Journey to Zhuhai | Feel the Wind, Listen to the Sea, Touch and Arrive
During the New Year’s holiday, Yu and I finally made it to our long-planned destination: Zhuhai.

December 30, 2023
We departed on schedule at 8:30 AM. After about 4 hours, we successfully arrived at our booked hotel.
After a brief rest, we headed to a nearby village for lunch.
The courtyard’s ambiance was excellent, reminiscent of “Youfeng Courtyard” (though this isn’t Dali)

For lunch, we had “Iron Pot Ginger and Scallion Chicken,” though it was just average (suddenly missing hometown stews and pancakes 🥹)


After lunch, we returned to the hotel to rest. At 17:30, we were set to depart for the sea 🌊
Around 19:00, we successfully reached Lovers’ Road (I must complain about this section in Xiangzhou District - it was really rough 😭)
From Lovers’ Road, you can see the Zhuhai Grand Theater in the distance (the Sun and Moon Bay doesn’t photograph well at night, so here’s an old photo 🫣)

At Xianglu Bay Beach, after chatting with some outgoing kids (who knew a lot about road bikes despite not owning any 🫡), we visited the “Fisher Girl Statue” and “Love Post Office.”

Around 20:00, we had hotpot at “Three Bulls” (it was so delicious that we forgot to take photos while eating 🤤)

On our way back, we took a break at “Haitian Park Beach” (the view here was amazing, with perfect cinematic vibes)

December 31, 2023
At 10:00 AM, we had dim sum at “Baotang Tea House,” experiencing the vibrant Lingnan culture.
After dim sum, we headed to “New Yuan Ming Palace” (built as a 1:1 scale replica of 18 scenes from the original 40 scenes of Beijing’s Old Summer Palace)

Around 14:40, we reached the “Macau Viewing Platform” (unfortunately, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was hidden in the thick fog)
At 15:30, we waited for the fog to clear at “Muse Coffee” (the café had an artistic décor, and I was fortunate to taste Yu’s hand-made coffee)
The fog never cleared, so we decided to ride to the artificial island to see the “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge” up close.

At 21:30, we had all-you-can-eat BBQ at “Han Yang Ting,” then headed to Zhongshan for the night.
In the early hours, we finally reached our hotel, with the sound of firecrackers and cheers coming from outside.

January 1, 2024
On the first day of the new year, I had planned to meet Simon, so I needed to return to Guangzhou earlier.

At this point, my destination was about 90 km away. Leaving at 7 AM would easily get me there before noon.
However… since I was up early (actually, I hadn’t slept), why not watch the sunrise?

Zhongshan has two perfect spots for watching the sunrise: “Lion Head Mountain” and “Yakou Coast.” But… neither was on my route.
Even though it wasn’t on the way… I still chose to go, and so…




Leaving Yakou, I checked the time - 8:09 AM. The destination was exactly 100 km away.
Theoretically, without counting rest stops and red lights, I only needed to maintain an average speed of 25+ km/h to make it before noon. So…
After pushing to my limits, I had to compromise (a section of National Highway 228 was in terrible condition).
Finally, I rode to Nansha and called a cargo van.
In the end, I successfully met Simon around 12:30, and we had a pleasant casual chat.
Afterword
Over these three New Year’s days, we cycled more than 350 kilometers. This was both a journey and a spiritual practice.
Thanks to Yu for the careful planning that made this journey rich, precious, and unforgettable.

Thanks to my brave self, who can set out anytime, anywhere, regardless of everything - to feel the wind, listen to the sea, touch and arrive.

