Fishermen’s Rhythm

Huang Yuzhao

Sandworm sashimi， sea duck egg， and blue crab， together with the tranquil coastline forests， magic reefs and sentry towers， Leshan Ancient Fishing Village has been viewed as an epitome of Fangchenggang， which contains various natural landscapes and seafood. Now， let go of your worries and anxiety， and it is time to explore the village for not only escaping from the bustling city but also gaining a comfortable and relaxing experience.

The fishing village is the origin of port trade and plays a role as an observer of historical evolution during the development of Fangchenggang， and Leshan Ancient Fishing Village can be deemed as an epitome among all the fishing villages.

A peculiar peninsular village

As an important port in the Beibu Gulf in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， Fangchenggang possesses many fishing villages， and the oldest one can even be traced back to 1960s. The fishing village is the origin of port trade and plays a role as an observer of historical evolution during the development of Fangchenggang， and Leshan Ancient Fishing Village can be deemed as an epitome among all the fishing villages.

Geographically situated in the southeast of the Qisha Peninsula， and 25 kilometers away from the center of Fangchenggang， Leshan Ancient Fishing Village derives its name from a mysterious legend： Once upon a time， there were two old men who used to have chitchat beside the sea. One day they discovered a kind of peculiar flower on a tree that took on different colors in each season， namely red in spring， purple in summer， yellow in autumn， and white in winter. In addition， they also found that the flowers could even cure some serious diseases. The discovery struck the whole village， causing a fight among villagers for the magic tree and thus resulting in its death. In honor of its great contribution， the old men changed the name of the mountain where their village was located into Leshan after the trees name.

Leshan Ancient Fishing Village is endowed with a vast stretch of forest that covers a total area of more than 100.05 hectares and is home to 40 rare species and several towering banyan trees. Most of these species can be used for pharmaceutical purposes. Therefore， it means a paradise for local villagers as the forest brings peace and health to them. Moreover， the ambience of the exuberant forests is relaxing. Take a deep breath in the forest， and your worries and tiredness will be washed away.

Unique cultures and customs

Besides the natural scenery， ancient relics are also well-preserved in todays Leshan Ancient Fishing Village， and some of them have been renovate to attract more tourists. For example， as the oldest castle in the village， Lizhuang castle， a tower decorated with black brick and bronze， was built in the Ming dynasty （1368-1644）. The most hectic place in the village must be the market. Fresh fish and black crabs are just caught from the sea； prawns and scallops are tumbling in the water brackets； and fishermen are “shouting” to every passer-by， etc. Every market around the village will gather the most delicious seafood in Fangchenggang. In Fangchenggang， it is often seen that all members of a family are engaged in fishing. Some family may build a hotel on the coastline and serve customers with the finest seafood cuisine.

Living by and benefited from the sea， local villagers have nurtured a sense of gratitude and awe to the sea. With such feelings， they would hold rituals before sailing off to pray for safety and fortune in the past. Nowadays， new spirits of protecting the sea and men coexisting with the sea have been added to the rituals. Leshan Ancient Fishing Village has been renowned as a “national demonstration zone of leisure agriculture and rural tourism” and the “famous tourist village in Guangxi”.

Special delicacies and flavors

During the trip in Fangchenggang， eating would not be a problem anymore， especially for seafood-lover. As the most famous and popular local staples， sandworm sashimi and sea duck egg are reputed as the treasures of Fangchenggang. Sandworm is a singular marine organism living in near sea， and raising sandworms has become a major source of income for local residents. It can be cooked with many methods depending on your tastes. Raw sashimi， steaming or stir-frying are some popular choices.

The next food you will not miss is sea duck egg. Due to the unique coastal environment， it is easy for ducks to eat fish， shrimps， shellfish， and algae food after ebb tide， which make the ducks fatter than its normal counterparts and thus lay more eggs. The yolk of sea duck egg shows a color of crystal red. The sea duck egg tastes smooth and delicious， with a flavor of little salty and dry. As the ducks are naturally raised， sea duck eggs are highly nutritious without pigment additives， and have been one of the must-eat cuisines for local people to serve visitors.

Yipin Soup refers to a kind of thick soup that contains marinated prawns， shrimps， and crab meats， together with straw mushrooms， asparagus and albumen. The components are so abundant that its nutrient value is absolutely high， so the soup is always to be served to distinguished guests. Furthermore， some people prefer covering a piece of bread above the soup. If you have a chance to have a try， do not lose this opportunity because it must be a haunting memory.

Fengchui （blowing） pancake is a special local speciality with an interesting name. By using traditional techniques， local people immerse rice into boiled water and grind the rice until it forms a pulp， and pour the pulp onto a hot iron plate. After that， they sprinkle some sesame seeds at the top of the pancake. Ultimately， it will become slighter and thinner， even close to transparency. Once you have a taste of the pancake， the sweetness will linger around on your lips and tongue.