China News Service, Dongxing, Guangxi, February 10th: "Poetry and Distance" during the Spring Festival of "Silver-haired RVers"
Author Yu Jing, Feng Shumin, Zhai Liqiang
The Spring Festival is an important traditional festival for Chinese people to go home and reunite. But there is a group of people who travel around in RVs and even spend three-quarters of the year "wandering" away.
On February 9th, the Spring Festival Eve of the Year of the Dragon, a special "long table banquet" was held at the Wanwei Jintan RV Camping Base in Dongxing City, Guangxi. Riders from all over the world gathered around the bonfire to dance together and celebrate the New Year. Chongqing Maoxuewang, Northwest Mutton Soup, Northeastern Dumplings... This special New Year's Eve dinner is made by fellow riders, and every dish has regional characteristics.
Wu Birong, the person in charge of the Wanwei Jintan RV Camping Base, is particularly happy that car enthusiasts can feel the warmth of a big family. Her RV camping base is located in the Jingdao Scenic Area in Dongxing City, less than 200 meters from the seaside. It is equipped with facilities and services such as B&Bs, bathrooms, charging piles, water and electricity, and food distribution.
Every Chinese New Year, Wu Birong posts information on the RV-related APP, calling fellow RVers living in Dongxing to the campground to celebrate the New Year. She said that retired elderly people account for a large proportion of traveling car enthusiasts.
A cyclist named Gao from Chongqing came to Dongxing with his daughter and grandson a few months ago and settled at the camping base. The 75-year-old man was in good spirits and had a straight back. He drove the whole trip alone. "He is getting older." We should go out more and keep a love for life."
This car enthusiast surnamed Gao said that as long as his family is around, he is home wherever he is, and his RV career has made him healthier and happier physically and mentally. Today, he and his family have traveled all over China, and he, who is passionate about photography, also went to Guangxi Nonggang National Nature Reserve to photograph various wild birds.
Ding Kejun, a 70-year-old Shanghai car enthusiast, took his wife and a dog named "Black Tiger" to Dongxing after traveling in a RV. The couple are very satisfied with the warm climate, location close to the sea, and convenient RV base. The couple set up a canopy next to their RV and put out tea sets. They enjoyed tea and chatted every day, went for a walk on the beach, and visited the "homes" of other car owners... It was very comfortable.
On February 1, Ding Kejun introduced the RV he purchased to reporters. Photo by Yu Jing
When talking about his long-term sojourn life, Ding Kejun said that it was due to his interest. His experience in transportation in his early years made him "unable to stop" after retirement. With their children already married and starting a business, the couple decided to try a new lifestyle. "We travel and live at least nine to ten months a year, and we feel happier than when we are at home." Ding Kejun said jokingly that he and his wife have "traveled" to China several times with the "Black Tiger".
Wanwei, where the Wanwei Golden Beach RV Camping Base is located, and the two adjacent islands of Wutou and Shanxin, are the settlements of the Jing ethnic group, the only maritime ethnic group in China. During the Spring Festival, the Jing people on the island held cultural and sports activities such as "village evenings", New Year painting exhibitions, and garden tours, which aroused the interest of cyclists. Some riders plan to visit the Guomen Scenic Area near Dongxing Port, taste Vietnamese food and drip coffee, and experience the border cultural customs.
The "2023 China Commercial Elderly Care Service Supply and Demand Insights White Paper" shows that urban elderly people's understanding of different elderly care models has gradually broadened: in addition to traditional home care, 37% of people know about traveling (including migratory bird care) for elderly care. Industry insiders also pointed out that at present, a large proportion of China's RV consumer groups are retired elderly people, and the market potential is huge.
Huang Bangchang, director of the Tourism Management Section of Dongxing Jingdao Scenic Area Management Committee, said that with the increasing number of RV self-driving tourists traveling to Dongxing, they will further standardize the RV camping market in the future, improve related facilities, and create RV camping sites with Jing cultural characteristics. brand to provide tourists with more thoughtful services. (over)