Spent two days in Dongying, and my spending philosophy collapsed

🌊【Dongying in June: What’s it like to be a “wind-chasing girl” at the Yellow River Estuary?】
Who says Shandong only has Qingdao’s beer and Weihai’s beaches? Dongying, where the Yellow River “falls in love” with the sea, is dyed red by Suaeda salsa in June and turned into a dynamic wallpaper by migratory birds! 🏜️ Left hand holding freshly dug clams, right hand raising a Yellow River Estuary cultural ice cream, and turning around you can bump into the mechanical romance of the oilfield’s “nodding donkey” — two days and one night to teach you how to explore the wildness and gentleness at the “yellow-blue junction”~

🚗【Two-day itinerary to tire your feet】
Day 1: Wetland hike + seafood feast
☀️ Morning: Rush into the Yellow River Estuary Ecotourism Area (ticket including sightseeing bus about 120 RMB), take a boat to chase the “yellow-blue convergence” wonder! Watch the Yellow River water crash into Bohai Bay from the deck, like spilled latte coffee. Squat by the boardwalk to spot Oriental white storks; their long-legged daze looks exactly like me on Monday mornings~

🍜 Noon: Head to the Yellow River Estuary Crab Restaurant, where the crab roe in scallion-ginger fried blue crabs is so abundant you can dip steamed buns in it. Suaeda salsa vegetable dumplings are as green as jade, paired with corn porridge for a “wetland wellness vibe.”

🌅 Afternoon: Lie down at the Red Beach Wetland (free!), barefoot on the receding tidal flats, tiny crabs pinching your toes feels like mini cupping therapy! Spend 10 RMB to ride a tractor deep into the sea for clam digging, like opening a blind box.

🌃 Evening: Night tour of Gudong Sea Dyke (free!), the sunset on the tidal dam looks like salted egg yolk lava, wind turbines turn into silhouettes in the dusk, photos posted on social media will get asked if you’re filming the sequel to “Youth Against the Wind”!

Day 2: Oilfield hardcore + local life
⚡ Morning: Hardcore check-in at the Shengli Oilfield Science and Technology Museum (free!), VR experience of oil drilling, personally refuel the “nodding donkey” model, the guide’s explanation feels like an industrial stand-up comedy.

🍲 Noon: Lijin pan-fried buns arranged! The moment you bite into the crispy bottom and the meat juice bursts out, the auntie at the next table exclaims, “Man’er, eat slowly or you’ll burn yourself!” Paired with a bowl of Yellow River Ancient Path fresh fish soup, so fresh you want to lick the bowl.

🛵 Afternoon: Stroll through Dongying Old Street (free!), hidden in Republic of China-era buildings are handmade sachet shops, spend 15 RMB to DIY an mugwort mosquito repellent pouch. Around the corner, encounter “Zhenggu Big Pot Whole Lamb,” a sip of lamb soup instantly transports you back to grandma’s kang bed-stove.

🌟【Must-visit checklist】
1️⃣ Yellow-Blue Convergence Viewing Platform (boat about 150 RMB): Best viewing time is one hour after high tide; drone shots of the boundary line look like the “38th parallel” painted by God.
2️⃣ Gudong Sea Dyke Starry Sky (free all day): At 3 a.m., the Milky Way hangs vertically over the sea, lying in a space capsule homestay counting shooting stars, romantically illegal.
3️⃣ Qingfeng Lake Light Show (free! 20:00-21:00): Lake fountains explode into rainbows with music, wearing Hanfu for photos looks like the heroine of a xianxia drama.

🏨【Stay inside the scenery】
• Nightscape lovers: Choose Blue Sea Yuhua Hotel, the rooftop bar offers views of both oilfield lights and wetland starry sky, breakfast’s sea cucumber millet porridge is so fresh it’s alarming.
• Tide-chasing fanatics: Red Beach Wetland Homestay, open the window to see the tide table, the owner will lend you rubber boots and a shovel, and you can sneak some charcoal-grilled clams during night chats.

🚌【Transportation tips】
• Jinan high-speed train takes 1.5 hours to Dongying South Station, taxi starting fare in the city is 7 RMB, bus line 103 connects main attractions but runs infrequently.
• Blood and tears lesson: Don’t wear slippers for tide chasing! Shell fragments are sharper than an ex’s heart; my soles were covered with band-aids for three days!

😋【5 must-try foods】
1️⃣ Yellow River Estuary shrimp paste: Purple-red paste spread on pancakes, salty and fresh with a sea breeze flavor, burping after eating smells like high-class ocean air.
2️⃣ Isolated Island Big Plate Chicken: Belt noodles soaked in chicken broth, chicken mixed with Xinjiang chili and Shandong scallions’ hybrid genes.
3️⃣ Dongji Five-Spice Sheep Head: Old broth stewed sheep brain like tofu pudding, bone marrow can be sucked for “noodle slurping” joy, even better with garlic paste.

💰【Two-day expense bill】
Day 1: Yellow River Estuary boat ticket 150 + hairy crabs 200 + tractor 10 = 360 RMB
Day 2: Pan-fried buns 15 + DIY sachet 15 + lamb soup 50 = 80 RMB
Total 440 RMB! Feels like paying a “luxury tax” for eyes and tongue, but the oilfield sunset and exploding crab roe make me willing~

⚠️【Tips: Love-hate mix】
• Love: In June, so few tourists you can take over the entire Red Beach, 20°C evening breeze is more comfortable than air conditioning, local aunties will stuff freshly dug clams into your pockets!
• Hate: Wetland mosquitoes attack in swarms, spraying half a bottle of repellent still got bitten into “red bean ice,” long pants and long sleeves welded to my body!

Here, you’ll wake up at 4 a.m. for a yellow-blue boundary line, forget your diet vows for a bowl of lamb soup, and go crazy taking photos of the oilfield “nodding donkey” mechanical aesthetics…