novelraw Chapter 1677
Chapter 1677
Chapter 1677
The sun shone through the window onto Li Xiao's face. He squinted his eyes and looked through the travel guide on his phone, full of anticipation for the upcoming journey. "Zhang Yuedong, Lin Yifei, we must see all of China's beautiful mountains and rivers this time!" Li Xiao shouted excitedly.
Zhang Yuedong put down the book in his hand and responded with a smile: "That's for sure. I can't wait to set off."
Lin Yifei was packing his luggage and muttering, "I brought my camera and power bank with me. I must take a lot of nice photos this time."
The three of them were college classmates. After graduation, they were busy with work, but their love for traveling never faded. A chance meeting made them decide to take a spontaneous trip to China to explore cities they had never been to and experience the customs and practices of different regions.
The night before departure, they gathered at Li Xiao's home and discussed the itinerary again. "Let's go to Xi'an as the first stop. It is the ancient capital of 13 dynasties and has a profound historical and cultural heritage. There are terracotta warriors, ancient city walls, and a variety of delicious food." Li Xiao said while pointing at the map.
Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Okay, I've wanted to try the authentic Roujiamo and Yangroupaomo for a long time. I heard that there are so many delicious foods in the Muslim Street in Xi'an. I'm drooling just thinking about it."
Lin Yifei also became interested: "There are many folk performances in Xi'an, such as Huayin Laoqiang, which is very shocking. I must go to the scene to experience it."
The more they talked, the more excited they became, full of fantasies about the upcoming journey. Thinking about the beautiful scenery they were about to see, the delicious food they were about to taste, and the folk culture they were about to experience, their excitement and curiosity grew stronger.
The next morning, they arrived at the airport with their suitcases. In the waiting hall, people were coming and going, full of the atmosphere of travel. Li Xiao looked at the plane outside the window and said with emotion: "We are finally going to start our adventure. I can't believe it."
Zhang Yuedong patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be sentimental. Go buy a cup of coffee and wake yourself up. We'll have fun later."
Lin Yifei was busy taking photos to record the moment of departure. "When I get older, I will look at these photos again, and they will definitely be very meaningful," he said with a smile.
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As the boarding notice came over the radio, the three of them stood up and walked briskly towards the boarding gate. They were full of anticipation for the unknown journey, and they knew that this would be an unforgettable trip that would leave a deep mark in their lives.
After several hours of flight, they finally arrived in BJ. As soon as they got off the plane, Li Xiao took a deep breath and said excitedly: "BJ, we are here! This city full of historical charm must have many surprises waiting for us."
Zhang Yuedong responded with a smile: "Yes, I can't wait to visit the Forbidden City. It is the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties and carries hundreds of years of history."
Lin Yifei was busy taking photos, saying as he did so: "Everything here seems to have a story. I want to take more photos and savor them slowly when I get back."
They took the subway and arrived at the Palace Museum. Standing in front of the Meridian Gate of the Palace Museum, Li Xiao was shocked by the magnificent building in front of him. The vermilion gate and the golden door nails looked particularly solemn under the sunlight. "This is the Palace Museum. It is indeed one of the largest palace complexes in the world. It is so magnificent!" Li Xiao exclaimed.
Zhang Yuedong couldn't help but admire: "Yes, the red walls, yellow tiles, flying eaves and corners, every detail shows the majesty and luxury of the ancient royal family."
As they followed the crowd into the Forbidden City, the first thing that caught their eyes was the Hall of Supreme Harmony. This magnificent hall, standing on a three-story white marble platform, looked particularly majestic and spectacular. The golden dragon throne, carved beams and painted buildings in the hall made people feel as if they had traveled back to ancient times and saw the scene of the emperor holding a grand ceremony here.
Li Xiao walked around the Hall of Supreme Harmony, carefully observing every architectural detail, and couldn't help but sigh: "The ancient craftsmen were so amazing that they were able to build such an exquisite building. Every pillar and every tile of the Hall of Supreme Harmony contains their wisdom and hard work."
Zhang Yuedong was very interested in the history of the Forbidden City. He pulled the tour guide and kept asking questions: "Tour guide, how many times has the Hall of Supreme Harmony been rebuilt?" The tour guide patiently answered: "The Hall of Supreme Harmony has been burned down many times since its completion, and has been rebuilt many times. The current building is the one rebuilt in the 34th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty. It has witnessed countless historical changes, and each reconstruction carries the culture and skills of the time."
Lin Yifei was busy using his camera to record this beautiful moment. He kept changing angles and photographing various sides of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. "Such a beautiful building must be photographed so that more people can see it," he said to himself.
Then, they came to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The Palace of Heavenly Purity was the sleeping palace of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Although the interior decoration is relatively simple, it still retains the royal style. Li Xiao looked at the furnishings in the palace, imagined the scene of the emperor's life here, and said with emotion: "Living in such a palace, although you enjoy wealth and splendor, you also shoulder heavy responsibilities."
Zhang Yuedong nodded: "Yes, every brick and tile here has witnessed the vicissitudes of history, and major historical events may have occurred in every corner."
Walking in the Forbidden City, they seemed to travel through time and space, appreciating the splendor and glory of the ancient royal family. Every palace, pavilion, and garden along the way was full of historical charm. Unconsciously, a day passed quietly in this long river of history.
After coming out of the Forbidden City, their stomachs were already growling. Li Xiao suggested: "Let's go eat Peking duck, which is a specialty of BJ. It would be a pity not to eat Peking duck when you come to BJ."
Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei agreed. So they came to the famous Quanjude. As soon as they entered the store, the rich aroma of roast duck hit their noses, making people salivate.
The waiter greeted them warmly, arranged seats for them, and handed them the menu. Zhang Yuedong looked at the menu and said with a smile: "Today we must try this authentic Beijing roast duck. I heard that Quanjude's roast duck has crispy skin and tender meat, fat but not greasy, and is the best roast duck."
After a while, the roast duck was served. The chef skillfully cut the roast duck into thin slices and placed them neatly on the plate. The roast duck was bright red, with crispy skin and tender meat. Just looking at it made people hungry.
Li Xiao picked up a pancake, put a few slices of roast duck on it, added shredded green onion, shredded cucumber and sweet noodle sauce, rolled it up and took a bite. Suddenly, the fragrance of duck meat, the spiciness of shredded green onion, the freshness of shredded cucumber and the mellowness of sweet noodle sauce blended in his mouth, leaving a lasting aftertaste. "It's so delicious! This roast duck is really as good as its reputation, it's simply a delicacy on earth." Li Xiao praised it highly. Zhang Yuedong also ate with gusto. While eating, he joked: "This roast duck was a delicacy that only the royal family could enjoy in the past. Today we can also experience the 'royal enjoyment on the tip of the tongue'."
Lin Yifei was busy taking photos. He posted the photos of the roast duck to his Moments, which attracted many likes and comments from his friends. "Such a delicious roast duck must be known to everyone," he said with a smile.
They also ordered some of Quanjude's special side dishes, such as mustard duck feet and salted duck liver. Each dish was exquisitely cooked and delicious, making people eat with satisfaction. In the laughter, they enjoyed this sumptuous meal and felt the unique food culture of BJ.
After eating roast duck, they came to a theater to watch a Peking Opera performance. Peking Opera is the quintessence of China and has a unique artistic charm. Li Xiao has always been interested in Peking Opera. He said: "The singing, performance and costumes of Peking Opera are very unique. Today I finally have the opportunity to experience it live."
Zhang Yuedong also expressed his anticipation: "I heard that Peking Opera performances are very particular, and every move contains a profound cultural heritage. I must appreciate it carefully."
Lin Yifei was particularly fascinated by the costumes and makeup of Peking Opera. He said: "The costumes and makeup of Peking Opera actors are so beautiful, they are simply works of art. I want to take more photos."
The performance began, and the first to be performed was the classic play "Farewell My Concubine". As soon as the actors appeared on the stage, they attracted the audience's attention with their superb performances and gorgeous costumes. The actress who played Yu Ji wore gorgeous costumes, a phoenix crown on her head, and held two swords. She danced gracefully and sang melodiously, interpreting Yu Ji's deep affection and helplessness vividly.
Lin Yifei was attracted by the costumes and makeup of the Peking Opera actors. He stared at the stage intently and took photos non-stop. "The costumes and makeup are so exquisite, and every detail is handled just right. It is worthy of being the quintessence of the Chinese nation," he exclaimed.
Li Xiao was immersed in the plot and was moved by the love story between Yu Ji and Xiang Yu. "The plot is so touching and the actors' performances are so good that I feel like I am there," he said with emotion.
Zhang Yuedong admired the singing and performance skills of Peking Opera very much. He said: "The singing of Peking Opera is really unique, sometimes high-pitched and passionate, sometimes gentle and melodious. The actors' performances are also very delicate, and every movement has its unique meaning."
In Farewell My Concubine, Yu Ji's sword dance is truly unique. Following the rhythm of the music, her sword dance is as smooth as flowing water, and her movements are light and graceful, which makes people intoxicated. The sword in her hand seems to have life, sometimes like a dragon out of the sea, sometimes like a phoenix spreading its wings, and with her singing and expression, Yu Ji's emotions are expressed vividly.
The audience was impressed by the wonderful performances of the actors and burst into warm applause and cheers from time to time. After the performance, they were still immersed in the artistic atmosphere of Peking Opera and were reluctant to leave for a long time.
After watching the Peking Opera, they came to Dashilan, a famous commercial street in Beijing with many time-honored shops selling various Beijing specialties and souvenirs.
Li Xiao said: "When you come to BJ, you must bring some local specialties back to your family and friends. There are so many kinds of things here, you can definitely find something suitable."
Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, I also want to buy myself some souvenirs as a commemoration of this trip."
They walked into a Daoxiangcun store, which was filled with a variety of pastries. Li Xiao looked at the pastries and couldn't help but think of the snacks he had eaten when he was a child. He said: "Daoxiangcun's pastries are very famous. I especially liked them when I was a child. These pastries are not only delicious, but also beautifully packaged, and very suitable for giving to family and friends."
So he started to choose, and bought some jujube flower cakes, hawthorn pot cakes, ox tongue biscuits, etc., which are all Daoxiangcun's signature products. While choosing, he said: "These cakes have the taste of old BJ, I believe my family and friends will like them."
Zhang Yuedong bought some Fuling sandwiches for himself to eat on the way. He said: "Fuling sandwiches have a crispy texture, are sweet but not greasy, and are very suitable as snacks."
Then, they went to Liubiju. Liubiju's pickles are one of BJ's specialties, with a long history and unique flavor. Li Xiao bought some sweet sauce eight-treasure vegetables, sweet sauce cucumbers and sugar garlic. He said: "These pickles are delicious and crispy. They can be used to go with rice or porridge. They are very good."
Zhang Yuedong also bought some pickles. He said, "Liubiju's pickles are a time-honored brand with guaranteed quality. I'll bring some back for my family to try so they can also experience the taste of BJ."
In Dashilan, they also bought some other specialties, such as BJ's silk figurines, rabbit gods and other handicrafts. These handicrafts are exquisitely made, with strong Beijing characteristics, and are good souvenirs.
Carrying full shopping bags, they walked on the streets of Dashilan, feeling the prosperity and bustle of BJ. Today's trip to BJ has brought them a lot of gains. Not only did they appreciate the history, culture and natural scenery of BJ, but they also tasted BJ's special food and bought BJ's specialties. They know that this is just the beginning of their journey, and there will be more exciting things waiting for them to explore in the future.
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After bidding farewell to BJ, they set off for Chongqing. The plane slowly landed at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport. As soon as they got off the plane, the hot and humid air hit them in the face, making them instantly feel the unique atmosphere of this mountain city.
Li Xiao took a deep breath and said excitedly: "Chongqing, we are finally here! I have heard that this is a magical city with hills and ridges everywhere. I must experience it today."
Zhang Yuedong responded with a smile: "Yes, and there is also the Chongqing hotpot that I have been craving for. Just thinking about it makes me feel satisfied."
Lin Yifei was busy taking photos to record the moment of arriving in Chongqing. "The architectural style here is completely different from that in BJ. It is built on the mountain with layers upon layers. It is very unique," he exclaimed.
They took the subway to the YZ District. Along the way, the scenery outside the window made them dazzled. There were tall buildings standing in rows, the roads were winding, and the light rail shuttled through the city, sometimes going underground and sometimes passing through tall buildings. People couldn't help but sigh at the wonder of this city.