Doing 'Tiger' Things in the Year of the Tiger: A 2022 Self-Driving Travelogue of Guangzhou Changlong Wildlife World

It's been a while since we returned from our trip to Guangdong and Hainan, but the lazy soul has taken over Qi Dad's body, so after coming back he’s been in a daze, muddleheaded. It was only when Qi Xiaobao finished his 14-day home quarantine and returned to school that his liberated limbs also summoned back the active soul, and then I thought of putting together the travelogue. When writing this, the war in Europe was still raging fiercely. The Year of the Tiger kicked off with grand gestures! Big Brother Mao (Russia) was full of tiger-like might, Little Brother Mao (Ukraine) was tigerishly reckless, and we, the rabbits of our Flower-growing Family (China), together with the other inhabitants of this planet, set out stools and melon seeds, sipping tea and spitting out gossip, becoming spectators watching the 'tigers' fight from the mountain. Indeed, the Year of the Tiger is anything but ordinary—everything looks so 'tiger'!

Leave the big picture to President Putin up north; let’s just live our own little lives well. I’m recording and sharing our unexpected trip to Guangzhou Changlong. Those interested, take it with no need for thanks.

Around the Spring Festival, in southern Fujian, one winter rain after another brought bone-chilling cold, making even Qi Mom, a northerner, cry out that she couldn’t stand it! Qi Mom had thought going south for the New Year would be warm, but unexpectedly it turned out like the song: 'You’re in the south with bright sun yet snowflakes fly, I’m in the north’s cold night feeling like spring all year round.' In internet slang, 'it’s a barbecue!'—meaning it’s all over. This year’s New Year in the south not only had no bright sun, the persistent low temperatures made life unbearable! So warmth became Qi Mom’s regret and also her longing.

To defend the impression of a warm south, Qi Dad threw caution to the wind, deciding to postpone returning to Beijing and add an impromptu 'summer' trip. You didn’t misread; rather than shivering endlessly in winter nights, why not sweat profusely in the heat of summer? Thus, the southernmost Hainan Island became the most error-free destination, and with a road trip of over a thousand kilometers needing a stopover, the Guangzhou trip thus came into being. This trip wasn’t meticulously planned at all; it was a pure, reckless act—in northern dialect, very 'tiger,' which fits the start of the Year of the Tiger very well. Conveniently, later in the journey we saw real tigers, making it a quite fitting travel experience.

At Lianhuashan Service Area on the Yongguan Expressway, Guangzhou was already within reach, and the rain had noticeably lightened. This rain spanned two provinces. The verdant mountains nearby must be the namesake of this service area, Lianhuashan (Lotus Mountain); the ridges indeed resembled a lotus, and with post-rain clouds lingering, it was full of ethereal charm. My car, which has run nearly 30,000 kilometers in two years, makes an appearance. In these two years, from the northern deserts to Hainan, from the northeast to the northwest, I’ve driven it to many places—every kilometer a landscape, every one a memory.

On the road, I spontaneously searched and found a hotel with excellent value for money, the Hilton Guangzhou Science City, located in Guangzhou’s Luogang Science City. Perhaps because it’s in a science park, during Spring Festival, this place was completely quiet; the people chasing their dreams had probably all returned to their hometowns for the big New Year celebration.

This hotel’s courtyard design had a bit of an island vibe, becoming a mini resort hideaway from the hustle and bustle amidst the towering buildings of the tech park.

Qi Xiaobao loves vacations the most; as long as he’s on the road, he’s always bathed in a spring breeze, even his little feet seem to laugh.

Last night I thought we’d head straight to Xuwen Port tomorrow to cross the sea to Hainan. Waking up, Qi Dad changed his mind again. Having been to Guangzhou several times, I always thought of visiting Changlong but never did for various reasons. Since plans can’t keep up with changes, why not go with the flow this time? When it comes to travel, Qi Mom and Qi Dad are always in sync! Thus we hit it off, and a Changlong two-day tour 'emerged from nothing'—and so it happened. Indeed, a spontaneous trip requires the readiness to change at will.

Changlong is in Guangzhou’s Panyu District, just across a river from the main city. The river under the Panyu Bridge is called the Xi River, a tributary of the Pearl River system. Cities with waterways have a certain spirit; the Pearl River to Guangzhou is like the Yangtze to Chongqing, or the Huangpu River to Shanghai—a river shapes a city’s scenery and carries its soul.

The lobby of the Chimelong Panda Hotel was bustling. Despite COVID-19 alert situations in many places nationwide, Guangzhou in the south still thrived with vitality, and the people’s daily lives remained vibrant and colorful, seemingly unaffected by the pandemic.

The Panda Hotel is a property under the Chimelong Group, with shuttle buses able to reach all attractions in the resort. Chimelong Group has several hotels in the resort with different positioning, and all hotels and attractions are connected by shuttle buses, free for tourists—very convenient. So, to enjoy Changlong happily and easily, just book a resort hotel on Ctrip and buy a combo ticket. One adult combo ticket allows free entry for one child, very convenient.

Mood can be relaxed, but pandemic prevention can’t! In this chaotic world, the only thing left to shield you is a mask! Here’s our trio of masked little ones making an appearance!

Chimelong Safari Park should be considered the largest wildlife park in China, a park within a park, many times larger than Beijing Daxing Wildlife Park. Look, Qi kid is already dancing with joy.

Entering from the South Gate, you can opt for a chartered car into the carnivore zone. First, breeze through the predator area, then enter the walking zone for a closer look. Qi Xiaobao’s mood was as bright as the bear mascot behind the car.

Black swans—these can exist in zoos but must not appear in economic life. Over these years, whether in politics, economy, or stock markets, 'black swan' events seem to crop up endlessly, making one’s liver tremble at the mere mention of 'swan'!

Scarlet ibis, a bird entirely red. These crimson sprites dotted the green woods, amping up the New Year atmosphere.

Of course, a fiery red Chinese New Year can’t go without flamingos.

The elephants here are clearly more lively than those in Beijing Wildlife Park. It seems that for animals, climate and environment are factors you can’t ignore. The climatic zone Guangzhou lies in is closer to the elephants’ habitat, making it a comfort zone for them.

We met the tiger of the year itself, but these white tigers were lying lazily on the ground sleeping, seemingly determined to act out 'crouching tiger, hidden dragon' to the end. Whatever happened to the promised tiger-like might?

Mexican tapir, an animal shaped like a pig with a nose a bit like an elephant, native to Central America, peculiar-looking and adorably clumsy! I heard this animal is shy, and Qi Dad thought to himself, with a name containing 'mo' (tapir), it’s naturally humorous!

Ahead came a 'rustling' sound; looking up, a green peacock was displaying its plumage. The peacock feathers spread like a fan, shaking and rustling—truly a show of swagger! Seeing a peacock display on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year—what good luck! What a good mood!

In the bear enclosure, a brown bear sat atop a boulder, its paw tapping the stone beside it, eyes sharp and aggressive—in a word, 'steady'!

I heard this is the boss of the bear enclosure, with an aura that perfectly nails the big boss demeanor! A brown bear pacing back and forth on the ground, looking slightly agitated, was clearly much more frivolous. When I asked the electric cart driver, he said this was the boss’s lackey. It seems this bear underling is really into its role! Animals and humans are alike—appearance stems from the heart; there’s still a gap in aura between the big brother and the little brother.

In a corner of the bear enclosure, something happened, and two black bears inexplicably started tussling. Is this a 'blind brawl'? It seems that for today’s Eastern European crisis, the great bear realm had already given an early warning!

The lion in the next enclosure couldn’t stand it anymore and let out a 'lion’s roar from the east river,' thinking it would intimidate the furballs, but Big Brother Mao remained unmoved—over there roaring, over here brawling! Qi Dad couldn’t help but sigh: Who says worldly affairs are unpredictable? That’s because you haven’t been to the zoo! Haha! Alright, let’s pray for world peace and that all animals can coexist peacefully!

African rhinoceros, the bulldozer of the animal kingdom, with a huge temper and a tiny heart—absolutely a lethal weapon! Better not provoke him.

Gemsbok, with both horns curving backward like a semicircle, very interesting.

The giraffes inside the park were very down-to-earth.

The 'giraffe' outside was quite fashionable—perhaps that’s the difference between growing it on your body and wearing it.

The boxer of the animal kingdom—kangaroo. Qi Xiaobao, who is learning boxing, couldn’t help but pose. Hey, not bad! He actually looked somewhat like a fighter!

Qi Xiaobao’s interest soon wandered; he bought a bubble gun and started playing with it. Kids don’t watch the technique, only the spectacle.

In the cute pet world, if koalas claim second place, I bet no one dares claim first. So, the koalas in the trees stayed motionless, while tourists below swarmed; Koala classmate neither fought nor grabbed, remained calm, yet used stillness to move, full of popularity. This is truly great wisdom appearing like folly! Respect!

Naturally cute Qi Xiaobao crawled into the belly of a koala statue—does this count as cuteness to the bone? Haha!

The koala garden was full of cute pets; Qi Xiaobao forced his way into the ranks.

Grabbed some food to replenish energy. In Guangzhou, the biggest characteristic is that service facilities are quite comprehensive; inside the zoo, you can always get reasonably quality meals, and they’re available throughout the opening hours. This is far better than Beijing Daxing Wildlife Park, where after mealtime you can only eat instant noodles and sausages. No wonder it’s said that Guangzhou alone can surpass South Korea’s GDP and nearly catch up with Japan—from the horizontal and vertical depth of various commercial services, you can glimpse a bit of that.

Doesn’t this look like Bing Dwen Dwen? Actually, the design team for Bing Dwen Dwen is in Guangzhou, so it’s possible they’re distant relatives.

The giant panda always draws the biggest crowds. The Giant Bamboo Grove is the pandas’ home.

This here is the famous 'Handsome, Cool, and Cute' panda triplets’ Shuai Shuai—doesn’t he look like the Dragon Warrior from Kung Fu Panda?

The Dragon Warrior lounged lazily on a tree stump, his deep gaze piercing through the bamboo grove... This aura, definitely Ah Bao incarnate!

The youngest of the Handsome, Cool, and Cute brothers—Meng Meng—sat there chewing dry bamboo, indeed adorably silly.

A walking barcode—come, scan it!

At 3 p.m., it was time for the float parade, and the tree-lined avenue became a sea of joy.

Wherever the float procession passed, crowds surged and energy peaked!

The ticket to Chimelong Safari Park includes a sightseeing cable car service, offering a god’s-eye view of the entire zoo.

The cable car Qi Xiaobao had been longing for was finally arranged.

Next to the cable car station, an artist dressed as a clown was performing a bubble show, surrounded by a large circle of curious kids. Chimelong Safari Park sets up little performances in different areas, which livens the atmosphere and enriches the zoo’s content, fully enhancing its entertainment attributes.

Spider monkeys pulled a 'monkeys fishing for the moon' act; that strong tail seemed even more useful than limbs.

I couldn’t help taking a few more glances at the tiger—after all, this year they’re the stars!

Who said tigers can’t climb trees?

The next second, this white tiger climbed onto a nearby tree stump, heading straight for the piece of chicken meat hanging from the top. In this world, as long as there’s profit to be had, let alone tigers, even sows will climb trees!

A white tiger kicked off a diving performance.

It leaped high and tore off the chicken piece the trainer had hung above the water with a thread, snatching it with one bite.

Never having seen a tiger dive before, I couldn’t resist taking a few more photos. At the start of the Year of the Tiger, watching a tiger dive was certainly not a wasted trip!

The tiger, with chicken in its mouth, swam contentedly toward the shore. The zoo put a lot of thought into pleasing visitors, though it’s a bit tough on these tigers. But thinking it over, it’s not too bad; tigers should retain some wildness after all. Increasing the difficulty of foraging preserves their wildness while also boosting the spectacle—a win-win.

The little tiger in the animal kindergarten looked like a housecat. Humans are born good; who wasn’t once a little white?

An entire wall of panda masks would turn to follow your figure. When Qi Dad passed by here, he felt like someone was staring. Turning around suddenly, a heap of dark eye circles staring at you—really gave a scare! Hehe!

A great spot for kids who love dinosaurs—Jurassic Forest. This should be Qi Xiaobao’s favorite.

The simulated dinosaurs were lifelike, their roars echoing through the woods. This Jurassic Forest had some immersive feel, though Qi Xiaobao might have been a bit nervous, walking very quickly. Qi Dad was too busy chasing him to take many photos. If your kids love dinosaurs, don’t miss this place!

The famous Chimelong Grand Circus began. The performers here are basically Russian and Ukrainian; the adventurous spirit of the fighting nation has always been prominent. Times have changed, and looking at these photos against the current international backdrop evokes many emotions! It feels like in just a short month, for Ukrainian civilians, heaven has been replaced by hell. So, we should cherish the present and pray for peace!

Even flamingos came on stage!

A group of foreigners dressed in traditional Chinese costumes were doing a dragon dance. This scene always felt a bit strange, but with the motherland prosperous, we should gradually get used to such images.

The Panda Hotel is located in the heart of the Chimelong Resort, themed around pandas, which Qi Xiaobao really likes.

Let Qi Xiaobao be the spokesperson.

The hotel is filled with panda elements everywhere. Qi Dad felt like all these pandas were waving at his wallet! Well, life is only about thirty thousand days, I accept it!

Outside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the hotel lobby, several ornamental peacocks were kept.

It seemed these white peacocks were in a good mood today, vigorously spreading their beautiful plumage. For a moment, the rustling sound was continuous.

The unexpected trip to Guangzhou Changlong yielded many expected delights, giving a shot in the arm to the spontaneous and ready-to-change Qi Dad and Qi Mom. This journey, though very 'tiger,' was also brimming with gains.

Amidst the 'rustle, rustle, rustle' screen-filling sounds of these white sprites, we bid farewell to the Chimelong Resort in Guangzhou, heading west along the Shenhai Expressway. The next stop: crossing the sea from Zhanjiang Xuwen, directly to Hainan Island!