This is a long overdue report, as it has been almost a year since last October, but because it is really unforgettable, so writing today, I still feel like I just came back from there.

Route Map for Part 1：

October 26th Shanghai

At Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, I greeted our VIP customer Danny. This was the first time we met each other after the COVID-19, and it has been a full 4 years since our hurried meet in Beijing in October 2019. In the evening, we took a walk around the Bund, watching the bustling crowd, with many feelings. 

October 27th Shanghai - Shengsi Archipelago

In the early morning, we headed to Nanpu Passenger Station to take the coach to Shenjiawan Wharf, a journey of 1.5 hours. From there, we boarded a ferry to Gouqi Island in the Shengsi Archipelago. The Shengsi Archipelago is the only national-level scenic area of island clusters in China, known as the "Fairy Mountains on the Sea," consisting of 404 islands of various sizes, 16 of which are inhabited, including the commonly mentioned Sijiao Island, Gouqi Island, Shengshan Island, Huaniao Island, Huanglong Island, and so on.             

The ferry services from Shenjiawan Wharf to the main islands of the Shengsi Archipelago vary with departures ranging from 6 to 40 times a day, according to the peak and off-peak seasons. The ferries are categorized into roll-on/roll-off passenger ships (with a journey time of about 2 to 3.5 hours), regular passenger ships (with a journey time of about 1 hour and 20 minutes), and high-speed passenger ships (with a journey time of about 50 minutes), with different types of ferries operating to different islands. Taking Gouqi Island as an example, the roll-on/roll-off passenger ship from Shenjiawan to Gouqi Island operates for a total of 3.5 hours, stopping at Lizhushan Wharf for nearly 30 minutes for the crew's lunch break before continuing to Gouqi Island. After that, it's a 20-minute drive from the wharf to the inn we will stay on Gouqi Island. From the moment we stepped onto the island, we could smell the unique salty scent of the sea. We checked into the inn smoothly. The view from the window of the inn is very beautiful. 

However, our visit to Shengsi was not for sightseeing around the islands, but for the so-called deserted village hidden on the island - Houtouwan Village. Before the pandemic, we had inquired with local authorities that foreigners were not allowed to visit the deserted village; they could only look from the viewing platform, and surprisingly, there was a charge for that. I remember the price was quite high at the time. But after the pandemic, the Shengsi Islands suddenly became popular among a certain group of domestic tourists, and consequently, the deserted village was no longer unknown, gradually becoming searchable online. There was no information that foreigners are not allowed to enter, or perhaps it was because I didn't consult the relevant departments in advance and went there directly? But later, when buying tickets for our VIP Danny, there were no obstacles.

After lunch, we contacted the taxi driver who took us to the inn from the wharf before, who recommended several popular spots frequented by domestic tourists for us to visit. After discussing with Danny, we decided to head straight to our main destination: the deserted Houtouwan Village. This is a deserted village on Shengshan Island, which was rated by the British Daily Mail as one of the 28 most beautiful forgotten spots in the world. It's like the world of Hayao Miyazaki and the world of the Wizard of Oz which is so beautiful! It's a fishing village on a cliff, abandoned due to the inconvenient transportation, where more than 3,000 people once lived, and now it has been uninhabited for over 20 years. The long-neglected houses are covered with green plants, like a lost fairy tale on the seaside! Entering the village feels like stepping into the past, experiencing the simple folk customs of the fishermen as if you were there.

After a 20-minute drive, we arrived at the village at 3 pm. I had expected there to be quite a few tourists, but in fact, we saw less than five people from start to finish. Perhaps it was due to the off-season, or perhaps it was because it was near dusk? After all, once the sun sets, the desolate state of the village becomes even more pronounced. To be frank, it's a bit eerie. The taxi driver said that there are fewer visitors now, but in the summer, the place is bustling, with the houses covered in green ivy, truly resembling a scene out of "The Wizard of Oz," extremely beautiful. Now, the grass is not very green anymore, and with it being late October, there are significantly fewer visitors. Thus, we saw a more desolate and dilapidated deserted village.

This is the panoramic view of the deserted village that the relevant departments told me about when I inquired a few years ago, from the viewing platform.    

Upon entering the village, I felt even more deeply that the village must have been quite prosperous two or three decades ago. After all, the construction of such buildings then indicated the wealth of the villagers. With no tourists around, only Danny and I were present, making the deserted village even more silent in the afternoon. 

We wandered around the village for nearly three hours, almost exploring every nook and cranny, until the sun set.

When we left the scenic area, there was no staff at the entrance, and the gate was wide open. Danny remarked, "So does this mean if we come after 6 pm, it's free?" I replied, "If you're bold and brave enough, you could try exploring the dark deserted village after 6 pm. It would definitely be thrilling."

The fulfilling day ended in the cozy island inn. 

Originally, when Danny arrived, I kept telling him that there would likely be crowds of domestic tourists everywhere, and he would need to adapt. But facing the empty inn with only the two of us and the owner, he asked, "Where are the throngs of people you mentioned?" We were fortunate; the entire inn had only us as guests, so lucky VIP.

October 28th, Shengsi - Shanghai - Lishui

Since the departure time of the ferry from Gouqi Island to Shenjiawan was 13:40 in the afternoon, and it takes three and a half hours to reach Shenjiawan wharf, we then had to go from Shenjiawan to Hongqiao High-Speed Railway Station to catch the last train from Shanghai to Lishui at 19:01. The schedule was very tight, and we could easily miss it if we were not careful. We arrived in Lishui close to 22:00, and we still needed to rush to the car rental point to pick up our car. Following the inn owner's advice, we took a high-speed ferry directly from Shengshan Wharf for an hour to Sijiao Xiaocaiyuan Wharf, then took a taxi to Lizhushan Wharf and took another high-speed ferry for an hour to Shenjiawan. Surprisingly, we ran into four foreign backpackers at Lizhushan Wharf who were asking the staff for directions, and the staff were looking at them in confusion. So, we kindly helped them out. In reality, without a guide, most foreigners would be bewildered by this route. This is because there are two different wharfs on Sijiao Island, and it is highly likely that one would need to transfer between wharfs on the island. 

This is the upper deck of the high-speed passenger ship; below are the business class and economy class of the leisurely roll-on/roll-off ferry we took earlier. 

Our decision to take a detour via Sijiao allowed us to arrive at Shanghai Hongqiao ahead of schedule and successfully change our train tickets. We arrived in Lishui smoothly at 21:06. However, the car rental staff were in a hurry to leave, so they directly messaged me on WeChat with the location for picking up the car and where the keys were placed, allowing me to collect the car on my own. As for why I chose to rent a car for this trip, the most direct reason was that the local travel agency quoted me an exorbitant price. Moreover, they could only offer routes that are commonly taken by domestic tourists. So, I decided not to use the local travel agency's driver and to avoid the popular routes recommended by them, which are frequently traveled by domestic tourists. After picking up the car without any issues, we arrived at a boutique hotel in Lishui city, where the service and facilities were surprisingly good, offering great value for money. The car we rented was very reliable in the following days. 

Yours Truly

Leena Li - Charmission Travel