Tongxing

Yantai, Shandong to Changdao. 📍 Little trips: Ferry ticket 45 yuan, entrance ticket 56 yuan, bus 5 yuan per stop Changdao, a cluster of islands at the junction of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. To the west of Penglai Pavilion, there is a ferry terminal. It's not a ferry or a cruise ship, but a proper transport ferry. To put it this way, you need to enter the station, buy a ticket, and wait for the ship. After boarding, you take your assigned seat, just like on a train or plane. The ship departs from Penglai and makes several stops, with a service every 10 minutes. The first stop is Changdao, which takes about forty minutes. The standard fare is 45 yuan per person, and the premium fare is 60 yuan per person, which is probably equivalent to a first-class seat on a train. If you want to merge with the sea and sky, you can choose to pay extra to upgrade your cabin, moving up to the top deck above the standard cabins. Here, not only can you feed seagulls, but you can also let the sea breeze slap your cheeks. Changdao used to be a county, but later merged with Penglai to become a district of Yantai. The island has indigenous residents, and cars can be transported back and forth between Changdao and Penglai, but it seems that vehicles from outside are not allowed on the island. Changdao is also known as Changshan Island, divided into north and south parts. North Changshan Island has Jiuzhang Cliff and Moon Bay, while South Changshan Island has Xianjingyuan, Fengshan Forest Sea, and the boundary line between the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea, which is said to be more clearly visible here. The island's bus service costs 5 yuan per person per trip, and it goes to any scenic spot. If you get off, it costs 5 yuan; if you don't get off and just take a round trip around the island, it's still 5 yuan; if you get off by mistake and have to get back on, it's another 5 yuan. You can buy a card for the bus, 20 yuan for 4 trips, still 5 yuan each; if you use mobile payment, it's also 5 yuan per person per trip. In short, it's always 5 yuan, straightforward and inflexible. The ferry terminal is on South Changshan Island. Take the bus over the Lianhai Bridge to Jiuzhang Cliff first. As a 4A-level tourist area, Jiuzhang Cliff contributes 3.5A. Jiuzhang Cliff, with a height of nine Zhang, equivalent to about thirty meters, is officially taller than thirty meters. The entrance ticket costs 56 yuan, including both Jiuzhang Cliff and Moon Bay. Jiuzhang Cliff faces the sea, and unlike other places with sandy beaches, this place has a pebble beach, which seems to have been recently renovated. Following the wooden path, you will reach the engraved stele of Jiuzhang Cliff. There are two paths to choose from: one goes up the mountain, as there must be a mountain next to the cliff, with some local cultural attractions, though some may seem contrived; the other path leads to the seaside through the stone road, mainly composed of quartzite, with large, evenly cut slabs as if chopped by knives and axes. It is said to have formed from ancient crustal movements and mountain uplifts, which may be hard to understand, but you can choose to believe it. Walking along the undulating stone beach, with the sea breeze blowing and feeding the seabirds, watching the marine life grow freely below, one's mood becomes tranquil. The closest scenic spot to Jiuzhang Cliff is Moon Bay, which is a half-hour walk away or a few minutes by the scenic area's sightseeing car for 20 yuan. The island's bus still costs 5 yuan to get there. From the bus stop to the entrance of Moon Bay is less than ten minutes. After entering, you'll realize that if it weren't for the 56 yuan combined ticket, there would be no need to come here from Jiuzhang Cliff just to see a very simple seaside. After pausing for a minute, I decided to return. On the way back, I saw the seal pool, which was somewhat interesting. For 10 yuan a pack of feed, you can feed the seals and watch them clap, clap, clap. Taking the ferry back to Penglai, I vaguely remembered that there was a sculpture of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea in the city years ago and wanted to see it, but I didn't know where it was, so I asked a passerby. The reply was that it had been demolished, and now you can only see it in the paid Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea scenic area. Doubtful, I headed towards the hotel, passing by Penglai Cultural Square, where the sculpture stood prominently, the earliest Penglai Pavilion scenic area. It seems that the passerby was also from out of town, and one should not take their word for it. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.