Pre-departure Thoughts

In this fast-paced city, every morning when I open my phone, notifications flood in like a tide. The check-in culture on social media causes anxiety, while work group chats filled with meetings and tasks make it hard to breathe. People rush through subway stations, and office workers stare at computer screens late into the night. Life moves too fast, so fast that we sometimes forget its essence.

I'm a typical urban office worker, spending my days typing at keyboards, reviewing spreadsheets, and attending meetings. Weekends are spent either binge-watching shows at home or shopping at malls with friends. But lately, this lifestyle has left me feeling increasingly empty, making me nostalgic for childhood days spent with my grandparents in the countryside. Back then, the sky was blue, the clouds were white, and you could see stars filling the night sky.

Finally last week, I decided to give myself a short break. I put my phone on airplane mode, packed a simple bag, and decided to experience "slow living" on Chongming Island. To be honest, I was a bit nervous making this decision. After all, as someone who grew up in the city, my impression of rural life was limited to TV shows and short videos.

Why Chongming

Many friends were puzzled when they heard I was going to Chongming Island for vacation. In their minds, a vacation should be spent at Sanya's beaches, Lijiang's old town, or Japanese hot springs. But I had my own reasons for choosing Chongming Island.

First, the distance is just right. It takes only about an hour to drive from downtown to Chongming Island, and public transportation is also convenient. This means I don't need to take a long flight or request extended time off. Leaving after work on Friday and returning Sunday night doesn't interfere with Monday's work schedule.

Second, Chongming Island's ecological environment is truly exceptional. As China's third-largest island, Chongming has unique natural conditions. It has Shanghai's largest wetland park, air quality index consistently below 50, and forest coverage exceeding 30%. The island also maintains extensive farmland and ecological parks, making it a true "ecological island."

Most importantly, Chongming Island preserves the most authentic rural atmosphere. There are no commercialized scenic spots or noisy tourist crowds, only simple farmhouses and warm-hearted islanders. In recent years, with the advancement of rural revitalization strategies, Chongming Island's infrastructure has greatly improved while maintaining its authentic rural character.

Day One: First Encounter with Rural Life

After getting off at the Chongming Island port, I took a ride-share to my booked farmstay. Along the way, I was captivated by the scenery outside the window. Unlike the city's towering buildings, here were stretches of farmland and woods. Rapeseed flowers were in full bloom, with golden flower seas extending to the horizon. Occasionally, you could see water buffaloes leisurely grazing by the roadside - a sight impossible to find in the city.

When I arrived at Fengle Village around 3 PM, the sunlight was perfect. From a distance, I could see a two-story gray and white building with osmanthus trees planted in front and chickens and ducks in the yard. This was my farmhouse accommodation. The owner, Auntie Wang, was a rural woman in her fifties wearing a simple floral shirt and always wearing a smile.

Just as I got out of the car, Auntie Wang came out to welcome me warmly. She said she had just baked some sweet potatoes and invited me to try them. Opening the wooden gate to the yard, I was greeted by the fragrance of soil and vegetation. The yard was planted with various vegetables and flowers, and a calico cat was lazily sunbathing on the stone steps.

In the living room stood an old-style square table with freshly baked sweet potatoes. The sweet potato skins were slightly blackened, revealing golden flesh when split open, emitting an enticing aroma. Auntie Wang also brought out her homemade pickled vegetables to eat with them. At that moment, I suddenly understood what "feeling at home" truly meant. In the city, we're used to standardized service in star-rated hotels, but rarely experience this kind of heartfelt hospitality.

The room was on the second floor, with simple rural furnishings but kept very clean. Though it lacked five-star hotel luxury amenities, lying in bed you could hear birds chirping outside and smell the fragrance of osmanthus from the yard - sensations no star-rated hotel could provide.

First Farm Work Experience

After putting down my luggage and resting briefly, Auntie Wang's son, Xiao Wang, offered to take me to experience farm work. To be honest, this was my first time getting so close to farmland. Xiao Wang took me to a rice paddy behind the village where rice transplanting was taking place.

Putting on water boots and stepping into the field, I finally understood farmers' hardships. The muddy water came above my ankles, and each step required great effort to lift my foot. Xiao Wang patiently taught me how to pinch rice seedlings and transplant rice. What looked like simple movements proved quite difficult. The seedlings had to be planted at just the right depth and maintain proper spacing. After working for just a short while, my back started aching, yet the elderly farmers nearby were working energetically and chatting happily.

Xiao Wang told me that rural areas aren't as backward as we imagine anymore. Many farming tasks have been mechanized, and they own a small rice transplanter. However, they deliberately keep one plot for manual transplanting to let tourists experience authentic farming culture. Last year, they had over 20,000 visitors come to experience farm work. This number surprised me - apparently I wasn't the only one seeking this return to basics.

In the evening, we visited the village's farming tools museum. It houses agricultural tools from various periods, from primitive stone tools to modern mechanical equipment. Through these exhibits, I gained a deeper understanding of agricultural development history. Xiao Wang said many city children don't even know what rice plants look like, so they built this museum to help more people understand agricultural culture.

Dinner was served in the courtyard, where Auntie Wang prepared a feast. There were freshly picked vegetables from the garden, free-range chicken they raised, and crabs caught from the river. The most delightful dish was Yan Du Xian, a Chongming Island specialty. Made with locally cured meat and fresh bamboo shoots, it was stewed until tender and fragrant.

After dinner, we sat chatting in the courtyard. Auntie Wang said most young villagers have gone to work in cities, leaving mainly elderly residents behind. However, with the rise of rural tourism, more young people are returning to start businesses. Some open farmstays, others make specialty agricultural products, and some develop agritourism. This has brought new vitality to the once quiet countryside.

Day Two: In-Depth Experience

The next morning, I was awakened by roosters crowing in the yard. Used to mechanical alarm clocks in the city, this natural wake-up call felt particularly fresh. Opening the window, morning sunlight streamed in, and the air outside was especially crisp.

Auntie Wang had already prepared breakfast. A bowl of steaming millet porridge, freshly boiled tea eggs, and homemade pickled vegetables and fermented tofu. These seemingly ordinary ingredients, all naturally grown and free-range, tasted completely different from store-bought items in the city. The millet was harvested last autumn, each grain plump, making a thick and delicious porridge. The tea eggs were made with home-grown tea leaves, the egg whites fully flavored with a subtle tea fragrance.

After breakfast, Auntie Wang took me to her vegetable garden. It was a modest plot growing various seasonal vegetables. Chinese cabbage, greens, eggplants, cucumbers - everything you could imagine. Auntie Wang said she never uses chemical fertilizers or pesticides, relying solely on organic fertilizer and manual weeding. Though the yield can't compare to large-scale farming, the taste and nutritional value are superior.

In the vegetable garden, I learned to identify different vegetable varieties, what seasons are suitable for planting different crops, and how to tell when vegetables are ripe. Auntie Wang also taught me to recognize wild edibles like purslane and dandelion - plants that would be removed as weeds in the city are actually good ingredients.

Unexpected Gains

The afternoon was spent experiencing traditional crafts. It turns out Auntie Wang isn't just a good cook, but also a folk artist. She knows multiple traditional crafts including clay figurine making, grass weaving, and paper cutting. Her workshop was filled with her works - lifelike clay animals, exquisite woven grass baskets, and paper-cut pieces.

Auntie Wang said she learned these crafts from her elders as a child. In the past, when rural people had poor living conditions, they made their own toys. Now that conditions have improved, these traditional skills are at risk of being lost. So she specially offers craft courses to teach visitors these traditional crafts.

Under Auntie Wang's guidance, I tried making a clay figurine. Honestly, it wasn't easy. Just getting the clay to the right consistency took considerable time. Then you have to carefully shape it bit by bit, paying attention to every detail. I chose to make a small rooster, and though my final product was a bit crooked, seeing my own handmade creation gave me a sense of achievement that's hard to find in the city.

Auntie Wang told me that last year, 15,000 visitors came to learn traditional crafts. Now many young people are starting to value traditional culture, not only learning themselves but bringing their children to experience it. This makes her happy, feeling that these ancestral skills still have people willing to learn and pass them on.

In the evening, Auntie Wang specially prepared a traditional farm feast. There were her preserved salted duck eggs, homemade rice wine, and seasonal wild vegetables. After dinner, we sat chatting in the courtyard. The night sky was particularly clear, and we could clearly see the stars. Auntie Wang taught me to identify constellations, and I actually managed to count all seven stars of the Big Dipper! This would be impossible in the light-polluted city.

Time to Say Goodbye

Sunday morning, it was time to pack up and return to the city. Auntie Wang specially packed some home-grown vegetables and her pickled vegetables for me. Before leaving, I stood in the courtyard taking deep breaths, trying to take this fresh air with me.

Watching Auntie Wang and Xiao Wang come to see me off, I suddenly felt reluctant to leave. Though I only stayed two days, everything here made me feel warm and close. This feeling is hard to find in the city.

Travel Reflections

After returning to the city, I began to rethink the meaning of life. In the city, we pursue efficiency and convenience, but often forget what life should really be like. We solve meals with takeout, kill time with phones, but rarely truly experience life.

But these two days on Chongming Island, though lacking urban prosperity, helped me find inner peace. Here, I could slow down and truly feel the sunshine, air, and earth's scent, experiencing the most primitive way of life.

Statistics show that Shanghai's rural tourism received 8.9 million visitors in 2023, a 35% increase from the previous year. These numbers tell us that more and more urbanites are yearning for this slow life. They're no longer satisfied with fast-paced urban living and are seeking a more meaningful lifestyle.

On Chongming Island, I saw many farmers like Auntie Wang who guard traditional culture in their own way, living the simplest life. They helped me understand that life doesn't need to be complicated - simple joys are often more genuine.

If you're also tired of urban noise, consider spending a few days on Chongming Island. Everything here will give you new insights into life. Perhaps, like me, you'll find inner peace here.

This weekend, why not gather some friends and visit Chongming Island? See the golden rapeseed flowers, taste authentic farm cuisine, experience the most primitive rural life. I believe everything here will give you a different perspective.