Traveling around with my son

In summer, slow down your pace and make the journey longer!

Walking South

In the summer of 2018, I took my two sons alone and chose Guangzhou as our first stop. Although it was the fourth time I came to this city, city, but the memory of the first time stays and warms my memory like the mellow and sweet milk tea. Thirty years ago, I stayed in this city with my father for more than half a month. That year was the summer of 1989, and many first-time novel feelings opened the magic bottle in this city.

After many years as a mother, I brought my children to this city again. The children accompanied me to search for memories. I took the children to experience the new things and told them stories about my mother’s childhood. .

We settled in Shamian, because this place was once the British and French Concession. Over a hundred years, more than ten countries have established consulates here, so this place has a very strong sense of history. Another important reason for choosing to stay here is that the White Swan Hotel is located on the edge of the Pearl River in Shamian.

When I first came here with my father, everything was very novel. It overturned my world and broadened my horizons. Every product and ornament displayed in the hotel was something I had never seen before. Passed. I came here with my children again. The waterfall is still there. The tea restaurant can see the scenery of the river through the big glass. Everything still seems so familiar. I think the White Swan Hotel is more than just a five-star hotel. It carries many memories from tourists traveling from north to south.

I did not choose it as our hotel, but chose the Shengli Hotel, which is managed by the same management company, firstly because of the price, and secondly because of the centuries-old history of the Victory Hotel. The west building of the hotel was formerly the headquarters of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and the east building was the British Victoria Hotel. In 1985, the hotel was rebuilt and opened on the original site. It has lost its original appearance, and only a few centuries-old hand-carved furniture remains in the lobby. It has become the treasure of the store.

Chen Bao asked me, why don’t we stay at the White Swan Hotel! I said you like it, right? He said yes. Children understand the world through their own eyes. I say that your mother has the final say in choosing a hotel now. In the future, when you grow up, you can choose what kind of hotel you live in and what kind of transportation you take.

The children also accompanied me to another important place, which is Aiqun Hotel. That year, my father and I stayed in this hotel for the longest time, and this time we came here and it was being renovated.

When I was a child, I just felt that it was located in a prosperous place, close to the Pearl River, and had the only revolving restaurant at that time. I remember that the tea restaurant on the second floor had my favorite fried rice and sandwiches. The restaurant downstairs The kiosk also has the roast goose rice that I particularly like to eat. The taste has become an unforgettable memory.

At that time, I didn’t know why my father chose to stay in this hotel. Only now do I truly understand his intentions.

On the day "Aiqun" was completed in 1937, many Kuomintang military and political leaders personally wrote inscriptions to celebrate, and wealthy businessmen and celebrities rushed to express their congratulations. In the old days, "Aiqun" was a place where power and identity were revealed. It was once one of the characteristics of Guangzhou and an important place for foreign-related activities.

I hope that "Aiqun" can keep pace with the times while maintaining its original appearance after being renovated. I look forward to staying here one day.

In the first three days, I took the children mainly around Zhujiang New Town. The first stop we came to was the new landmark of Guangzhou ~ Canton Tower, also known as "Little Man Yao", is the third tallest tower in the world. , climb up to the sightseeing platform and have a panoramic view of Guangzhou from different angles. It only takes 1 minute and 36 seconds to go from 433 meters to the ground in the elevator. I checked the stopwatch. Sitting in the elevator will cause obvious tinnitus.

The tower leads directly to the Guangzhou Library and Wax Museum. Everyone has a natural admiration and following for celebrities and idols. Although I have been to Madame Tussauds in Wuhan, my sons still chose this place because of the different characters and their favorite Messi. The World Cup has become irresistible to the children at some point, and football stars have also taken root. in the hearts of the children.

The next day we took a ferry to the Guangdong Provincial Museum. The exhibition hall is divided into four parts: the History Hall, the Nature Hall, the Art Hall and the Temporary Exhibition Hall.

History Museum ~ Through rich exhibition methods such as cultural relics, pictures, oil paintings, sculptures, models, multimedia, restored scenes, etc., it shows the audience from all aspects and angles Guangdong from the Maba people to the founding of New China historical and cultural changes.

Natural Museum ~ ***There are 7 themed exhibitions including geology and landforms, minerals, gems and jade, Chinese herbal medicine, terrestrial wildlife, marine life, and paleontology. Children especially like the wildlife and marine life exhibition halls, and they will never get tired of seeing them here.

Art Museum ~ Chaozhou Wood Sculpture Art Exhibition Hall is divided into origin chapter, production chapter, art chapter, utensil use chapter and appreciation chapter. It displays more than 200 pieces (sets) of wood carvings, including gold-painted lacquer paintings and large longevity screens. , round-carved crab baskets, as well as unique-shaped shrines, pavilions, palanquins, stove covers, food boxes, candy racks, and paper coal tubes. People are deeply shocked by the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen.

The Art Museum ~ Based on the collection of ceramic cultural relics, it displays nearly 300 selected cultural relics from the Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty.

Art Museum ~ Duan Inkstone Art Exhibition There are more than 50 Duan Inkstones with inscriptions from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, showing the profound cultural connotation of inkstones.

The Guangdong Museum is really a treasure house of history and knowledge, and it is also a very modern venue, so when you come to Guangzhou, you must reserve time to visit here.

I came to Sun Yat-sen University in the afternoon. It has a long history. The campus is lined with trees and there are acres of green space. Most of the buildings are European-style buildings. It has a profound cultural heritage and its health. The paradise, together with Peking University's Weiming Lake and Wuhan University's Luojia Mountain, are considered the most beautiful landscapes in the three major Chinese universities.

On the third day, July 28, 2018, I took the children to taste the wonton noodles from Baoxing Noodles in the morning. This is one of the Guangzhou delicacies that my foodie son had decided to eat before he came here. , although it is one of the top ten long-established wonton noodle shops in Guangzhou, it still doesn't satisfy our appetite. We really miss Bingji's corn and shrimp wontons.

After breakfast, we went to Huacheng Square to visit the scenery on the ground and the city underground. There are many tall buildings and trees on the ground, and the environment is beautiful, with water and fish. Underground shopping and food are all available.

On July 29, we left Shamian and prepared to go to Chimelong Paradise. This day was full of twists and turns. When checking out, Dabao first discovered that his clothes had been left in the room, and then on the subway, he discovered that Chenbao's watch had been left in the room. Sensing the child's nervousness and uneasiness, he immediately contacted the hotel, and the front desk clerk immediately arranged for a floor attendant. After searching, I found the watch under the bed, and promptly reported it to me, notifying me to bring relevant documents to collect it. After practicing acceptance, I feel much calmer. At least things irritate me less and less frequently.

It was almost noon when we settled down. We took the children to the Guangzhou Science and Technology Center, which is an important venue for science and technology display in Guangdong Province. Here, the children can feel and learn while playing, and take the children with them. Curiosity to explore knowledge and achievements that are closely related to our lives.

Every building in Guangzhou either has a sense of history, a sense of the times, or a sense of style, so every building has its own ornamental value.

We chose public transportation everywhere we went along the way. The children also became curious about Cantonese. Whether it was the subway or the bus, there were station announcements in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. The children also He would imitate the parrot and laugh.

When you come to Chimelong, you have to go to Chimelong Wildlife Park. Coming here is like entering a primitive ecological forest. There are more than 500 species and more than 20,000 rare animals living here, including national treasures from all over the world. animals; and it has the country's first small train, self-driving animal viewing mode and walking viewing mode. We first chose to take a small train to watch the large-scale free-range animals. They strolled leisurely in the forest. Then enter the walking area. The animal classification is very detailed. You can interact with animal friends at close range and feel the harmonious coexistence between humans and animals. Each animal has its own name.

I remember when my father took me to Guangzhou when I was a child, he took me to the zoo at that time. I was very impressed by the snake house there. I formed a kind of fate with snakes.

I wanted to go to the circus early in the evening and queue up to grab a seat, but when I arrived at the circus, the queue had already formed a long queue. Whether it is the lighting, scenes or even sound effects, you will experience an audio-visual feast. Whenever the music sounds, you can't help but clap, cheer, or even twist your body along with the music as if no one else is watching. It is a performance worth watching.

Chen Bao, who has always been active, was extremely focused and serious during the performance of more than an hour. He even felt that his mother’s excitement was illogical. Such a good performance should be at peace in his heart. Enjoy it quietly.

The entire performance includes American high-altitude funny diving, big trapeze, equestrian performances, car stunts, and numerous animal performances and comic performances, making the whole performance a combination of thrilling, exciting, funny, mysterious and other experiences. The audience can truly feel the true charm of the world's top circus.

After the trip to Chimelong ended on July 31, I took the children to Sanyuanli near Guangzhou Railway Station to make some adjustments and prepare to take the train to Tianjin the next day.

Journey to North China

On August 1st, I boarded z112 and left Guangzhou amidst the collision of rails and wheels, heading towards the next city - Tianjin. Before leaving, I didn’t bring any electronic products for the children. I only brought a deck of playing cards, which brought us many happy moments during the trip.

We arrived in Tianjin at 6 a.m. on August 2, starting our journey to the north. We arrived in Tianjin at the hottest time. Because it is a plain, the sun shines at 360°C without blind spots, and the surface temperature is very high.

Everything in Tianjin is unfamiliar to us. The only things we are familiar with are Goubuli steamed buns and Er Eryan fried cakes. This is the taste that our foodie son has been looking forward to before traveling. Because of this taste, we arranged Stopover in Tianjin.

My favorite flavor is the ear-eye fried cake. It is crispy and soft, wrapped in various sweet fillings, and the price is quite reasonable.

Goubuli steamed buns attract tourists from all over the world, but Tianjin locals basically don’t eat them because the price is too expensive. Meat buns, which are slightly larger than xiaolongbao, are 12 yuan each, with a minimum price of 4. In order to satisfy the children’s appetite, this money must be spent. The children ate the buns in seconds and praised them repeatedly after eating them. The money was not wasted. The Baozi is well-deserved, but the service does not match that of a century-old store, so I joked with the children that money will beat the dog, but the dog will ignore it, and the Baozi will.

I chose another unique vegetarian bun shop nearby to satisfy my taste buds. Shitoumenkan vegetarian bun shop is also a century-old shop and is very popular among the public because of its good taste and reasonable price.

Tianjin is indeed a charming city with a "taste" and a little sentiment that I like. I like the architecture here, and it is also because there are many famous people's footprints and historical charm here.

There are many old houses of celebrities on Fifth Avenue.

The romantic feelings of the Italian style street seem to be wandering in a foreign country.

Jingyuan is the place where the last emperor Puyi and his queen Wanrong and concubine Wenxiu once lived. Here, time and space intersect, let history replay in your imagination, and feel their last moments here. Sadness and joy.

Strolling along the Haihe River at night, with crowds of tourists and neon lights flashing, the Eye of Tianjin stretches across the Haihe River and becomes the most dazzling light at night.

On the morning of August 4th, I still felt the rare high temperature in Tianjin, and in the afternoon I arrived in Harbin to feel the coolness.

Central Street is the epitome of Harbin. Strolling on the square stone road, you can feel the European aristocratic life.

How can you miss Madiel Popsicle on Central Street.

Go to the century-old Madier Restaurant, the most romantic restaurant on Central Street, to taste authentic Russian and Western food.

On the morning of August 5, I took a bus to Jixi. I kept my husband secretive all the way, just for a long-lost surprise.

Along the way from south to north, more than 5,000 kilometers, we went from prosperity to desolation, from cities to villages, from star hotels to small hotels in the countryside, from train transfers to buses, from summer in the south The autumn coolness comes to the north end of the day, and I experience both ends while walking. Personal experience is more direct and useful than any dogmatic language.

Originally, the end of the road was my husband’s construction site, but the living conditions at the construction site were atrocious. He arranged for us to stay in a hotel in Xingnong, not far from the construction site. This is the best hotel here. There are three 1-meter small beds in the room, a table, a TV, and nothing else. The toilets and bathhouses are public. There are many guests coming and going in small hotels every day. The waiters only clean the bathrooms every morning. For those of us who live there, we often face the filth in the bathrooms. At first, we will complain about the guests' lack of attention. , and then I cleaned it up myself, thinking that everything I did was not for others, but for myself. I started changing the sheets and cleaning the house myself to make our stay more comfortable.

When there is more awareness in life, when one emotion arises, another emotion will dissolve it. Any experience is just to make yourself more mature.

Life in Xingnong is monotonous, far less colorful than in the city. Except for going out for three meals a day, we basically stay in the room. Playing poker, chess, watching TV, and even getting so bored that I competed with my son to catch flies. For me, who grew up in the city, this period of farming life was indeed a test for me

When my husband was not busy, he would drive us around and we saw The shortest border bridge in the world - the border bridge at Mishan Port, is only 3 meters. One end of the bridge is China, and the other end of the bridge is Russia. Not far from the port is Xingkai Lake. The lake is as far as the eye can see. The edge of the lake is soft sandy beach. It is said to be a lake, but it is more like the sea, deep and vast. Children like this place. They build sandcastles by the lake, ride on the waves, and let the water soak their clothes. In August, autumn is already here, and the wind by the lake is a bit cool. Looking at the happy smiling faces of the children, my husband and I chatted on the shore and let them have fun.

When I returned to Xingnong, Chenbao got a fever because of this indulgence. The next day, I found that one side of my face was swollen. There was no hospital here, so I went to the local barefoot doctor and he said it was the parotid gland. He was suffering from inflammation, so he bought some pudilan and anti-inflammatory medicine and urged him to drink them. A week later, the condition gradually improved. Without antibiotics, there didn't seem to be much worry. At that moment, I was determined that the child would be fine.

As school was about to start on the 26th, my husband took care of his work matters. We left Xingnong early in the morning and stopped in Harbin. The family strolled through Central Street and watched the 160-meter-high fountain on the Songhua River.

The pigeons are leisurely on the Hagia Sophia Square. It rained early in the morning and there are no people on the square. Here you feel like you are in a small town in Europe.

Take a cruise across the river and you’ll find Harbin’s Wetland Park ~ Sun Island. With rich vegetation and pleasant scenery, it’s a must-see for many tourists.

The park is relatively large. My husband rented a battery car and took us to walk around the park, view the scenery, look for squirrels in the woods, watch swans by the Swan Lake, and feed sika deer in the deer yard.

In the scenic area, we also saw the scene of the fire on the 25th. The house had been burned beyond recognition. The police cordoned off the entire hotel within 5 meters. The old people who originally set off in a happy mood, Just because of a negligence, I am separated from my loved ones. May the deceased rest in peace!

Take an early morning flight to Xiangyang on the 28th, and then transfer to the train home. When I got home and chatted with the children, I said, "Which place do you like best along the way?" The eldest said that he likes Guangzhou and Harbin, where there are many delicious foods and various characteristic buildings. The second child said that he likes the countryside because the air is good and most cities come from primitive villages. I said that in the near future, rural areas may also turn into cities. The boss said, it’s better not to do so. What will we eat if they become cities? Yes, rural areas and cities each have their own advantages. Their existence is necessary for our survival, but the value and method of existence are different.

Regarding summer camp, I used to think that I just let my children experience it and leave some temporary tranquility for myself. Now, I prefer the exclusive summer camp for me and my children, which is the summer where I can accompany you. I will slow down and see the world with you. Along the way, I will not only gain knowledge, but also experience.