【Practical Guide to Rizhao】Eat and stay with fishermen, experience their lifestyle, enjoy seafood feasts – plus tips to avoid being overcharged
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Qiqi said that people who travel often tend not to have very bad personalities~~ Ever since the whole family had a great time in Jiuzhaigou last time, they’ve been eager to go on trips again; whenever the idea of traveling comes up, they’re all excited like crazy. Seeing my colleagues go out to have fun one after another, I couldn’t stay seated either. Looking at the eager expressions on my friends’ faces, as the planner and guide for each trip, I feel a great deal of pressure. The reason we chose the small city of Rizhao is due to the following factors: 1. Rizhao isn’t very far from us; it takes only about five hours by car, so there’s no need to feel anxious. It’s not easy for everyone to take time off, and it’s even rarer to be able to get together; therefore we should cherish the time spent together. Choosing the small city of Rizhao allows one to fully enjoy their vacation ； 2. As a relatively small tourist city, Rizhao has low consumption levels; it can even be considered to have low spending among tourist cities. We use our holidays to relax and enjoy life, not to squander money ； The fishing cottages there cost only 60-80 per unit in May, which is affordable; they might get more expensive during the peak season ； 3. A few colleagues have been there recently and have gained a pretty good understanding of the situation there, which makes it easier to enjoy the trip ； 4. Rizhao’s Golden Beach is well-known both locally and internationally, and its quality is excellent. This time, I brought a child along as well; it’s more fun to play by the sea, and there’s no need to rush from one attraction to another, so it’s less tiring. Once the destination is chosen, the chief route planner has work to do. I started researching online, looking up various information; I had to do thorough research on everything related to food, drinks, entertainment, and transportation (I’ve attached relevant information, guides, and tips to avoid being overcharged at the end of the article). 【Regarding transportation】Facing the sun and heading east, we took the Changshen Expressway from Nanjing, then switched to the Shenhai Expressway. From there we moved onto the Ridong Expressway and got off at the Rizhao North exit. We continued along Shanhai Road to Beihai Road, and from there headed north all the way to Wujiatai Village. Once there, we called the fisherman, who would come out to pick us up. Route: Changshen Expressway—Shenhai Expressway—Ridong Expressway (the expressway leading north from Rizhao)—Shanhai Road—Beihai Road—Wujiatai Village. [Regarding accommodation and meals] It’s best to follow local customs when it comes to eating and staying; staying in fisherman’s homes is a distinctive feature of tourism in Rizhao. There are said to be thousands of such homes. For this trip, we stayed in fisherman’s homes, mainly located at the Third Beach (Wangjiazao) and the Fourth Beach, which is near Wujiatai Village and part of the Forest Park area. However, in recent years, more people from outside the area have rented houses at the Third Beach, leading to high prices and unfair treatment by landlords. Since Jinshatan refers to the Fourth Beach, we decided to go to Wujiatai Village instead. Choosing one out of the several hundred fishing resorts in Wujiatai is also a matter that requires careful consideration. We saw online that a few of these resorts had good reviews, and from among them we selected Ziwen Fishing Resort in Wujiatai Village. Since some of our colleagues had been there before, we booked a room there. Although fisherman’s houses are not like regular hotels, they have their own unique features. They are mostly converted from private courtyards, and the rooms come equipped with air conditioning, a TV, a private bathroom, and free Wi-Fi. This is the room we booked; here’s another angle~ 【Regarding entertainment】Blue skies, blue seas, and sandy beaches – there are endless surprises. Before coming here, we thought that visiting Rizhao would just mean taking photos by the sea and swimming; perhaps the four days we planned was too long. But as the old saying goes, hearing is believing, but seeing is certain. I really didn’t expect Rizhao to be this beautiful, so romantically and vividly colorful. Sunrise, the sea, sunlight, the ocean, beaches, reefs, fishing ports, fields of flowers. Every place brings us a surprise, and every photo is worth remembering and treasuring. Every place brings us a surprise, and every photo is worth remembering and treasuring. 【Day 1: Eating, Drinking, and Entertainment】Upon arriving in Rizhao, the seafood feast was on the agenda, and the night before departure, everyone was reminded to pack their belongings: ID cards, bank cards, phone chargers, power banks, spare clothes, sunglasses, toiletries, and sunscreen. (I originally wanted to bring a large sunshade, but then I thought that there would be an extra charge for using one on the beach, so I gave up on that idea. I’ll include all the useful tips for traveling to Rizhao as well as strategies to avoid being overcharged at the end of the article.) We set off at 6 a.m. and arrived in Rizhao at noon, just in time to enjoy a delicious seafood meal; I had heard a lot about the chef’s skills. Since we didn’t know how to choose seafood ourselves, we asked Brother Yan to go to the nearby seafood market to help us select it. With a local guiding us, he could not only help us pick high-quality seafood but also ensure that it was of genuine quality and the right weight. What’s even more remarkable is that Brother Yan helped us choose the seafood with great care; when selecting crabs, he picked them up one by one and examined them. After putting them in bags, he made a hole in the bottom of each bag to drain all the water out. This almost made the seafood vendors nearby cry, haha~ Compared to other coastal tourist cities, the prices of seafood in Rizhao are truly affordable. Clams cost just a few yuan per half kilogram. Although there are also clams in Nanjing at a similar price, their taste is completely different; it is here that one can truly experience the flavor of \"seafood\"! The same is true for lobsters; in Nanjing, decent-quality lobsters cost around 200 to 300 yuan per pound, while here they cost just over 100 yuan per pound. Such a great deal – how could we pass it up? But Brother Yan thought we ordered too much for lunch, so he didn’t allow us to buy any, recommending that we eat them in the evening instead. Scallops are the same – large and plump, and they cost just a few yuan per pound. The five of us bought a big bag for over 30 yuan; in restaurants in Nanjing, they are sold by the piece…
The owner of the fish restaurant, Ms. An, reminds me of my aunt~ haha. She’s extremely kind; she talks to us in Mandarin with a strong Shandong accent, which makes her very approachable. Sister An has a hobby: she really loves drinking tea, and she prefers the local tea, which is called Rizhao Green. Brother Yan is a genuine fisherman who has spent nearly 20 years at sea; the seafood he prepares is truly top-quality. He told me that while at sea he used to cook fish in seawater, and it’s a skill that requires considerable expertise. After lunch, the sun was too strong, and plus we had to set out early on our journey, we stayed in the house and didn’t get up until after 4 o’clock before heading to the beach to play. The roads in the village are all paved, making it very convenient to walk on. The fishing households are located very close to the sea, just a few hundred meters away. On the road leading to the beach, there are many stalls selling various items such as swimsuits, swim rings, straw hats, small buckets and shovels. The prices aren’t very high, and there are a lot of people there, making it a very lively place. Swimming by the sea is very exhausting; around 6:30, everyone was tired, so they went back to the fishing village to have dinner. After dinner in the evening, once Sister An has finished her chores, she would prepare tea. We would sit down and drink tea together, chatting with Brother An about his fishing life. The pace was slow and relaxed, and it felt as though every cell in the body was calming down. It was through chatting that I learned that there are only two tea-producing areas north of the Yangtze River: Rizhao and Qingdao, and the local people there drink Rizhao green tea. 【Day 2 of Eating, Drinking, and Fun】Early in the morning on the second day, we got up around 4 o’clock to watch the sunrise. There were already some people there by the sea who had arrived early; we were really lucky as the weather was great that morning, and we were able to see a clear sunrise. After watching the sunrise, taking a walk by the sea and feeling the sea breeze was absolutely wonderful; it gave me a sense of being so content that I didn’t want to leave. Life by the sea is truly peaceful. After walking around for a while, we went back to the fisherman’s house for breakfast, and then asked Brother Yan to help us buy discounted tickets to the forest park. The breakfast costs 10 yuan per person, and it includes fried dough sticks, steamed buns, eggs, millet porridge or corn paste (which Mimi loves the most), as well as pickled vegetables. There’s enough food to satisfy everyone. At outdoor stalls, a bowl of millet porridge costs quite a bit; Yujiya is more affordable. The discounted ticket price for the forest park is 52 per person~ It has a forest oxygen bar and the Fourth Sea Beach; the beach there has a very gentle slope, extremely fine sand, and many entertainment options such as sandboard rides, parachutes, gliders, and sand sculptures. We rented two multi-person bikes from inside and rode around the entire park first. We spent time on the beach until around 1 p.m., and then we got hungry. According to the locals, the street stalls inside were not worth eating at, so we hurried back to the fisherman’s home to have lunch. In the evening we will eat ba fish and then go to bed; in the afternoon, Sister An prepared the dough and chopped the fillings to make handmade ba fish for us, and it tasted absolutely fantastic! During dinner, the people at the table next to us saw us eating and ordered two large plates as well. 【Day 3 of Fun and Entertainment】Fishing at sea – exploring the surrounding attractions by going fishing at sea. The little girl saw the fishing boat the night before and insisted on going out to sea with it. After having breakfast, Brother Yan helped us buy boat tickets at a 50% discount, and we headed straight to Renjiatai Wharf to wait for the fishing boats to set sail. The fishermen on the boat will show us the entire process of casting and retrieving the nets, and everything that is caught belongs to the tourists. We didn’t expect the little girl to get seasick; we had no mood to go after those \"prey\" anymore. After returning to the fisherman’s house, the others went back to the beach to play, while I stayed behind to keep company with the little girl. At noon, the girl felt much better. Hearing that attractions such as Wanpingkou, the lighthouse, and the World Sailing Games venue were not far away, we spent the afternoon visiting those places. Wanpingkou is free, but the quality of the sand there isn’t as good as that at Wujiatai; the sand there is coarser, which makes it a bit uncomfortable to walk on. The scenery is quite nice, making it suitable for taking photos. The World Sailing Games venue is generally not open to ordinary visitors; one can only take a look from the bridge outside. There’s also a naval warfare museum over there; I’m not really a fan of it, so I just had a brief look at it~
【Day 4 of eating, drinking, and fun】 We bought some local specialties, said goodbye to the fishermen’s village and Rizhao, and then headed back. In the morning, we went to the dried goods market in the village to buy dried seafood such as squid strips and yellow croaker. We asked Brother Yan to take us to a nearby seafood market, where we purchased a lot of seafood to take back with us. The seafood market packs the items and adds oxygen to them, so they remain alive upon arrival home. The seafood Brother Yan chose for us was excellent, and he even helped us negotiate prices with the market owner. 【A little reflection】 The holiday is coming to an end; no matter how reluctant we are, we must return to Nanjing. Every trip feels like a chance to recharge both physically and mentally. I am very grateful for the service provided by Brother Yan and Sister An from Ziwenyu Jia, as well as Little Yan. I wish their business continued to thrive. I’d like to remind everyone here that those who plan to stay at a fisherman’s resort in Rizhao had better book their rooms in advance. Also, the prices of rooms will be higher than usual at the end of July and the beginning of August, and rooms will be in short supply, so it’s best to book ahead. At the request of many people in private messages, I’m posting Brother Yan’s WeChat ID here: ziwenyujia. There’s no need to send me private messages anymore, hehe. 【Appendix 1】Super Practical Tips for Avoiding Scams When Visiting Rizhao in the Strong Sunlight (including information gathered from the internet as well as my own experiences). 1. For those who travel by train to Rizhao, you’ll encounter people holding business cards and offering to take you to fishing villages during the last few stops of the train; undoubtedly, these are scammers. After getting off the train, many scammers will approach you, offering to recommend fisherman shops or claiming to give free rides; these are usually agents hired by unreputable fisherman shops, who receive a commission after leading tourists to those shops. If you go there and find that the accommodation and food conditions are poor, the free transportation promised may turn into expensive travel costs, and it could even lead to disputes; be careful to avoid fraud ； Never show mercy to those who try to recruit you, and don’t get into trouble either; just walk away with a smile. Otherwise, you might accidentally become an easy target, an easy target indeed. 2. Whether arriving by car or by public transport, those heading to Wujiatai will encounter many people waving to stop vehicles; in some street stalls, you are required to make a purchase as soon as you sit down, so be careful to check the weight. A tourist ordered a lobster at a street food stall, thinking it weighed 91 jin; when the bill came, it turned out to be 90 liang, which alarmed the local police that night ； 3. On the road from Wujiatai to the beach, there are many stalls selling seafood, which promise free processing. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch – in most cases, the weight is measured in 6 liang units, and some even cheat by substituting fake fish for real ones; the live fish you order get replaced with dead ones once they reach the kitchen. Some tourists even found ice shards while eating crabs there… ； 4. Green tea is processed and sold in the village; many people come here to rent space in order to sell tea, which makes the situation highly unstable. It is common for old tea from last year or even the year before to be mixed in. 5. For tourists who have already reserved a room, those who approach them by the sea will ask how much they paid for their reservation Which village? Once you tell him, he will try to attract you with a lower price, and the fact that the village is 10 minutes away from the sea will be presented as 20 minutes. In short, the house you originally chose is inferior to theirs in every way. If you lack determination at this point, you will be pulled away; not only will it harm those who have already reserved a fishing spot, but it may also harm you yourself. There is a market price for accommodation; he goes out to attract customers in order to make money. He has already covered the cost of transportation, and now with the accommodation cost low as well, he still wants to earn money. What can he do? There’s a way to make it back from your meal money; what if you don’t eat there? There are other options as well. Some tourists have complained that fisherfolk find reasons to hold back deposits; for example, they claim that you’ve damaged the facilities in the house, or that a single broken ring on a curtain is enough for them to demand payments of 100 or 180 yuan. Bed sheets bought for 20 yuan are subject to a pollution fee of 200 yuan, and in some cases, early check-out is not allowed. 【Appendix 2】Tide Schedule (for shell collecting; note that it is based on the lunar calendar) 【Safety Precautions】 1. When swimming in the sea, you might sometimes be knocked over by waves; don’t panic. Take a deep breath before getting into the water, and such waves will pass by quickly ； 2. Rizhao Road is wide with few vehicles, but do not drive faster than the speed limit. There are many small intersections on the road, and pedestrians often cross there from time to time ； 3. Those who are nearsighted must remember not to wear their glasses when in the water – they will definitely get lost. 4. Mobile phones should also be kept away from seawater; if it falls into the water by accident, do not try to turn it on. Go back to the fishing village and use a hair dryer to dry it before taking any further action ； 【Pre-trip preparations】 1. Identities: Senior citizen cards, student IDs, officer IDs, press passes, tour guide licenses, teacher certificates – anyone holding any of these IDs can enjoy discounted entry fees to the scenic area. Of course, don’t forget to bring your ID card as well! 2. Toiletries: Those who usually have their own set of preferred toiletries should remember to bring their regular ones along ； 3. Prevent! Sunbathe! Frost! It’s really necessary; the sunlight intensity is truly as good as its reputation suggests ； 4. Change of clothes: Those with young babies should remember to bring a set of thicker clothes for them, as it can be quite cool in the early morning and evening by the sea ； 5. Commonly used medications: those for colds and typhoid, band-aids, digestive tablets, Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid, etc ；
Thank you to the original poster for sharing. Next time I go there, I’ll know to go get it.
Tea from Rizhao is of better quality and very fragrant. . .
Shandong tea also includes Taishan Nvruhong