If you insist on going to expensive places and eating pricey food, there's not much we can do about it ┐（─__─）┌. Locals usually don't go to such places.

I once took a sightseeing bus, which was fun, but a bit pricey. Electric bikes and bicycles are no longer allowed in the Bund area.

Hahahahahahaha (that slightly awkward feeling).

Once you immerse yourself and get used to it, you'll understand why it's like that.

Oh, your username is the title of Ying Ruocheng's book, isn't it?

What's worst is that on these narrow paths, vehicles come from both directions. When two meet, they have to stop and squeeze past each other, leaving no room for pedestrians. Often, I'd rather walk on the main road; these non-motorized lanes are a free-for-all, with no license plates, so if you get hit, good luck finding the culprit.

Sure, here's the translation of the given text into English:

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Great! This brief overview of Shenzhen has been absolutely packed with fascinating details! Let me help you organize it all, and for those foreign friends who might be intrigued to visit Shenzhen:

I arrived in Shenzhen around 3 PM in the afternoon, heading straight for the youth hostel I had booked. I must mention that the atmosphere at this hostel was undoubtedly one of the best among those I've experienced! Although the room conditions were typical — nothing extraordinary, — it doesn't seem to have dampened the welcoming spirit of the people there who were easy to get along with.

During my stay, I met a young woman who lives there permanently and works as a designer. She and her boyfriend work at the same company. Listening to her vent about her job woes, she told me her company planned to pay her only once in the entire year of 2024 – not a single other salary payment! Additionally, she herself still owes unpaid wages and is forced to work late into the hours of midnight. The company is quite small, consisting of only four employees, including the boss himself. Calculating roughly their total monthly expenses on salaries and social insurance for the workers (which companies are required by law to provide for their employees in China), the annual total would barely exceed 50,000 RMB. Yet, the boss still tries to cut corners, even withholding several thousand yuan in unpaid wages — such behavior is beyond unacceptable! I advised her to use "ride the donkey while looking for a horse" strategy of secretly job hunting while still at her current place of employment. Truly, working individuals are living a tough life these days...

While casually exploring certain “gated villages” (Chéngzhōngcūn) with a Chinese friend: “Gated villages,” in Chinese, refer to special communities formed within the rapid urban development of a city, where previously existent rural areas are wrapped by surrounding high-rise buildings. They usually feature densely crowded houses at relatively low rents.

(1) Cháguāng Village:

• Right off the bat, I could tell that Cháguāng Village perfectly lives up to its description online: I've never laid eyes on so many closely-packed high-rise buildings as in this village! There’s almost no separation between the residential buildings themselves, really.
• It is a large village with an incredible population, one can easily imagine hundreds of thousands residing within.
• Sunlight is an absolute rarity within the narrow alleys, which are perpetually humid, and suffocating. I found myself wondering what kind of conditions one might find inside the rooms.
• Cautionary note: The alleyways are maze-like, if you happen to rent a house here in the morning, you could potentially get lost while returning in the afternoon! Be particularly wary if you are not naturally good at navigating. However, there was a large park on the route leading to Cháguāng Village, which proved enjoyable.

(2) Zhūguāng Village:

• Not nearly as crowded and claustrophobic as Cháguāng Village.
• After visiting Cháguāng Village, this felt like heaven! Although there’s also a distinct lack of sunlight, the alleys seemed less suffocating.
• Wondering how soundproof the rooms there are...

(3) Báishízhōu:

• By the time we entered Bai Shi Zhou, night had already fallen and we ended up having dinner nearby.
• Taking a photo at the entrance where you could see spacious housing outside, while directly behind lies a prominent amusement park of significant size (popular among tourists, probably right by 'Windows of the World' or 'Happy Valley' — both famous attractions in Shenzhen) with adjacent modern buildings. Life here indeed feels convenient.
• Cautionary notes: Considering the proximity to amusement parks and shopping complexes, will the area become too noisy in the evening?

(4) Nánshān Village and Nánguāng Village:

• Nánshān Village and Nánguāng Village, in contrast look much more opulent with grand entrances at the opening of the settlements.
• Strolling through in the late evening, wow, numerous food stalls lined the streets waiting to feast on the tasty cuisine.
• Caution: While the convenience brought forth from all these food stalls in Nánshān Village and Nánguāng Village is welcome, noise or cooking fumes could be potential nuisances, especially for those residing upstairs! Comparing to these villages, I started to cast doubts over whether ‘white stone village’ I saw before was indeed located correctly? because it was clearly a different vibe.

Dining Struggles in Shenzhen:
Initially aiming to savor local Guangdong specialties such as “noodle sheets cooked in rice and rolled into a cylindrical shape” (literally translated as “Intestine Rice Roll”) and Guangzhou-style sweet soup.

• However, after wandering for a while, I didn’t manage to find a single noodle sheet store to satisfy my craving!
• A plethora of Chinese restaurants could be seen all along. But they’re all crowded with long lines of customers, despite the wait no other choice but to fill my tummy with some uncharacteristic Hunanese dishes (even though I’ve traveled an incredibly long route just to try some Guangdong food!).
• Sadly, no sweet soup restaurant found as well (really bad luck, a food fanatic like myself!).
• So, after hard efforts, I finally managed to find a bowl of sweet soup from 10 minutes biking on a shared bike, and got my wish granted!

Flight Misadventure P.S.:
In a twist of fate, my flight to Qingdao was unexpectedly canceled while waiting at the airport. Despite the queue preparation to board had already started! Is Shandong Airlines, (a Chinese airline), up to something at this labor holiday in May (a vital public holiday in China)? And the weather in Qingdao was beautiful according to the forecast. I truly feel sorry for those passengers who intended to return home or went out for a vacation then.

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Hope that translation meets your needs!

It's a good thing your mom spoke in your local dialect. If he had understood and made a move, it could have been all over.

For food recommendations, weather advice, and itinerary suggestions, please browse my other notes on my homepage. I'll write about accommodation over the weekend. It's fate that you stumbled upon my notes! Hope you all have a great time.

Next time you want to 'really enjoy your trip,' you don't necessarily need a tour group. You can be your own group! Just find a private guide to take only you (and your family). —From a guide who often leads private tours for families and individuals.

Yes, hurry back!

I'll definitely go next time!

The food! The food's pretty good there.

I was actually planning to go today, but after hearing what you described, I definitely don't want to anymore.

Hello, fellow cycling enthusiasts! I would like to share my experiences of riding around the Taihu Lake Avenue with you. Taihu is that huge lake you've heard about!

First Attempt (Ending in Failure):

• The entire length of the Taihu Lake Avenue is about 260 kilometers, and I gave up halfway on my first try because it was too physically demanding for me.
• Starting my trip at 9 am from Suzhou (a well-known city famous for its waterways), I got lost numerous times, eventually reaching the city of Yixing (known for its ceramics) as night fell.
• Caution about Yixing!
  • There were too many big trucks and narrow roads in that area, which made me feel really tense while cycling.
• On the bicycle lane of the Wuxi city section (essentially a path shared by bikes and pedestrians), there were lots of pebbles that kept bouncing me off balance and made my head feel like shaking excessively!
• Night Riding Alert!
  • Tree shadows dimmed the light emitted by road lighting, making it impossible to see potholes on the road at night.
  • Solution: Choose familiar terrain or well-lit sections for night cycling, or use high-intensity bike lamps.
  • My bike lamp, unfortunately, broke down due to all of these movements. Lesson learned: the type of clamp on a Garmin bike lamp can easily come loose; it's better to use a GoPro-type interface instead.

Second Attempt (Success at Last):

• At last, I managed to see this through!
• I took to heart the lessons learned from my first attempt; starting early and scheduling part of my night ride to be in the Suzhou section made a huge difference since the terrain was favorable; flat surfaces and minimal big potholes with plenty of streetlights. Nighttime riding was more comforting for me.
• Caution about Huzhou to Changxing路段: Especially when cycling near the river, there are countless small flying bugs. With my sunscreen constantly melting and sticking onto my skin with sweat, they ended up crawling into my glasses frames, covering my face, making me incredibly uncomfortable.
  • Tips to Relieve Discomfort: Wear protective cycling eyewear or masks that can effectively block flies and cottony fluff, such as loess from spring.
• Unpleasant incident in Wuxi (also applicable to suburban areas): I chose suburban routes this time, thinking it might be better, only to find five tourist attractions along the way with full parking lots—bicycle lanes were simply unusable.
  • Riders Beware of Dangers: I didn't want to be suddenly hit by car doors that open just like that (super dangerous!), so I had to cycle cautiously along the edge of car lanes.
  • Prevention Method: Maintain a safe distance from parked cars and keep alert about any human activity inside them.
  • But those vehicles weren’t stationary either; they kept moving around aimlessly, trying to find parking spaces, completely exhausting me.
• In addition, suburban areas had continuous big inclines, one after another! Downhill wasn't any smoother either, as car lanes were thoroughly clogged while bicycle lanes were used as parking lots.
• Be cautious about the North Taihu region: At Taihu's northern side, even though this was supposed to be a bike lane, cars have taken over it, filled with camping enthusiasts.
  • Particular vigilance required:
    • Sudden appearance of children!
    • People crossing the road, looking at their phones instead of the road!
    • Some people even blocking the last bit of passable space by walking closely together, creating huge inconveniences!
  • Dealing with It: Slow down when approaching crowded areas, remain vigilant at all times, and ring before attempting to pass if necessary.

On Meituan...

That's right. I went to Tianmu Mountain in mid-April once, and it was incredibly green.

(⊙o⊙) Wow, this is so comprehensive! Thank you so much!!! (P.S. The original poster must be a real foodie, hahaha!)

Is that a brand name? The shop I visited was Pazzo.

I also find these kinds of questions rather pointless. I have a Taiwanese friend, and I greatly respect his views. Everyone comes from different educational backgrounds and has different understandings, so what's the point in pressing these issues?