I Dare To Dongxichong

Dongxichong Trail is full of beaches and mountains to explore around the Dapeng District (That’s at least an hour and a half away from Futian District). It’s not a trip for the faint of heart (literally and metaphorically speaking). You don’t have to be an Olympian athlete to travel in Dongxichong but having some experience in hiking can help you traverse through uneven boulders. Luckily, growing up in Canada’s rocky terrains gave me the agility of a mountain goat.

For the first 2 hours, my group found a set of chains dangling down the cliff. I was the first to climb down to test out the mettle of our passage. My fellow international teachers Amber, Carla, and Ollie followed swiftly due to a combination of their fearless approach and rock-climbing experiences. The local teachers on the other hand were rather conservative when climbing down the cliffs, so it’s up to the four of us to coach them how to steady their footholds as they descend. Once everyone gathered at the rocky beaches, we took some photos together.

People who hate taking the stairs must beware! The rigorous part of the hiking trip was neither climbing up nor down the boulders, but rather, the staircase that leads to the XiChong Astronomical Observatory. I got so exhausted that I had to propel myself upward by grabbing the handrails whenever my legs are tired.

My group and I couldn’t get inside of the Observatory because we didn’t book a reservation in advance. There’s a shuttle bus that can take people down the hill, although each passenger needs to pay 10 RMB and wear a mask before you can hop onto the shuttle bus.

On my second time to Dongxichong had both the international and local teachers appointed me as their tour guide. This time I’m geared up with my green hiking overalls plus 5L of water and enough snacks for 10 people. Also, I brought 4 power banks because you’ll never know who will be the first to run out of juice during the hike. That alone earned me the nickname “Explorer Andrew”.

Luckily, the sun was shining bright on us and the beautiful coastline. In the beginning, our only obstacle was scanning the QR code to prove we were COVID-negative. Since the QR code isn’t compatible with non-Mainland Chinese ID, we got one of the local teachers to register the whole group to press forward. QR code have popped up everywhere, as it has become one of the main defense mechanisms to track the virus.

In the middle of our hike, we rested near the stalls on the sandy beaches. You would think we’d have a relaxing picnic lunch, but nope, local teachers and international teachers compete by kicking a Chinese shuttlecock called Jianzi (毽子). The goal is simple: keep the Jianzi up in the air by not using your hands. So far, our best record was four kicks before it fell to the ground.

Near the end, it’s just me with the rest of the international teachers drinking overpriced beverages like a bottle of Pocari Sweat for 8 RMB instead of 5 RMB. Where did the rest of the local teachers go? We waited for at least half an hour wondering if they’re going to be okay or if someone had a medical emergency.

As it turns out, the local teachers took their sweet time not because of their lack of physical prowess, but rather, because the need for selfies compelled them to take photos every five minutes. Truth to be told, I couldn’t blame anyone stopping often at the staircase to the observatory.

Yeah, I know. Who would have thought I had the stamina to go on this hike for the third time? Before I begin, I would like to personally credit Linsey Lin from Shenzhen (SZ12) for supplying the photos posted below. So, what changed this time other than the group of people on this trip?

For starters, we got a fancy cheese and crackers platter for our lunch, and I brought strawberries to further enhance our group’s gourmet satisfaction. The rest? Simple granola and berries (and spicy duck feet for the adventurous taste buds).

Did I forget to mention that there’s a musician singing Cantonese songs? Listening to live music while eating at the beach is something people pay good money for, and we get to experience that without gouging our wallets.

A kid named Jimmy randomly came up to us and asked what the Dongxichong hike was like. Little Jimmy seems to possess an entrepreneur instinct and carry a good sense of impeccable timing because he knew we were thirsty for some Pocari Sweat, Red Bull, and Qingdao beer. So, he ran to his dad’s beverage booth and told us to scan the merchant’s QR code with the complimentary Wi-Fi hotspot. We were so impressed with Jimmy’s English fluency that we didn’t hesitate to buy overpriced drinks from his family’s booth. That kid’s got a promising future as a businessperson.

After hiking, we arrived at Johnson’s Pizza (better known as “止间Coffee & Bar” on Baidu Maps) for dinner. This was the perfect way to wrap up yet another accomplished day at Dongxichong. It’s Yantian’s best pizzeria since the stone oven captures the authentic firewood taste within the pizza dough. The beer selection isn’t too shabby as they also offer a variety of flavours such as passionfruit beer. There’s only one chef in the kitchen, but wow, he really knows how to make delicious four-cheese and pepperoni pizzas.

Will there be a return to Dongxichong in the future, that is to be determined. I hope you enjoyed reading about the beauty that lies within the sandy beaches and rocky cliffs in this blog. Maybe now you will Dare to Dongxichong and experience it for yourself.