At the moment, it’s rather cold and gray here in Shanghai. At the end of last week, it even snowed at night (unfortunately, it thawed the following day again)
I hope it will slowly get sunny and warm again in the middle of the month. But I think we’ll soon be over the „worst“.
Chinese New Year is coming, and the country has pressed the pause key. Many shops are closed, many people have gone to their families. Most offices are closed for a week. A city in slow motion! Even many supermarkets will close at 3 p.m. in the coming days.
Usually, this week would also be time for us to explore other places/ countries. But Corona makes it challenging to travel. Cities and regions are repeatedly placed under lockdown to minimize outbreaks. That works quite well. However, this has made traveling an adventure. We don’t feel like doing that this year and have decided to stay Chinese New Year on our floe.
So a good reason to take the time to work through things again… For example, my blog!I’ll take you with me on the trip last June – to the island of Gouqi. I wanted to take a trip to the small island not far from Shanghai for a long time. It’s landmark is the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan.
Gouqi is only about 200 km away from Shanghai. However, it seems like a little trip around the world at first. Because the tickets can only be booked in Chinese… Then there’s the fact that you can’t go back and forth in one day and you have to have a ship ticket before you book the hotel…
But somehow, it worked out… With the help of the hotel owner, or rather a young lady who worked there voluntarily and spoke English, I quickly had two ship tickets and a hotel room for Ines (who was willing to accompany me on the adventure) and me „in my pocket. The journey started early at 5 a.m. – enough buffers planned for breakdowns and detours – completely unnecessary, as it turned out. In two hours, we were at the port and thus the first …
But there was coffee, which saved the morning for Ines, who is not an early riser.
The crossing took another two hours – but more because of a stop at an island where, interestingly, the rubbish was dumped…. Many of the fellow passengers used the time for a few selfies, snacks or breakfast.
We took a taxi to the hotel … where we were amazed: maybe we drove the wrong way and were beamed to Greece?
It was a small, owner-operated hotel. Everything is lovingly furnished and very friendly. The terrace was the meeting place for guests, employees, and owners. The operator’s father brought the fish from the sea in the evening, and you could put your meal together in the kitchen. Freshly cooked, it was on the table a few minutes later. A visitor, who had her husband film her, passed the time, children romped around, and the setting sun rounded off the stay.
What is particularly noteworthy about the lady is the microphone, which offers music and effects simultaneously. The Chinese love it. Click here to enjoy a sample.
We then enjoyed the island and, of course, looked at the ghost village Houtouwan – because that’s why we came here.
Around 20 years ago, 3000 fishermen lived here with their families. The island is one of the most remote of the 400 in the Shengsi Archipelago, and the village is particularly remote. So it has always been difficult to raise children, deliver groceries and get health care.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for fishermen to sell their catch. Those who could moved away. Nature slowly took back the place, and the village fell into oblivion. Until some photographers kissed the sleeping beauty awake and published their pictures on the internet – just like me now 😉
It’s definitely worth a weekend trip! The village reminds me of my parents‘ holiday pictures in the 1970s (with today’s charm). And with the speedboat – which we discovered by chance on the return journey – it takes only an hour.
Alex in Shanghai 