Fujian surprises me with its unfamiliar charm, setting off for the Sili Lie Islands now

📅 Sili Lie Islands Adventure Diary｜Two days and one night dancing with millions of seagulls in the "Iceland of the Sea" 📍 Location: Ningde, Fujian · Sili Lie Islands (the real-life filming location of The Legend of Zelda) 🌊 Soul-stirring! When the cliff wind of Dongli Island blows through my hair, I forget to breathe At 7 a.m., the speedboat cuts through the emerald waves, arriving at Beili Island after 30 minutes. When transferring to the sightseeing car (25 RMB/person), the driver mysteriously said, "Today the clouds on Dongli Island will dance." Sure enough, the moment I reached the top of Lion Peak, the sea breeze wrapped in mist swept past my feet, the meadows and cliffs appearing faintly in the clouds, as if I were at the Wall from Game of Thrones. In the drone footage, Emperor's Hat Reef stands proudly between sea and sky, and my exclamation startled a flock of black-headed gulls; as they flew past the lens, the shutter sound and my heartbeat perfectly synchronized. 🚢 Immersive island-hopping experience｜Every view is a Windows desktop wallpaper 1. Complete transportation guide - Arriving at Xiapu: - Take the high-speed train directly to Xiapu Station, then taxi to Jishi Pier (about 30 RMB). - Flights can connect via Fuzhou/Wenzhou to high-speed rail, total travel time 2-2.5 hours. - Ways to get to the islands: - Passenger ferry: Departs Jishi Pier at 10:00 (100 RMB/person, 1.5 hours), seasickness medicine is a must! - Speedboat: Shared boats from Haiwei/Dongbi Pier (180 RMB/person, 30 minutes), book homestays in advance during peak season (e.g., "Beili Star"). 2. Must-visit islands - Dongli Island (Zelda main island): - Must-shoot: panoramic views of Lion Peak (wide-angle + low angle), Emperor's Hat Reef (telephoto with compressed background), cliff plank road (overhead shots with people in the clouds). - Hidden activity: hike from the eastern meadow to the western cliff, chance to encounter wild goats. - Hongli Island (Bird Island): - Best time: birdwatching season in May-June, observe seabirds from a distance during nesting in July-August. - Photo tip: use a fast shutter speed on the speedboat to capture "thousands of birds flying together." - Nanli Island (Pebble paradise): - Activities: stack stones and make wishes, snorkel to see small fish (bring your own gear). - Bonus: mysterious sea caves appear on the beach at low tide. - Xili Island (Volcanic rock secret spot): - Sunset spot: northwest rocky beach, shoot "golden volcanic rocks + orange waves." 3. Recommended island-hopping routes - Classic route (2 days 1 night): - Day 1: Beili Island → Dongli Island (all day) → Hongli Island (circle before sunset) - Day 2: Nanli Island (morning) → Xili Island (afternoon) → return - Lazy route (1 day round trip): - Choose the speedboat package (450 RMB/person), covering Dongli, Hongli, and Nanli Islands briefly. 🍤 Seafood feast! Eat until you can barely stand for just 100 RMB per person - Must-try list: 1. Sea urchin steamed egg (38 RMB): silky egg custard soaked with fresh sea urchin flavor, perfect with rice! 2. Garlic razor clams (50 RMB): shellfish shaped like a brush holder, rich garlic aroma. 3. Boiled razor clams (68 RMB): crisp and sweet meat, excellent with local spicy sauce. - Pitfall tips: - Don’t eat seafood at the pier restaurants! Processing at homestays is more cost-effective (15 RMB per jin processing fee). - When buying seafood, ask the seller to "drain water before weighing" to avoid short weight. 🛏️ Accommodation experience｜Fall asleep to the sound of waves - Recommended homestays: - Senhai Beiyu (350-600 RMB/night): popular check-in spot, the owner leads island tours and lends drones for free! - Haitang Homestay (200-400 RMB/night): sea view rooms facing the fishing harbor, breakfast includes freshly baked seaweed cakes. - Hidden activity: - Late night at the pier to catch "blue tears" (high chance in April-May), use phone long exposure to capture glowing waves. 💡 Pitfall guide (learned the hard way!) 1. Gear: - Wear anti-slip creek shoes! The cliff trail on Dongli Island has many loose stones; flip-flops = asking for trouble. - Bring cash! Some small shops don’t accept mobile payments. 2. Safety: - Drones must be registered! Flying near Bird Island is prohibited, violators fined. - Never trust villagers' "shortcuts"! There are no guardrails on cliff edges; tourists have fallen into the sea. 3. New regulation: - From 2025, island hopping requires using compliant speedboats (198 RMB/person), coordinated from Beili Island; avoid illegal boats! 📸 Iconic photos - Dongli Island cliff plank road (0.5x wide-angle + low angle, makes legs look two meters long). - Nanli Island pebble beach, use slow shutter on your phone to capture "silky flowing water." 💰 Two-day expenses: transportation 460 + accommodation 600 + food 300 = 1360 RMB ✨ Random thoughts: The Sili Lie Islands really are the "Iceland of Fujian"! Although the sea wind turned me into Mei Chaofeng, the cliffs, meadows, seagulls, and blue tears all heal urban fatigue. I recommend visiting in the off-season (April-May) when there are fewer people, beautiful scenery, and you can even find wild abalone! (Don’t ask how I know, just say the homestay owner took me on a wild ride~) #FujianHiddenIslands #RealLifeZelda #BlueTearsAdventure