When I selected Yingkou as our second destination in China after Dalian, I was only aware of two particular places I wanted to explore: Liaohe Old Street and a coastal area known as Bayuquan. It wasn't until we arrived that I conducted more thorough research and discovered that Bayuquan was actually an hour and a half drive south of downtown Yingkou, where we were staying. A fascinating aspect of China is that many larger cities share the name of the surrounding prefecture, and the English-speaking internet often overlooks this distinction. For instance, Chongqing is frequently identified as the largest city in the world with a population of thirty-two million, but that figure actually represents the entire province. Only four Chinese cities have provincial status, and Chongqing's province extends well beyond the city's boundaries. The urban area at the center of the province has a population closer to twenty million. We encountered a similar issue in Yingkou, as Bayuquan turned out to be a completely separate city located a considerable distance away. Fortunately, thanks to Mei Ling, this was less of a problem than it could have been. Whenever we take taxis in China, Mei Ling sits in the front and communicates with the driver, allowing us to gather extra information about markets, food courts, and other attractions that are not well-known online. More importantly, we frequently connect with drivers willing to take us for long distances at reasonable prices. In this instance, she already had the contact information for a driver who would be our private chauffeur for the day, alleviating our concerns about getting a ride back from Bayuquan. Once we finished exploring the morning markets in Yingkou, we set off on the lengthy drive to Shanhai Square in Bayuquan. Soon we realized that "square" was somewhat inaccurately translated, as we found ourselves in a large circular plaza adorned with massive bronze statues of sea creatures. There were also some oddly random objects like a Tyrannosaurus peeking out from behind a mud wall. In Liaodong Bay, a gigantic statue of a mermaid holding a giant pearl in the air caught our attention. This figure, known as the Mackerel Princess, is said to protect fishermen and ensure a fruitful catch. "Bayu" means mackerel, and "Quan" refers to the circular shape of the port. We walked down to the beach and noticed a lively atmosphere a couple of hundred meters to the south. We made our way in that direction, passing by the walkway leading to the Bohai Pearl, one of the more bizarre structures I’ve encountered in China. The enormous shell-shaped building features a stage at the bottom and an observation deck at the top. Our arrival at the most bustling part of the shoreline was marked by a loud blast of techno music emanating from a beach club that was also renting out large floaties. Crowds of spectators were watching as several individuals performed stunts on flyboards in the shallow water. On a floating dock, a couple of speedboats were adorned like Cadillac convertibles in bright pastel shades. The scene mildly reminded me of the promenades on the Jersey Shore, which we had visited a few weeks earlier. It was intriguing to see that even in these remote areas, far from any major city, there was this flashy American-style party vibe. Whether it was the vibrant colors or the upbeat techno music, I felt a strong compulsion to join in rather than just observe. Mei Ling conducted a price check, and we decided that I would take the boys on one of the Cadillac boat tours while Mei Ling would ride a flyboard. We were directed to the pink boat, which we nervously boarded, sharing the space with two other passengers and the driver, making for a snug fit in seats designed to mimic luxury car interiors. We soon sped off along a route that brought us close to the Mackerel Princess, a striking sculpture built with six hundred tons of steel. It was now Mei Ling's turn to take a risk. I was a bit surprised she had agreed to try flyboarding, given her fear of heights. I would have volunteered if she hadn’t been willing, but I was secretly relieved that my only role was to film. After some quick instructions in the water, she was into the hands of the flyboarder, and together they soared above the water as if propelled by a cannon. Mei Ling later told me she was terrified the entire time, but from my vantage point, she looked remarkably composed. After each having our dose of adrenaline, it was time to search for some fresh seafood. I had identified a few highly-rated restaurants on Google Maps, but our driver dismissed them dismissively as tourist traps. He took us to a familiar eatery lined with tanks full of live seafood. While there was a decent variety, nothing stood out as particularly unusual or unfamiliar. We ordered some tangy raw jellyfish with yuzu and what was called drunken shrimp. The shrimp may have still been alive when
When I selected Yingkou as our second destination in China after Dalian, I was only aware of two specific locations I wanted to see: Liaohe Old Street and a coastal area named Bayuquan. It wasn't until we arrived that I conducted more thorough research and discovered that Bayuquan was an hour and a half drive south of downtown Yingkou, where we were staying. One intriguing aspect of China is that larger cities often have the same name as the surrounding prefecture, and the English-language internet frequently overlooks this distinction. A notable example is Chongqing, which is often referred to as the largest city in the world with a population of thirty-two million; however, that figure represents the entire province's population. Four cities in China hold provincial status, and Chongqing's province encompasses areas far beyond the actual city limits. The urban area at the core of the province has a population closer to twenty million. We faced a similar confusion in Yingkou, as Bayuquan was actually a separate city located a considerable distance away.
