Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1686

After leaving Guilin, the three of them set off on their journey to Qingdao with great anticipation. When the train slowly pulled into Qingdao Station, the fresh sea breeze blew in with the breath of the sea, allowing them to instantly feel the unique charm of this coastal city.

"We are finally in Qingdao. The sea breeze makes me feel refreshed." Lin Yifei took a deep breath and said excitedly.

"Yes, let's go to the pier quickly. I heard it is a landmark attraction in Qingdao." Zhang Yuedong urged impatiently.

After dropping off their luggage at the hotel, they headed straight for the pier. From a distance, the pier looked like a giant dragon lying on the sea, with the bridge extending from the shore to the center of the sea. The Huilan Pavilion at the end looked particularly simple and elegant under the sunlight.

They followed the crowd onto the pier, which was bustling with people. Some people took photos with their cameras, trying to capture this beautiful moment; some leaned on the railings, quietly admiring the beauty of the sea; others fed seagulls, which circled and danced in the sky, swooping down from time to time, competing for food in the hands of tourists and making cheerful calls.

"This pier is so long, it feels like it's almost reaching the sea." Zhang Yuedong exclaimed as he walked.

"The pier is 440 meters long and is the earliest artificial military-specific pier in Qingdao. It has now become an important tourist attraction in Qingdao." Li Xiao introduced it to everyone while looking at the information on his mobile phone.

They walked to the end of the trestle and came to Huilan Pavilion. Huilan Pavilion is a double-layer octagonal pavilion with flying eaves in ethnic style. The glazed tiles on the roof sparkled in the sun, and the eight large red-painted pillars around the pavilion were particularly eye-catching. When they walked into Huilan Pavilion, they saw some pictures and materials about Qingdao's history and culture, which gave them a deeper understanding of Qingdao.

Standing on the Huilan Pavilion, overlooking the vast sea, the sea breeze gently brushes across your cheeks, bringing a hint of coolness. The waves hit the pier, making a crisp sound, as if playing a beautiful piece of music. On the sea in the distance, ships come and go, some sailing to the distance, and some slowly approaching the shore, forming a busy and harmonious picture.

"The scenery is so beautiful, it's simply intoxicating." Lin Yifei couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the beautiful scenery in front of him.

"Yes, it is rare to have such a peaceful sea in this bustling city." Li Xiao was also deeply moved.

They stayed on the pier for a long time, enjoying the romantic seaside scenery. It was not until the sun set and the sky was covered with gorgeous sunset that they reluctantly left the pier and headed for the next destination.

The next day, Li Xiao and his friends came to Badaguan. Badaguan is located in the northeast of Huiquanjiao, Shinan District, QD City. It is a famous villa area and is known as the "International Architecture Expo". It brings together architectural styles from more than 20 countries, and each building is unique, like a museum of architectural art.

They strolled along the streets of Badaguan, where trees on both sides of the road were lush and green, and the sun shone through the gaps between the leaves onto the ground, creating patches of mottled light and shadow. The villas on the roadside were scattered in an orderly manner, some were European castle-style, some were Japanese-style simple style, and some were Chinese-style classical style. Each villa had a unique shape and exquisite decoration, which was dazzling.

"The architectural styles here are so diverse. It feels like I have come to a world architecture grand view garden." Zhang Yuedong said while admiring the surrounding buildings.

"Yes, the buildings in Badaguan not only have different styles, but each building also has its own history and story." Li Xiao pointed to a villa and continued, "For example, this Huashilou was designed by the Russian Gerasimov. It combines many Western architectural styles. It is said that Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Yi and others have lived here."

They walked into Huashilou, whose exterior walls were made of granite and pebbles, with a unique shape and full of artistic sense. The decoration inside the building was also very exquisite, with colored glass, gorgeous chandeliers, and exquisite murals, making people feel as if they were in a dream world. They walked up the stairs to the top of the building, from where they could overlook the beautiful scenery of the entire Badaguan, with red tiles, green trees, blue sea and blue sky, complementing each other, and it was beautiful beyond words.

"Looking from here, Badaguan is so beautiful. Every building is like a work of art." Lin Yifei took a camera and kept taking pictures of the beautiful scenery in front of him.

"That's right, these buildings are not only Qingdao's historical and cultural heritage, but also treasures of world architectural art," said Li Xiao.

During their visit to Badaguan, they also met many newlyweds who came to take wedding photos. The newlyweds wore beautiful wedding dresses and posed in various positions in front of the beautiful buildings, while the photographers kept pressing the shutter to record these happy moments. Looking at the happy smiles on the newlyweds' faces, they also felt the beauty of love.

"It's so romantic to take wedding photos here." Zhang Yuedong said enviously.

"Yes, when we have girlfriends in the future, we will bring them here to take wedding photos." Lin Yifei said with a smile.

They spent a pleasant morning in Badaguan, admired the beautiful architecture, learned about the rich history and culture, and felt the unique charm of this city. When they left Badaguan, they were reluctant to leave and hoped to have the opportunity to come here again in the future to appreciate its beauty again.

After leaving Badaguan, their stomachs were growling. So they decided to try the specialties of Qingdao. Qingdao is famous for its seafood and beer. The seafood here is fresh and delicious, and the beer is refreshing and mellow, which makes people have endless aftertaste.

They came to a seaside restaurant, which was full of diners, and everyone was enjoying the food and the beautiful scenery. They found a seat by the window and ordered some Qingdao specialties, such as spicy fried clams, braised prawns, Spanish mackerel dumplings, and Qingdao beer.

Soon, the dishes were served. The first dish was spicy fried clams. A plate of bright red clams was placed in front of them, and the aroma was fragrant. Zhang Yuedong couldn't wait to pick up a clam and put it in his mouth. With a gentle suck, the tender clam meat slid into his mouth, and the spicy taste spread in his mouth, making him feel very satisfied.

"This spicy fried clams is so delicious, it has a fresh and spicy taste, and the clam meat is very tender." Zhang Yuedong praised it while eating.

"Yes, Qingdao's clams are really as famous as they are said to be." Lin Yifei also praised the spicy fried clams.

Then, braised prawns and Spanish mackerel dumplings were served. The braised prawns were bright red, tender and sweet; the Spanish mackerel dumplings had thin skin and large fillings, and the soup was delicious. When you took a bite, you could feel the aroma of fish. They tasted the food and drank Tsingtao beer, feeling the unique charm of Qingdao cuisine.

"This Tsingtao beer is really refreshing. It's a perfect match with seafood." Li Xiao said after taking a sip of beer.

"That's right, eating seafood and drinking beer by the sea is the real enjoyment," Zhang Yuedong agreed. While tasting the food, they also chatted with the diners next to them. The diners enthusiastically introduced other Qingdao delicacies to them, such as grilled squid, sea jelly, Laoshan mushroom stewed chicken, etc., which gave them a deeper understanding of Qingdao's food.

“Next time I come to Qingdao, I must try all these delicacies.” Zhang Yuedong said with a smile, patting his belly.

"Yes, there are so many delicious foods in Qingdao that people can't stop eating them." Lin Yifei also agreed.

They feasted in the restaurant and enjoyed the happiness brought by the food. They left the restaurant contentedly until the sun set and continued their trip to Qingdao.

Watch the marine folk performance
As night fell and the lights came on, Li Xiao and the other two came to a folk culture square in Qingdao, ready to watch a wonderful marine folk performance. As a coastal city, Qingdao has a rich marine culture, and this performance will showcase Qingdao's unique marine folk customs.

They walked into the square, where many spectators had gathered, waiting for the performance to begin. The stage was beautifully decorated, with a huge ocean painting as the background, showing the magnificent waves of the sea. There were also some props of marine elements such as fishing boats, fishing nets, and shells placed around, creating a strong marine atmosphere.

The performance began. The first to appear were a group of fishermen's girls, wearing bright traditional fishermen's costumes and holding colorful silks, and dancing a cheerful fishermen's dance. Their dancing postures were light and graceful, and their movements were in unison, as if they were a group of elves dancing on the sea. During the dance, they also imitated the movements of fishermen's girls weaving nets and catching fish from time to time, vividly showing the scenes of fishermen's life.

"This fisherman's dance is so beautifully performed. It's full of life." Lin Yifei said while watching the performance.

"Yes, these girls have solid dancing skills and every move is perfect." Li Xiao also praised the performance.

Next, there was a wonderful performance of fishermen's songs. Several actors dressed as fishermen walked onto the stage, stood in a row, and shouted fishermen's songs in unison. The powerful sound was like the roar of the sea, and also like the shouts of fishermen fighting against the wind and waves. In the song, they also performed actions such as pulling nets and rowing boats, which made people feel the hard work and perseverance of the fishermen.

"This fisherman's call is so shocking. It makes our blood boil just by listening to it." Zhang Yuedong was infected by the sound of the call and couldn't help but exclaim loudly.

"That's right. Fishermen's songs were created by fishermen during their long life at sea. It is not only a labor song, but also a symbol of marine culture," Li Xiao explained.

Afterwards, the performance also included sea sacrifice, dragon and lion dance and other programs. The sea sacrifice ceremony was solemn and grand. The actors wore traditional sacrificial costumes and offered sacrifices to the sea, praying for safe voyage and full cargo holds of fish and shrimp. The dragon and lion dance performance was full of joy and festive atmosphere. The actors danced the dragon and lion with vigorous movements and magnificent momentum, winning rounds of applause from the audience.

"This marine folk performance was really wonderful. It gave us a deeper understanding of Qingdao's marine culture," said Li Xiao.

"Yes, these folk performances are not only an art form, but also a reflection of Qingdao people's love and awe for the ocean," Lin Yifei agreed.

After watching the performance, they left the square with deep respect for Qingdao's marine culture. This marine folk performance made them feel the unique cultural charm of Qingdao and gave them a deeper affection for this city.

Buy Qingdao Specialties
On the last day in Qingdao, Li Xiao and his friends decided to buy some specialties to bring back to their relatives and friends. They came to a specialty store in Qingdao, which was filled with a variety of specialties.

"Qingdao has so many specialties. What should we buy?" Zhang Yuedong was a little confused as he looked at the dazzling array of specialties.

"I think Qingdao shell carvings are good. They are crafts carved from rare snail shells. They are beautifully shaped and have great commemorative value." Li Xiao picked up a shell carving and admired it carefully. The shell carvings were engraved with exquisite marine life patterns, which were lifelike, as if the beauty of the sea was frozen in this small craft.

"Well, Qingdao shell carvings are indeed very beautiful. Buy a few and give them to your friends. They will definitely like them." Lin Yifei also agreed.

In addition to Qingdao shell carvings, they also bought Laoshan green tea, Qingdao beer, Liuting pig's trotters and other specialties. Laoshan green tea leaves are thick, with the fragrance of peas, and taste rich and can be brewed for a long time; Qingdao beer is Qingdao's iconic specialty, with a refreshing taste and rich wheat aroma; Liuting pig's trotters are dense and elastic, delicious, and are a traditional delicacy in Qingdao.

"These specialties are all Qingdao's characteristics. Bring them back to let your family and friends taste the flavor of Qingdao." Zhang Yuedong said as he selected the specialties.

In the process of buying specialties, they also learned about the production process and historical culture of some specialties from the store owner. The store owner enthusiastically introduced them, allowing them to have a deeper understanding of Qingdao's specialties.

"Qingdao's specialties not only taste good, but also contain rich cultural connotations," said Li Xiao.

"Yes, through these specialties, we can better understand the history and culture of Qingdao," said Lin Yifei.

They returned with great memories of Qingdao and a lot of local specialties, and set off on their journey to the next city. They look forward to encountering more surprises and touching moments in the next journey, and to continue exploring the beautiful mountains and rivers of China.

The end of the journey: gains and insights

Summarize travel experience
After finishing their trip in Qingdao, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei set off on their return journey. Sitting on the train, they could not calm down for a long time, and every detail of the trip kept coming to their minds.

"This trip was so unforgettable. We visited so many beautiful places, tasted all kinds of food, and experienced different cultures," Zhang Yuedong said with emotion.