Origins

Last weekend's trip was such an amazing surprise! As a young professional working in Shanghai, I'm usually busy with work and socializing, rarely having the chance to truly appreciate the beauty around this city. Regarding Chongming Island, I had only seen occasional check-in photos on social media before, thinking it was just an ordinary suburban destination. Only after setting foot on this land known as the "Pearl of the Yangtze River Estuary" did I realize how much I had been missing.

As someone who has lived in Shanghai for several years as a "fake Shanghainese," I typically work in office buildings and spend weekends in shopping malls, accustomed to the fast-paced urban life. Whenever chatting with friends, we always lament about life's pressures and the need to find a place to relax. But where to go? Domestic travel is too far and tiring, while nearby trips risk disappointment. Finally deciding to visit Chongming Island, I never expected the rural tourism experience here would completely overturn my expectations!

New Rural Village

Remember those rural guesthouse experiences during college? Dilapidated houses, poor-quality furniture, lots of mosquitoes, poor hygiene, and just basic home cooking - it felt like we only went there because it was cheap. But when I walked into the guesthouse at Chongming Island's East Beach, I was absolutely amazed! It was so upscale!

First, the overall architectural design completely preserved the traditional farmhouse layout, but the interior decoration was definitely high-end. The designers were so talented, perfectly blending traditional elements with modern aesthetics, with craftsmanship evident everywhere. For example, the abandoned water wheel in the living room was redesigned into a stylish decorative piece, paired with warm lighting that instantly created an artistic feel.

The room details were even more touching, with bedding and furniture as good as any star-rated hotel. What shocked me most was the bathroom, equipped with a Japanese smart toilet! This was a blessing for someone like me who loves cleanliness. The shower system was also advanced, with good water pressure and stable hot water - no worries about bathing at all.

Even better, each room had its own small courtyard or terrace. In the morning, you could open the door to see green rice fields, with egrets foraging in the distance - it was truly therapeutic. At night, lying on the rocking chair in the courtyard watching stars and listening to insects chirping, I felt completely relaxed.

Cultural Reimagining

What impressed me most was how they interpreted Chongming's local culture. Young people today have increasingly high demands for cultural experiences. We don't just want to eat farm meals and stay in farmhouses; we want to truly understand a place's cultural essence. East Beach has done an amazing job in this aspect!

For instance, their Chongming farming culture experience activities weren't just superficial tours. The qingtuan making class I attended was absolutely fantastic! Our teacher was a Chongming auntie in her sixties who not only taught us hands-on how to knead the dough and wrap the filling but also shared many stories about qingtuan in the local dialect.

It turns out Chongming qingtuan is different from regular ones, using special mugwort powder mixed with glutinous rice flour, which makes the qingtuan both fragrant and chewy. The auntie said her family's qingtuan recipe had been passed down for three generations, and during every Qingming Festival, the whole family would gather to make qingtuan - her most precious childhood memory.

During the process, the auntie also taught us some Chongming dialect, like how "qingtuan" is called "qingtang" in Chongming dialect, with a very interesting pronunciation. Although I couldn't learn many dialect words, these details really helped me experience Chongming's unique local culture.

In the end, although our qingtuan weren't perfectly shaped, they were truly delicious! The fresh aroma of mugwort paired with the sweet but not cloying filling instantly made me understand why Chongming qingtuan has endured for so many years.

Experience Above All

Honestly, rural tourism today is completely different from the simple "see the scenery and have a meal" of the past. East Beach's experience programs are designed with great care, perfectly addressing the pain points of us urban young people.

What delighted me most was the "Rice Field Yoga" program. When I first heard the name, I thought it was just a gimmick, but after actually experiencing it, I discovered it's truly a stress-relief miracle for urban dwellers! Waking up at 6 AM was a bit painful, but when you stand on the wooden platform in the middle of the rice fields, watching the sunrise and feeling the morning breeze, you feel completely healed.

The instructor was a sister with particularly good temperament, and her poses weren't too difficult, focusing mainly on breathing and connecting with the natural environment to relax body and mind. Imagine doing the simplest standing pose while hearing the alternating sounds of frogs and birds, seeing distant rice fields gleaming golden in the morning light, and smelling the fresh fragrance of rice flowers in the air. This feeling can't be experienced in any high-end yoga studio.

Another pleasant surprise was their café. Honestly, it's rare to find professionally brewed pour-over coffee in rural areas. This café was built in an all-glass house with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, offering excellent views. The barista was a young person with many stories, who used to work in a specialty coffee shop in Shanghai but came to East Beach pursuing rural life.

Their coffee beans are carefully selected; I ordered a Yunnan small-bean coffee that had subtle nutty and chocolate notes, particularly smooth. The best part was enjoying coffee in such a pastoral environment - the contrast between urban and rural created a unique aesthetic.

Besides these, East Beach has many other special experience programs. For example, the farming experience isn't just simple planting and harvesting; elderly farmers provide detailed explanations about different crops' growth cycles and characteristics. The bird watching program has professional guides teaching us about various migratory birds and their habits. Each program is thoughtfully designed to help people truly understand and experience the beauty of rural life.

Data Verification

Seeing the latest tourism data, I'm not surprised at all. In 2023, Chongming Island visitor numbers exceeded 5 million, with 80% choosing to stay overnight, showing people are no longer satisfied with simple day trips but prefer deeper rural life experiences. Interestingly, people under 35 accounted for 65%, truly reflecting young people's pursuit of quality life.

When chatting with new friends met at the café, everyone expressed feeling particularly stressed nowadays and wanting to find a place to completely relax on weekends. But traveling far is too tiring, while nearby trips risk poor quality. Destinations like East Beach, with both quality and character, naturally become the best choice. Plus, the value for money is great - just 600-700 yuan for a night at the guesthouse, and various experience programs only cost 100-200 yuan each, much more economical than urban getaways that easily cost thousands.

Promising Future

Through this East Beach trip, I gained new insights into future rural tourism. This is definitely not just an upgraded version of farmhouse entertainment, but an exploration of a completely new lifestyle. It perfectly combines rural simplicity with modern quality, allowing us urbanites to truly experience rural life's beauty without sacrificing quality of life.

For example, their guesthouse design maintains the spatial layout of traditional farmhouses, allowing people to experience the rural living atmosphere, while paying great attention to details to ensure the accommodation experience matches star hotels. Their cultural experience activities both let tourists understand Chongming's traditional culture and present it in a modern way that appeals to young people.

Most importantly, East Beach's development model well balances tourism development with ecological protection. They don't simply convert farmland into scenic areas but make agricultural production itself part of the landscape and experience. This sustainable development model is the right direction for future rural tourism.

Honestly, after this trip ended, I started looking forward to coming back. Each visit brings new surprises, different programs to experience, and seasonal changes to feel. I heard they're continuously developing new experience programs, like the upcoming crop adoption plan that will let tourists adopt a plot of land, regularly experience farming, and harvest their own agricultural products.

Friendly Tips

Some advice for friends planning to visit East Beach: First, weekends are really crowded, so definitely book rooms in advance, preferably more than a week ahead. When we went, we almost couldn't book our desired room and only got it because of a last-minute cancellation.

If you want to participate in rice field yoga, remember sun protection. Although it's early morning, the sun can still be intense. Bring sun-protective clothing, sunscreen, and hats, and preferably wear athletic pants as there are sitting and lying poses.

For those wanting to take photos, don't forget a tripod. East Beach's sunrises and sunsets are especially beautiful, particularly the golden rice fields with evening glow - everything looks photogenic. However, be careful when taking photos near rice fields, and don't trample crops for photos.

Finally, I recommend downloading a bird watching APP, as East Beach is home to many migratory birds, and with luck, you might photograph some rare species. The APP can help you learn about these birds' habits beforehand, making sightings more meaningful.