Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 612 Beidaihe

Beidaihe is a district under the jurisdiction of Beijing. Historically, it was called Xinglongshan, and it was renamed Beidaihe in 54.

Beidaihe has historically been a popular tourist destination and summer resort, dating back to the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. It was one of the few places in history that allowed Chinese and foreigners to live together, and many foreigners and wealthy merchants from all over the world came here to set up businesses.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, several national leaders came here to escape the summer heat and work, making it the most famous scenic spot in the country at that time. Various provinces and many large state-owned enterprises came here to build their own sanatoriums.

Before the 90s, no scenic spot in China could compare with this place. Many firsts in China were born here, including the first tourist train, the first tourist air route, and the first golf course in China. It is the cradle and holy land of modern tourism.

The land from which the dragon originates is destined to be a land of great prosperity in China.

In 91, Beidaihe did not have an airport. Planes landed at Shanhaiguan Airport, and from there, passengers would take a bus to downtown Beijing.

However, this was not a problem for the few people who came here to visit. Shanhaiguan was a must-see, the first pass under heaven, the last barrier for the Han people to resist foreign invasion, which protected the capital for nearly a hundred years. The saying "one man can hold the pass against ten thousand men" refers to this place.

Chinese people like to add legends and myths to everything, especially during the Tang Dynasty, when they only focused on flowery language and did not pay attention to actual meaning. This led to an exaggerated writing style where everything was described in the best possible light, and the more exaggerated the better, the better.

Everyone knows Han Yu. He was unsuccessful in his life, and his talents could not be displayed. This was because he refused to write in this style and submitted a memorial to the emperor saying that this style of writing was wrong and that we should speak the truth. As a result, he was disliked by the emperor and wasted his life.

When reading articles from the Tang Dynasty onwards, we need to learn to squeeze out unnecessary details.

Legend has it that when Qin Shi Huang toured the east, this place was an isolated mountain surrounded by water. Upon reaching the mountain, he saw the brambles and dismounted to bow in reverence. Startled, the brambles immediately prostrated themselves in reverence, and from then on, the brambles here have grown flat and have never risen again. It's unclear why an emperor would suddenly dismount and bow to brambles; one might suspect he tripped while dismounting.

Many famous people have visited this place throughout history, including Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, who came here during his eastern expedition. He heard that this was the place where the Qin Emperor sent people to seek immortality at sea, and even the brambles were so frightened that they grew flat. So he specially stayed on the mountain for a few days.

Historically, it is said that Qin Shi Huang visited this place four times, but that's hard to say. Back then, the Qin palace was in Chang'an. How long would it take for him to come here? How many years did he reign in total after unifying the six kingdoms? Did he just leave it all on the way?

However, they have definitely come before. Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, all came. But Cao Cao is probably the one most well-known to the world.

We all learned a poem by Cao Cao, a text from junior high school called "Viewing the Sea". "I climbed the Jieshi Mountain in the east to view the sea". Back then, the teacher told us that Cao Cao went east, climbed a big rock, and saw the sea.

The fact is, in that era, this place was called Jieshi. Qin Shi Huang once inscribed a stele here called Jieshi Gate Inscription. This place name was first recorded in the Book of Documents, in the Yu Gong chapter of the Book of Documents, which is an ancient written map book that specifically records the names of mountains, rivers and places in various regions.

At that time, this area was still the territory of the State of Guzhu. Later, the State of Qi destroyed the State of Guzhu. Although the State of Guzhu is not well-known and most people do not know about it, it existed for more than 1,100 years in history, which is more than half longer than all the recorded dynasties.

This is also the legendary site where Meng Jiangnu cried at the Great Wall. There's a temple dedicated to Meng Jiangnu here, as well as Laolongtou (Old Dragon Head), the place where the Great Wall meets the sea, shaped like a dragon drinking water—truly magnificent, marking the end of the Great Wall. There's also the site where Qin Shi Huang sought immortality at sea; I wonder how that was located, haha.

Back in 91, there weren't many tourist attractions to see, and there weren't many man-made scenic areas. The main attractions were historical sites and natural landscapes. Xiao Wei and his friends took a tour, took some photos, and then took a taxi to Beidaihe.

There are no tall buildings in Beidaihe, and in fact, there were no tall buildings in the entire QHD at that time.

There are many sanatoriums and hotels here, but not many people. Even in the early 2010s, the population here was only 70,000. Most of the area was occupied by sanatoriums, retirement homes, and hotels, and there were not many residential houses.

Xiao Wei and his three companions took the taxi driver's advice and found a guesthouse to stay in. This place was probably one of the earliest guesthouses in China.

The house was quite large and kept very clean. It still had a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove). It cost fifty yuan a night, including meals, but by 00 the price had risen to seventy yuan, excluding meals. Economic development in the area was very slow, extremely slow, and the local people had many complaints. Because national leaders frequently visited, there were many restrictions, hindering development. This was probably something the leaders hadn't anticipated.

After putting their things down, the group grabbed their cameras and ran towards the beach. It was just a few hundred meters, around a bend, and they were there. The beach was bare, with nothing much to do. They asked a local and learned that no amusement facilities were allowed there; if they wanted to play, they had to go to Nandaihe, where, unless it was a high-ranking official, there were no restrictions. The locals spoke with obvious envy; just across the bay, everyone there had become wealthy.

After playing on the beach for a while, it gradually got dark, and the sea breeze began to turn chilly. Xiao Wei called a few people to head back. None of them were dressed warmly enough; catching a cold wouldn't look good. On the way back, they noticed many people in black suits on the road, their menacing gazes scrutinizing passersby, making them feel uneasy.

Back at the guesthouse, the landlady was standing at the door looking towards the beach. Seeing them return, she greeted them with a smile, "You're back? I've been waiting for you. Come inside quickly, it's cold. Don't go out at night these next few days, come back as soon as it gets dark, understand?"

Xiao Hong asked, "Why?"

As the proprietress closed the door, she said, "It's often like this. When big leaders come, there's a curfew at night. If you get arrested, it'll be troublesome. Are you hungry? If you are, I'll cook for you." You could eat here or go out and buy seafood to cook yourself, all for free. They were very honest and kind. Later, they started charging a processing fee, and meals were charged separately.

The landlady started cooking in the small courtyard, and Xiao Wei and the other three, having nothing else to do, sat there watching.

The proprietress said, "If you can get up early in the morning, go to the dock to pick up the boat at 4:30 or 5:00. The seafood is all alive and cheap. Once it gets light, it will be more expensive at the market on the shore, and the price will be several times higher."

Xiao Hong asked, "Isn't there martial law?"

The proprietress patted her head, smiled sheepishly, and said, "You'd better not go out. If you want to buy something, I can go get it for you."

Xiao Hong said, "I want to eat mantis shrimp, female ones."

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "Let Auntie decide what to buy; she knows more about it than we do." The proprietress quickly agreed, showing great enthusiasm.

Dinner consisted of rice, four stir-fried dishes: chives, eggs, and clams; stewed small yellow croaker; braised pork and sausage; stir-fried pork slices; and a seaweed and pork rib soup. It was a home-style meal, not fancy, but very delicious.

The next morning, the four of them got up early. The boss had already bought the mantis shrimp, as well as a few sea fish and octopus. The mantis shrimp were all alive, jumping around in the basin and making a loud banging noise. These things are like heavy weapons; they can easily smash clam shells with that little hammer.

Breakfast consisted of pancakes, sesame seed cakes, porridge, and pickled vegetables. The landlady also boiled a few eggs and left them there. Xiao Hong said, "I think I'll gain weight if I stay here for a while."

Xiao Liu glanced at Ga Zi and whispered to Xiao Wei, "I reckon if Ga Zi stays here for a while, the boss will be crying."

Xiaowei and Xiaohong burst into laughter.

(End of this chapter)