Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

After tasting the delicious food, the three of them came to a bar to relax. The lights in the bar were dim, the music was melodious, people were chatting or dancing, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. They ordered a few local specialty drinks, and while tasting them, they shared their feelings and interesting stories about the trip in the past few days. Li Xiao said with emotion: "This trip to Guangxi really made me gain a lot. Not only did I see beautiful scenery and taste delicious food, but it also enhanced our friendship." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, this will be an unforgettable memory in our lives." Lin Yifei smiled and said: "If we have the opportunity in the future, we will travel to more places together."

During their stay in Yangshuo, they also participated in local folk performances, enjoyed wonderful dances and songs, and felt the enthusiasm and vitality of the local people. They bought many Yangshuo specialties, such as Yangshuo kumquats, Yangshuo mugwort cakes, Yangshuo Jiulongteng honey, etc. These specialties not only represent the unique culture and flavor of Yangshuo, but are also wonderful gifts for them to bring to their relatives and friends.

After leaving Yangshuo, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei continued their trip to Guangxi, and the next stop was Beihai. They had heard of the fame of Beihai Silver Beach and were full of yearning for the white and fine sand and clear blue water.

As soon as they arrived at Beihai, the three of them couldn't wait to go to Silver Beach. When they stepped into the Silver Beach scenic area, they were amazed by the beautiful scenery in front of them. The white sand beach was endless, shining silver under the sunlight, as if it was a silver world. The sand was fine and soft, and walking on it barefoot was like walking on soft cotton, very comfortable. The sea water in the distance was blue and clear, and it contrasted with the sky. The water and the sky were connected, and it was difficult to tell which was the sea and which was the sky. The waves gently hit the beach, making a pleasant sound, as if the sea was playing a beautiful piece of music.

Li Xiao excitedly took off his shoes, rushed to the beach, and shouted: "Wow, this is Silver Beach, so beautiful! I finally saw the legendary No. 1 Beach in the world." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei followed behind, their faces filled with excited smiles. Lin Yifei took out his mobile phone and took a lot of photos of the beautiful scenery in front of him, muttering: "Such a beautiful scenery, I must take a few more photos to make my friends envious when I go back."

They strolled along the beach, feeling the sea breeze and enjoying this pleasant time. There were many tourists on the beach, some were sunbathing, some were playing in the sand, and some were playing in the water. Laughter and joy echoed throughout the beach. The three saw someone playing beach volleyball and joined in. They were divided into two teams and started a fierce game. Li Xiao's skills were good. He sometimes smashed the ball hard and sometimes passed the ball cleverly, winning a lot of points for his team. Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei were not to be outdone. They actively cooperated and worked hard to defend, making the opponent's attack fail again and again. After a fierce competition, the game was over. Although everyone was a little tired, their faces were filled with happy smiles.

When they were tired, they lay on the beach chairs, drinking cool coconut juice and admiring the beauty of the sea. At this time, the sunlight became softer, sprinkled on the sea, sparkling and very beautiful. Li Xiao looked at the scenery in front of him and said with emotion: "It's so comfortable here, it feels like all the troubles are thrown away." Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, after staying in the city for a long time, occasionally coming to such a beach to relax your body and mind is really a kind of enjoyment." Lin Yifei also said: "I don't want to leave, I really want to stay here forever."

After a short break, the three decided to experience the water entertainment projects in Yintan. They came to the water entertainment area, where there are various projects, such as motorboats, banana boats, flying fish on the sea, etc., which are dazzling. Li Xiao took a fancy to the motorboat at first sight, and he said excitedly: "I want to play with a motorboat and feel the feeling of speeding on the sea." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also expressed their desire to try it. So, they put on life jackets and got on the motorboat under the guidance of the coach. The coach started the motorboat, and in an instant, the motorboat flew on the sea like an arrow from a string, stirring up layers of waves. The sea breeze blew on their faces, which was extremely cool. The three screamed excitedly and enjoyed this exciting moment to the fullest.

After playing with the motorboat, they went to play banana boat and sea flying fish. The banana boat is a speedboat towing a banana-shaped rubber boat on the sea. They sit on the rubber boat, and as the speedboat accelerates, the rubber boat bumps and rises on the sea, which is very interesting. Sea flying fish is more exciting. They sit on the rubber boat that looks like a flying fish and is towed by the speedboat. When the speed is fast, the head of the rubber boat will tilt up, even close to vertical, and sometimes it can even "fly", allowing them to experience an unprecedented sense of excitement.

After coming out of the water entertainment area, the three people's stomachs began to growl. They decided to taste the special food of Beihai. It is said that Beihai's seafood is very famous, so they came to a seafood restaurant. The restaurant was full of diners, everyone was tasting seafood with relish, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of seafood.

They found an empty seat and sat down. The waiter came over enthusiastically and handed them the menu. Li Xiao looked at the menu with his eyes wide open. There were so many kinds of seafood on it that it made people salivate. He ordered a bowl of sandworm porridge, a bowl of boiled shrimp, a bowl of steamed grouper, and a bowl of spicy fried clams. Zhang Yuedong ordered a bowl of grilled oysters and a bowl of fried squid. Lin Yifei was very interested in sea duck eggs, so he ordered a bowl of sea duck egg fried rice.

After a while, the dishes were served one after another. The first one served was the sandworm porridge, which was fresh and delicious. The porridge was also cooked very thickly and exuded a rich aroma. Li Xiao tasted it and praised it highly: "This sandworm porridge is so fresh, the sandworms are crispy and tender, it's so delicious." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also tasted it, and they were also impressed by the delicious sandworm porridge.

Then, boiled shrimp, steamed grouper, spicy fried clams, grilled oysters, fried squid and sea duck egg fried rice were served. The boiled shrimp was tender and original; the steamed grouper was delicious and nutritious; the spicy fried clams were spicy and appetizing; the grilled oysters were rich in garlic flavor and juicy; the fried squid was chewy and delicious; the sea duck egg fried rice was fragrant, and the sea duck egg yolk was sandy and rich, which complemented the rice.

The three of them tasted the food and exchanged their love for it. Li Xiao said, "Beihai's seafood is really well-deserved. Every dish is so delicious. It's really a feast for the eyes." Zhang Yuedong also nodded and said, "Yes, these seafood are very fresh, and the cooking method is also very simple, which retains the original flavor of the seafood." Lin Yifei said, "I like this sea duck egg fried rice the most. The taste of sea duck eggs is so unique, much better than ordinary duck eggs."

After dinner, they came to Beihai Old Street. Beihai Old Street was built in 1883. Both sides of the street are unique Chinese and Western arcade-style buildings. These buildings have been well preserved after years of baptism, witnessing the former prosperity of Beihai. Today, the old street has evolved into a commercial street full of characteristics, with a variety of specialty shops, such as handicraft shops, souvenir shops, snack bars, etc., which are dazzling.

They strolled along the old street, admiring the buildings on both sides and feeling the historical and cultural atmosphere of the city. When passing by a handicraft shop, Li Xiao was attracted by the exquisite shell crafts in the store. He walked into the store and picked a wind chime made of shells. The shells on the wind chime were of different shapes and bright colors, which were very beautiful. He said: "This wind chime is really beautiful. I want to take it back and hang it in the room. Whenever the wind blows, I can hear the crisp bell sound and think of this wonderful trip." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also picked some handicrafts they liked in the store and prepared to give them to relatives and friends.

After walking around the old street for a while, they came to a small shop selling shrimp cakes. Shrimp cakes are one of Beihai's specialty snacks, named after the fresh shrimps on the cakes. The owner poured the prepared rice paste into a special mold, then put a few small shrimps on it, sprinkled some chopped green onions, and finally fried it in a pan until golden. After a while, the golden and crispy shrimp cakes came out of the pan, exuding an enticing aroma.

Li Xiao bought a few shrimp cakes and shared them with Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei. They took a bite, and the crispy shrimp cakes spread in their mouths. The delicious shrimp and the sweet rice paste blended perfectly, leaving people with endless aftertaste. Lin Yifei praised: "This shrimp cake is so delicious, fragrant and crispy, and the shrimp is also very fresh. It's so delicious." Li Xiao and Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement. After leaving the old street, they came to the specialty store and prepared to buy some specialties from Beihai to take back. Beihai's specialties are rich and varied, including sea duck eggs, dried sandworms, pearls, seafood snacks, etc. They picked some sea duck eggs and dried sandworms. These sea duck eggs are pickled with eggs laid by sea ducks in the mangroves of Beihai. The egg yolk is oily and tastes delicious; dried sandworms are made by drying fresh sandworms. They are rich in nutrition and delicious. They can be used to make soup, porridge or stir-fry.

During the few days in Beihai, they enjoyed the beautiful scenery and delicious food of Silver Beach, experienced various water entertainment projects, and felt the unique charm of this coastal city. They are full of memories and gains and look forward to the beginning of the next journey.

"This dragon and lion dance performance is so wonderful. The performers have superb skills." Li Xiao clapped his hands excitedly, with an excited smile on his face.

Zhang Yuedong also praised it highly: "Yes, they showed the expressions and movements of the dragon and lion vividly, making people feel as if they were there."

Lin Yifei said: "This is the real traditional culture. Watching these performances, I feel that my understanding of Shaoguan has deepened."

After watching the dragon and lion dance performances, the three of them came to the nearby Nanhua Temple. Nanhua Temple is one of the famous Buddhist temples in China. It is the birthplace of the "Southern Zen" promoted by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng of Zen Buddhism. It was built in the first year of Tianjian (502 AD) during the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Emperor Wu of Liang. The temple is full of towering ancient trees, lingering incense, and a quiet environment, full of a strong Buddhist atmosphere.

When they walked into Nanhua Temple, the first thing that caught their eyes was a magnificent mountain gate with four large characters "Nanhua Zen Temple" written on it. Passing through the mountain gate, there was a release pond, where the fish swam freely, as if telling of the tranquility of the years. Going further, there was the Baolin Gate, on which the couplet read "The first treasure temple in East Guangdong, the only way to the Southern School", and the horizontal banner read "Baolin Dojo", highlighting the important status of Nanhua Temple.

In Nanhua Temple, they visited the Main Hall, the Sutra Library, the Sixth Patriarch Hall and other buildings. The Main Hall is the core building of Nanhua Temple. The hall enshrines statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Medicine Buddha and Amitabha Buddha. The statues are solemn and awe-inspiring. The Sutra Library houses a large number of Buddhist classics and cultural relics, and is a treasure house of Buddhist culture. The Sixth Patriarch Hall was built to commemorate the Sixth Patriarch Huineng of Zen Buddhism. The hall enshrines the flesh statue of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. This flesh statue has survived thousands of years without decay, which is a miracle and has attracted many believers and tourists to come and worship.

"This Nanhua Temple is so rich in history, and every building contains profound Buddhist culture." Li Xiao exclaimed, his eyes full of awe for Buddhist culture.

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, here, I feel that my soul has been purified."

Lin Yifei said: "This trip to Nanhua Temple really opened my eyes and gave me a deeper understanding of Buddhist culture."

In Nanhua Temple, they also bought some unique souvenirs, such as Buddhist beads, Buddha statues, and sachets. These souvenirs are not only commemorative, but also carry Buddhist culture and blessings. Li Xiao bought a string of Buddhist beads, hoping that it would bring him good luck; Zhang Yuedong picked a small Buddha statue and planned to take it back to give to friends who like Buddhist culture; Lin Yifei bought a sachet with exquisite patterns embroidered on it and exuding a faint fragrance. He planned to hang it in the room to fill the room with a warm atmosphere.

"These souvenirs are very unique, and each one is irresistible." Li Xiao took the Buddhist beads and admired them carefully, with a joyful smile on his face.

Zhang Yuedong was also very satisfied with the Buddha statues he selected: "Yes, these souvenirs are the cultural symbols of Nanhua Temple. It's great to take them back as souvenirs."

Lin Yifei said: "I believe my family and friends will be very happy to receive these gifts."

During the day in Shaoguan, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei experienced the wonders of nature and admired the spectacular Danxia landforms in Danxia Mountain; tasted delicious braised duck with sour bamboo shoots, Datang braised pork, stir-fried mountain snails and other specialties; watched wonderful dragon and lion dance performances and felt the traditional folk culture of Shaoguan; also visited Nanhua Temple, learned about the profound Buddhist culture, and bought special souvenirs. This ancient city left them with deep and beautiful memories, and made them look forward to the next journey. (End of this chapter)