Poetic Laoshan | This Little Fishing Village Holds a Carefree Life of Poetry, Wine, Mountains, and Sea!
“This little fishing village has been my home since I was a child and is where I work now. Watching her become loved by more and more people makes me genuinely happy,” says Li Jiajia.
Originally, several charcoal kilns near the village burned pine soot for ink-making, giving it the name 'Mo Yao' (Ink Kiln). Over time, this evolved into 'Mai Yao' (Wheat Kiln), and because the village sits to the east, it came to be called 'Dongmaiyao' (East Wheat Kiln).
Photo by @ Liu Mingyuan, Special Photographer for Laoshan
Photo by @ Liu Mingyuan, Special Photographer for Laoshan
Photo by @ Liu Mingyuan, Special Photographer for Laoshan
Photo by @ Liu Mingyuan, Special Photographer for Laoshan
While enriching the tourism offerings of Laoshan, this has also boosted residents’ incomes. More and more people are running homestays and other tourism-related businesses, drawing young people like Li Jiajia back to their hometown or here to start anew.
Photo by @ Chen Hongtao
Compared to the rustic simplicity of the Xianju Laoshan area, the nearby Yushang Mountain exudes the gentle elegance of Jiangnan gardens. Nestled against the slopes, its Huizhou-style architecture features unique garden courtyards, private hot spring pools fed by mountain springs, and antique relics, all looking exceptionally graceful beneath green trees and blue sky.
“Guests often say, ‘This place is a scenic spot all on its own! The mountains, water, and air are wonderful—you must be so happy working here!’”
Indeed, this model village for rural tourism in China, nestled beside Liuqing Bay and close to the Laoshan Tourist Service Center, allows visitors to hop on scenic shuttle buses right at the village entrance and reach the southern route’s spots where mountains meet the sea.
Step into Dongmaiyao, and you’ll discover winding long streets and tranquil short alleys. Fruit trees are planted all around; in mid-spring, blossoms billow like clouds and snow; in summer and autumn, the air is thick with fruity fragrance; and in winter, snow drapes everything in white. Every season is picture-perfect, almost fairy-tale-like. Stone houses, hutongs, footpaths, the back hill… every street and corner has become a photo spot for visitors, turning the village itself into an attraction.
Photo © Wang Zepei
Photo by @ Liu Mingyuan, Special Photographer for Laoshan
Poetry, wine, mountains, and sea – a blissful, carefree escape. Laoshan welcomes you!～
