not bustling but not deserted, with shops selling seafood products, sea duck eggs, pearls, and seafood restaurants🦐. With the moon high in the sky and the afterglow of the sunset casting orange, red, yellow, and blue hues on the sea, I wandered into "Xi Yi Seafood Processing" at the end of the alley. The steamed grouper shimmered with a pearly luster🐟, and the salt and pepper mantis shrimp were so crispy that I wanted to swallow the shells🍤. (Tip: Recommended food🍔: pineapple buns, salt-baked chicken, fruit) [Hepu Travelogue: Another Way to Uncover History] As the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road during the Han Dynasty, the gate of the Han Culture Museum stood coldly before me, but the staff inside enthusiastically told us about the history of Hepu through the gate. The ancient Haijiao scenic area gate was closed, and the Dongpo Pavilion was under repair🚷. (Tip: Approx. 1-hour drive, the museum is closed on Mondays🏛) For the first time, I tried a longer rest period during my travels and unexpectedly gained a new understanding: travel is not a race to check in at every spot, but rather a chance to let yourself do nothing in a foreign land, becoming a temporary local🎎.