Playing in the water and cooling off at the sandy beach in summer, thousands gather, causing traffic congestion

In the scorching summer, playing in the water and cooling off has become the first choice for outdoor activities. Sha Di Village in Xikou Town, Fenghua District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, suddenly became a viral sensation on the internet this summer, becoming the second popular water play and cooling off spot in Ningbo City after Xiayan Village in Zhangshui Town, Haishu District. Friends circles, outdoor groups, and media are all spreading the word. Every weekend, tens of thousands of people gather in Sha Di Village to play in the water and cool off, causing traffic congestion. Both Xiayan Village and Sha Di Village share two common characteristics: clear and high-quality stream water, and convenient transportation with direct vehicle access. With the help of the internet, they quickly became popular. Sha Di Village is composed of two natural villages, Sha Di and Danjia, with most villagers having the surname Fan. In the Yuanfeng period of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, the ancestor Fan Liangzhong, who served as a Censor, later resigned and lived in seclusion here. Nearly a thousand years have passed, and the village gradually formed. By the late Qing Dynasty, it had more than 400 households and nearly a thousand people, and now it has the appearance of a new villa village. The water from Xuedou Mountain flows eastward through Sha Di Village and joins Shanxi. There is a lot of sand by the stream, and in ancient times, a sandy dam was built for water prevention, hence the name Sha Di Village. For self-driving navigation to Sha Di Village, public transportation options include buses 261, 571, 572, and 578 from Xikou Bus Station. The Shanxi River in front of the village is formed by the confluence of Shanxi and Mingxi upstream, with abundant water. On March 5, 2023, Yingzhi visited Sha Di Village for the first time and stayed by the stream for a long time, reluctant to leave. Shanxi originates from the boundary ridge between Fenghua District of Ningbo City and Xinchang County of Shaoxing City. It winds its way with beautiful scenery, forming nine scenic spots: Liuzhao, Bizhu, Lianghu, Jiukeng, Sanshi, Maozhu, Banxi, Gaoao, and Gongtang, known as the "Nine Bends of Shanxi." Throughout history, poets and travelers have visited and praised it, leaving many timeless poems. In recent decades, many parts of Shanxi have been artificially straightened, and "Three Bends and Two Lakes" and "Eight Bends Gaoao" among the nine bends have disappeared due to the diversion of the stream. Now, only seven bends remain from the ancient poems. After the confluence of Shanxi and Mingxi, the river flows through Gongtang Village, north to Sha Di Village, where it is blocked by the mountains of Dujuan Valley, turns a bend, and flows eastward to Xikou Town. Yingzhi, who has traveled along the Shanxi River many times, deeply regrets that only seven bends remain of the nine bends. Therefore, he used Sha Di Village and Xikou Town as substitutes to re-form the scenic line of the nine bends of Shanxi. The modern version of the "Nine Bends of Shanxi" advocated by Yingzhi is: First Bend Liuzhao, Second Bend Bizhu, Third Bend Jiukeng, Fourth Bend Sanshi, Fifth Bend Maozhu, Sixth Bend Banxi, Seventh Bend Gongtang, Eighth Bend Sha Di, and Ninth Bend Xikou. The banks of the Shanxi River in front of Sha Di Village have clear and shallow water, pebble beaches, reeds, and lush green grass, making it particularly suitable for playing in the water and cooling off in the summer. The Shanxi River flows through Xikou Town, forming the Ninth Bend Xikou. The Shanxi River exits Xikou, becoming Shanjiang, and joins Xianjiang to form Fenghua River, rushing towards the sea.