Traveling during the Spring Festival in Chaoshan

Letting the horse run free in Chaoshan, Chaoshan includes the four prefecture-level cities of Chaozhou, Jieyang, Shantou, and Shanwei. Originally, they were all one entity. It is possible that the strong clan consciousness of the residents of Chaoshan and their fierce folk customs made them difficult to manage, so they were split into four prefecture-level cities. As a result, they each have their own sense of belonging. I think there is a bit of a divide and rule intention. Shantou is a typical example of being split from Chaozhou. Shantou is also the least noticeable of the special economic zones. Among the four original special economic zones, Shantou's biggest advantage was the large number of overseas Chinese living abroad. Remittances and overseas Chinese contributions should have been the most effective advantage. However, after decades, it turned out to be of no significant use. This may have something to do with the major fire at the Shantou Guest House in 2000. Since then, its economic development has declined, affecting the entire Chaoshan area, until the situation improved in the last decade. During the Spring Festival, there are a super number of people traveling to Chaoshan. Traveling in the south at this moment, if the weather is clear, is very comfortable. The sunny days warm the travelers, and there is no feeling of freezing hands and feet like in the north during travel. Public holiday travel means crowds everywhere, bustling and jostling. Coming to Chaoshan, almost all the well-known tourist spots are packed with people, and the navigation software is so congested it turns dark red. Not going would be regrettable, but going can be frustrating. After planning to visit each scenic spot briefly, I intended to go to Nan'ao Island for two days of leisure, to enjoy the sea breeze, smell the sea, and listen to the waves. However, it seems that everyone had the same idea, converging on the same destination. My WeChat friend, lawyer Huo Liang, said that it takes nearly six hours to drive the forty-minute journey from Shantou to Nan'ao Island. Some hotel booking platforms quote prices for accommodations ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands of yuan. Plans cannot change as quickly as this; one must quickly modify their itinerary. Opening the map, I chose the more secluded Xunzhou Island along the coast. Driving there, taking a fishing boat to the island, it feels like smuggling when the night is dark. Staying at a homestay run by island fishermen, the price is already multiple times the usual rate. From parking to dining and accommodation, everything is more expensive. Perhaps this is a more niche attraction, without the call of internet celebrities, the flow of people is rarely seen as elegant and quiet. At this time, relaxing the mind, savoring the rare slow life, leisurely recuperating is for a full revival after the holiday.