By love-89.com On October 14, during an interview in Nanning, a reporter spoke with Liu Jing, who has been passionately surfing for two years. “Surfing has become my emotional stabilizer; when I’m out on the ocean, I feel completely free from worry,” she explained. With the surfing season in the Beibu Gulf coming to an end, Liu often escapes the city over the weekends, driving several hours to ride the waves.
In recent years, a growing number of tourists have shown interest in niche travel experiences. Popular surfing destinations in Guangxi, Hainan, and Fujian are now home to surf clubs, attracting young people looking for short getaways.
Liu, a “city surfer,” is particularly fond of weekend surf trips. Due to her work as a lawyer, which frequently takes her back and forth between Nanning and Fangchenggang, she took up surfing as a way to relieve stress. Her journey from repeatedly falling off her board to finally riding the waves has become a source of joy and self-discovery.
“I surf in Beihai and Fangchenggang almost every week. In August, I rented a place in Beihai just to enjoy the surf season,” Liu shared. She noted that Guangxi’s surfing spots are limited and mainly found in tourist areas like Dongxing’s Golden Beach and Beihai’s Silver Beach, with a surf season lasting only about six months each year.
For many urban surfers, work commitments make it difficult to stay by the beach for extended periods, making weekend surfing feel particularly precious. “For surfers, it feels like being in a long-distance relationship with the waves; whenever we get a chance, we want to meet up immediately,” Liu added.
As the Beibu Gulf’s surfing season wraps up, some surfers will migrate to Hainan and Guangdong for the next wave. Surf coach Feng Chang mentioned that surfing, which has transitioned from an extreme sport for young tourists to a training activity for teenagers, is gaining popularity. Beihai offers an ideal surfing environment with its flat beaches and minimal underwater obstacles, making it perfect for beginners.
In locales like Beihai and Fangchenggang, surf clubs are increasingly catering to the younger crowd by organizing innovative surfing events and parties. Huang Feng, the head of the Southwest Wave Surf Club at Qiaogang Beach in Beihai, explained that to meet the demands of “surfing friends,” many clubs are adding activities like music parties and surf sharing sessions, creating a vibrant surfing culture.
Huang noted that weekend surfing provides a mental escape from city life, rejuvenating the concept of short getaways and drawing in more young visitors to coastal cities, ultimately boosting local tourism and culture industries.
During the recent National Day holiday, numerous tourists flocked to Beihai, indulging in local culinary delights. Qiaogang is known for its Vietnamese community, and dishes like spring rolls and crab noodle soup have become favorites among visitors.
Recognizing the appeal of international flavors, Vietnamese restaurateur Wu Jinfang opened a new Vietnamese eatery near Qiaogang this past March. To suit younger Chinese diners, she designed a trendy garden-style restaurant and incorporates live guzheng performances and promotional events featuring Jing ethnic cuisine, alongside a range of dishes like Vietnamese fruit salads that cater to youthful tastes.
Traveler Han Han from Hebei shared his thoughts after trying surfing for the first time, expressing hope for a hearty meal post-surf. “Both Vietnamese cuisine and surfing are experiences not to be missed,” he remarked.