Take Your Kids Amidst Green Hills and Clear Waters: Play in Water, Feed Animals, Ride a Little Train, Eat Delicious Food, and Start a Summer Camp Journey

If I were to describe the beauty of Guilin's landscapes once again, it would be a serious suspicion of coasting. After all, just talking about Guilin's mountains and waters, they are already renowned worldwide. Coming to Guilin time and time again, bringing Little Meat Bun to the green hills and clear waters here, it's no longer just about the mountains and waters, not just about seeing the scenery. This time, bringing Little Meat Bun to Guilin, I wanted to experience with him a different kind of joy and beauty amidst the picturesque scenery. Hearing that Guilin Shangri-La has a parent-child summer camp activity, I decided to take Little Meat Bun here to spend three days and two nights in this beautiful landscape. From Guangzhou to Guilin, a two-hour high-speed train ride. Little Meat Bun, who usually takes naps, maybe out of anticipation and excitement, kept looking at the green hills and clear waters outside the window, looking forward to the journey ahead. Arriving at Shangri-La, it was already evening. In the pick-up car, local Guangxi passion fruit juice was prepared. The sweet and sour cold passion fruit juice relieved the fatigue of the journey and the summer heat. Upon arriving at Shangri-La, Little Meat Bun was immediately attracted by the large human-shaped mascot. There are many fish in the Li River, so there is a fishing tradition here. More specially, in Guilin, it is customary to use cormorants for fishing, so Shangri-La used the cormorant as the prototype for its mascot. The big LULU is made into a cartoon image, very cute. And LULU also welcomes the children participating in the summer camp in the hotel lobby. When we arrived, we happened to see the bamboo pole dance in the lobby. The bamboo pole dance is a characteristic of Guangxi's ethnic minorities. Here, you can see ethnic minority performers in special costumes, tapping bamboo poles on the ground. Children can jump among the bamboo poles and experience the charm of ethnic dance. After the bamboo pole dance, Little Meat Bun and I returned to the booked Executive Balcony Room. Located on the second floor, the Executive Balcony Room is very spacious. The room has a large balcony, from which you can see the green hills and clear waters in the distance, the Li River flowing right in front of the hotel, and the elegant mountains along the Li River. The balcony is equipped with tea tables, lounge chairs, swing chairs, etc. Making a pot of tea on the balcony, or sitting on the swing swaying, watching the sunset dye the sky golden, is also very romantic. In the room, besides the comfortable big bed, there is a sizable children's tent. For Little Meat Bun, the small tent is his little world. Even at night, he preferred to sleep alone in the tent, leaving me behind. The bathroom facilities are also very satisfactory. The dry and wet separation is very convenient, and there is a large bathtub. Whether Little Meat Bun playing in the water at night or me taking a comfortable bubble bath, both can relax the mind. The room also prepared welcome desserts, including mango pomelo sago, turtle jelly, durian puffs, and other sweets, giving a sweet feeling upon entering the room. Even more surprising, the pastry chef made chocolate into the shape of Guilin's mountains, with various decorations. Moreover, at some point, the hotel had obtained photos of Little Meat Bun and me and printed them on white chocolate, placing them in this dessert. Seeing our own photos at that moment was really surprising. The small chocolate made me reluctant to eat it, even hoping to take it home. The room also prepared a LULU doll with Little Meat Bun's name embroidered on it. Little Meat Bun hugged his possibly unique LULU in the world, holding onto his own joy and happiness. After Little Meat Bun and I put away our luggage, the first evening's dinner was arranged at the hotel's Shang Palace. In fact, all Shangri-La hotel Chinese restaurants use the same name, and each Shangri-La's Shang Palace has an antique decoration style, also incorporating local specialties with improvements, giving a different feel to local dishes. If there is one most famous dish in Guilin, it must be beer fish. The clear Li River produces various fish; fish raised in high-quality water have tender and sweet meat. Beer fish uses a special sauce, and most importantly, beer is added. Beer makes the fish meat more tender and brings out its freshness. The beer used here for beer fish is Shangri-La's own brew, which has a fresher taste. I have always been a big soup lover. This soup uses snails from the Lijiang River, which are large, about the size of table tennis balls. The snail meat is fuller and firmer, with a refreshing texture. The soup includes bitter melon and meatballs, sweet yet with the bitter taste of bitter melon, especially suitable for summer heat relief. Luo Han Guo braised pork. Luo Han Guo is a specialty of Guangxi, very fragrant and with excellent medicinal value. Paired with braised pork, the refreshing taste of Luo Han Guo removes the greasiness, making it lighter. Braised pork can be eaten with steamed buns (momo) for a richer taste. Actually, roast pork is a very familiar dish for Cantonese people, but unexpectedly, at Guilin Shangri-La, the roast pork also brought a pleasant surprise. The skin of the roast pork is crispy and very flavorful, each bite is fragrant. This dish can also be made by children. Mugwort is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, fragrant and with effects like dispelling dampness. Children can make mugwort rice cakes under the guidance of the chefs, then steam them immediately. Tasting their own handmade mugwort rice cakes is a very special experience for Little Meat Bun. Other dishes at Shang Palace are also very exquisite and delicious. Enjoying a meal during the trip is a small happiness. Although the trip from Guangzhou to Guilin is not long, it is quite tiring. So in the evening, Little Meat Bun and I went to the spa center for a parent-child spa. I have experienced many spas, but parent-child spas are very rare. Little Meat Bun can also enjoy a comfortable spa in the parent-child session, relaxing both body and mind. At the spa center, first close your eyes and choose a suitable essential oil, then undergo a Tantric ritual to fully open up. In the room, which is very large, a large bathtub was already prepared with warm bubble bath. We could take a bath together before the comfortable spa. The spa process goes without saying; the masseur's techniques were skilled, focusing on the most tired parts of the body. With the chosen essential oil, our bodies were perfectly relaxed. After the spa, we returned to the room and fell asleep in the sweet air of Guilin. The fresh air here made sleep especially sweet. Waking up from sweet sleep, the second day's summer camp officially began! Getting up in the morning is the best time for exercise. Tai Chi has always been a Chinese national treasure. It looks slow but exercises every muscle of the body, coordinating with breathing, exercising every part through inhalation and exhalation. The garden at Shangri-La is very comfortable, and they specially invited a professional Tai Chi master. Under the master's guidance, Little Meat Bun and I experienced this national treasure in the fresh air, exercising in the warm sunshine, which was very novel. The morning sunlight was warm, not harsh, falling on us, very comfortable. After Tai Chi, a hearty buffet breakfast was perfect to start the day. Breakfast had many local specialties, from Guilin rice noodles to mugwort rice cakes, local foods are always attractive. Western-style breakfasts are also available. Enjoy a good meal and a cup of rich coffee, and the day starts full of energy. Next, it was time to be temporarily separated from Little Meat Bun! Shangri-La has professional summer camp teachers; children follow teachers to experience various small projects. At Shangri-La, there is a small zoo with pigeons, ostriches, peacocks, rabbits, and other animals. There is also an incubator where many animals are born, hatched, and raised, so they are especially friendly to humans. Here, Little Meat Bun can take food that animals like and feed them. He can also put feed in his small palm, and pigeons will gather around, cooing and begging for food, which is very interesting. Shangri-La is a hotel that promotes green and environmental protection. So there is also a small farm. The vegetables used in the staff canteen come from this farm. Here, Little Meat Bun can take small tools, choose his favorite vegetables, and under the teacher's guidance, plant them in small cultivation boxes. Planting small seeds, planting hope, watering them, then inserting a sign with his name. If he returns to Guilin Shangri-La in the future, he might see his seeds have grown and borne fruit. Here, Little Meat Bun can also challenge a brave person's activity: rock climbing. There is a professional rock climbing teacher at Shangri-La who will buckle children into safety harnesses and guide them to climb to the top of the wall. During rock climbing, Little Meat Bun's courage is tested, and reaching the top gives him immense satisfaction. Lunch: Li Cafe buffet. Lunch was a sumptuous buffet at Li Cafe. There were many delicacies. Various fresh sashimi are definitely Dad's favorite. From salmon to herring roe to octopus, choose your preferred ingredients and have the chef slice them immediately. Simply add wasabi and soy sauce for a very fresh taste. There is also a cold seafood platter: fresh shrimp, crunchy conch, plump mussels, all unlimited. Besides seafood, various cooked dishes show the chef's skills. Large steaks, fragrant roasted chicken, Beijing roast duck, all kinds of meat satisfy carnivores. At the end of lunch, having a dessert instantly boosts happiness. The afternoon sun was a bit harsh, so we stayed in the room to avoid the fiercest sunlight. The room has a large balcony. Order some afternoon tea, sit on the balcony, taste delicious pastries, and look at the green hills and clear waters outside—very pleasant. In the cool shade of the room, watching clouds gather and disperse over the green mountains, watching bamboo rafts drift on the Li River, watching local children play in the water by the shore—time passes quickly yet slowly. Afternoon tea was also very delicate, with pastries, macarons, fruits, and jelly. They were made into shapes that Little Meat Bun likes; cartoon-shaped food even made him reluctant to eat. After avoiding the harshest sunlight, in the afternoon, Little Meat Bun and I went to the pool. Guilin Shangri-La has both indoor and outdoor pools. The indoor pool is standard size, with some modifications; the shallow area is convenient for children to play. For sports enthusiasts, swimming here is also a great choice. The pool uses large floor-to-ceiling glass, allowing a direct view of the scenery outside, with sunlight streaming in, giving the pool a different color. More lively is the outdoor pool. The pool is set in the garden, with a garden-style design that is very comfortable. There is a separate toddler pool, about knee-deep, so even the smallest children can enjoy playing in the water. The pool has floating mats, lifeboats, and various facilities, making it more colorful and fun for children. I ordered an afternoon tea set placed in a basket that can float on the water. Enjoying delicate pastries while swimming, feeling the cool pool water—that's the little happiness here. Dinner chose a poolside barbecue. Right by the pool, the chef laid out various ingredients and beer. There were many barbecue items, from large prawns, oysters to various meats and vegetables. Rich ingredients paired with refreshing beer made the night brilliant and enchanting. From sunset to bright moonlight, watching the pool reflect different lights, combined with the food on the table, what intoxicated me besides alcohol was probably the beautiful scenery. The hotel also arranged a cocktail show. A handsome bartender tossed various bottles into the air and finally mixed colorful cocktails. The sweet and sour cocktails are easily acceptable even for those not used to drinking. There is a small cinema in the hotel. The cinema is not small, but because it is filled with bean bag chairs, it can only accommodate a small number of people. Here, Little Meat Bun lay on the comfortable sofa, watching his favorite Toy Story, the funny Woody and Buzz Lightyear, while I fell asleep on the sofa without realizing it. The last day at Guilin Shangri-La also had a full schedule. In the morning, after Little Meat Bun and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast, we took a little train ride around the garden. Although we had already experienced many activities here, riding the little train around the garden was also a very fun experience. Afterwards, we could go through the hotel's side gate to the Li River bank. Walking on the pebble beach, taking off shoes, feeling the coolness of the Li River water. Many locals wash clothes here, and children play in the water, showing how excellent the water quality is. There is a small playground in the garden. When filming Running Man here, Cai Xukun also liked it very much! There is a cute slide, a small rocking horse. For Little Meat Bun, this is his little world. In the garden pond, Little Meat Bun can ride a bumper boat, feeling the joy of steering. The animal-shaped bumper boats are completely controlled by Little Meat Bun. If there are other children, they can bump into each other, making it even more fun. Guilin rice noodle making experience. Guilin rice noodles are definitely the most famous food in Guilin. Made from fresh rice, they are rich in rice aroma, smooth and chewy. Here, you can also experience traditional handmade Guilin rice noodles. Experts certified as intangible cultural heritage inheritors will demonstrate the making of Guilin rice noodles, kneading a very elastic rice dough, then pressing out fresh noodles and cooking them immediately. In their learning, a single noodle must be able to be swung more than eight times without breaking to pass, showing the noodle's chewiness. Then add various toppings and mix with sauce, and a bowl of delicious Guilin rice noodles is complete. Before leaving, there was still a little time, so I took Little Meat Bun to the hotel's children's playground to enjoy the last happy moments. The playground has two floors. The first floor is a ball pool, and the second floor is larger, with trampolines, small carousels, and other children's favorites. More specially, a slide connects the two floors. Little Meat Bun can slide from the second floor to the first floor, very fun and convenient. When Little Meat Bun and I left, there was so much reluctance. Reluctance to leave Guilin's green hills and clear waters, reluctance to leave the comfortable environment. The warm smiles of the staff, the rich activities—for Little Meat Bun, these days were joyful and memorable. For Little Meat Bun, his little brain is always collecting fragments of this big world. And I hope every fragment is colorful and beautiful. These days at Shangri-La, the various activities he participated in are beautiful memories. For me, they are also precious collections on Little Meat Bun's growth path.