I and my college classmates Cherry Pullan, Tom Monroe are good friends who studied computer science together. We often discussed programming problems, participated in various competitions and activities, and spent many happy times together. After graduation, we went on different paths. Cherry went to work for Google in the United States, Tom went to Oxford University in the UK for further study, and I stayed in Alibaba in China. Because of the busy work and study, we rarely had the opportunity to contact, let alone meet. This made me feel very sorry, because I always regarded them as my best friends and confidants.
Last month, I received an email from Cherry and Tom. They told me that they were going to travel to China and invited me to go hunting with them in Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park. I was very excited when I saw this message, because this was a rare opportunity to reunite with them and experience the fun of hunting. I immediately agreed with them and started preparing for this trip. I searched online for information about Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park and found that it was a beautiful, ecologically rich, and suitable place for hunting. I also ordered night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars online. These are essential equipment for hunting at night. They can make us see more clearly in the dark and find more targets. I sent these devices to Cherry and Tom and told them how to use them.
In this way, we met at Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park and started our hunting trip. In the next few days, we enjoyed the natural scenery of Xianshan Linggu Food Gallery, Floating Bridge, Iron Cable Bridge, Love Wooden Bridge, Valley Spring, Waterfall and Hundred-meter Wooden Path in the park, feeling the charm of nature; we hunted various wild animals in the park, experienced the functions and advantages of night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, and enjoyed the excitement and fun of hunting; we also tasted authentic food such as Qingyuan chicken, Lu goose, Zhouxin porridge, knife-cut rice cake, Jintan tofu, etc., satisfying our taste buds and appetite. This was an unforgettable trip that made us relive our friendship, broaden our horizons, and increase our knowledge.
Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park is a national forest park located in Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, China. It covers an area of about 3,000 hectares and is a comprehensive scenic area that integrates ecological tourism, leisure vacation, science education, and cultural experience. The park has rich natural resources and cultural landscapes and is a good place for hunting.
Our first stop in Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park was Xianshan Linggu Food Gallery. This is a food street composed of more than 40 antique wooden houses that offer various authentic Qingyuan dishes such as Qingyuan chicken, Lu goose, Zhouxin porridge, knife-cut rice cake, Jintan tofu, etc. We tasted some snacks here and felt the food culture and flavor of Qingyuan.
Then we walked along the floating bridge next to Xianshan Linggu Food Gallery for a while and came to the iron cable bridge. The iron cable bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the valley. It is 100 meters long, 1.5 meters wide, and 30 meters high. The bridge is densely packed with iron cables and wooden boards. Walking on it requires courage and balance. We all like to challenge ourselves, so we decided to walk across the iron cable bridge and feel the thrill of hanging in the air. Walking on the bridge, we can see the clear stream and green trees below, as well as some small animals playing in the water. We stopped from time to time to take pictures as souvenirs and enjoyed this feeling of being close to nature.
After crossing the iron cable bridge, we came to the love wooden bridge. The love wooden bridge is a beautiful arched wooden bridge, 50 meters long and 3 meters wide. The bridge is full of various kinds of couple locks, symbolizing the eternity and commitment of love. We saw many lovers expressing their love to each other on the bridge, some even carving their names and wishes on the locks. Although we don’t have lovers, we also felt the strong atmosphere of love here. We also bought a lock, wrote our names and vows of friendship on it, and locked it on an empty spot on the bridge. We hope this can make our friendship last forever.
From the love wooden bridge, we walked along the valley for a while and came to the valley spring. The valley spring is a natural spring water area with pure water quality, abundant water volume, and suitable water temperature. There are many pools of different sizes and shapes here, and there are various colors of fish and aquatic plants in the pools. We found a relatively deep pool, took off our shoes and socks, and went into the water barefoot. The water was cool and comfortable. We played, laughed, and frolicked in the water, just like we were back in our childhood. We also tried to catch some fish with our hands, but we didn’t succeed, we just wet our clothes.
After playing for a while, we continued to walk forward and came to the waterfall. The waterfall is a spectacular sight, 20 meters high and 10 meters wide. The waterfall rushes down from the cliff, making a deafening roar, splashing a spray of water. We stood next to the waterfall, feeling the moisture of the mist and the coolness of the wind. We also walked into a small cave behind the waterfall, seeing the beauty of the waterfall from another angle. We took some photos here, recording this rare scenery.
Finally, we came to the 100-meter wooden path. The 100-meter wooden path is a wooden walkway that is 100 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. The walkway hangs in the woods, about 10 meters high. There are dense trees and flowers on both sides of the walkway, and there are some birds and squirrels’ shuttle among them. We walked around on the walkway, feeling the freshness and vitality of the forest. We also used night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars to observe some nocturnal animals, such as owls, bats, hedgehogs, etc. We were very satisfied with the performance and effect of these devices, and also increased our confidence and expectation for our upcoming hunting trip.
This is our first day’s experience in Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park. We saw a lot of beautiful scenery here, felt a lot of interesting things, and also enhanced our feelings for each other. We all have a high evaluation and good impression of this park, and also full of longing and passion for the next hunting trip.
We started our long-awaited hunting trip on our second day at Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park. We booked a professional hunting guide online, who led us into a specific hunting area within the park. This area was specially opened for hunting enthusiasts, and there were various wild animals inside, such as wild boars, pheasants, rabbits, deer, foxes, etc. Under the guidance of the guide, we chose suitable weapons and ammunition, such as rifles, pistols, bows and arrows, darts, etc. We also prepared some essential equipment, such as night vision binoculars, infrared binoculars, flashlights, compasses, knives, etc.
We followed the guide’s arrangement and divided into two groups, each with two people. I was in a group with Cherry, and Tom was in another group with the guide. We agreed on a contact signal and a meeting point, and then set off separately. Our goal was to shoot as many animals as possible before nightfall, and ensure our own safety.
Cherry and I walked along a path for a while and found a pheasant pecking at the roadside. We immediately squatted down and quietly approached it. I took out my bow and arrow, aimed at its head, and gently pulled the bowstring. Just as I was about to shoot, I suddenly heard a loud noise, and then saw the pheasant fall to the ground, bleeding. I looked up and saw that Cherry had shot it dead with her pistol. I looked at her helplessly, but she smiled and said: “This is faster and easier.” I could only shake my head speechlessly, and then picked up the pheasant with her and put it in our backpack.
We continued to walk forward, hoping to find more targets. We walked for about half an hour and came to an open grassland. There were several rabbits hopping around on the grassland, very cute. Cherry and I both liked these small animals, so we decided not to shoot them, but to use night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars to observe them. These two devices are essential equipment for hunting at night. They can make us see more clearly in the dark and find more targets. Night vision binoculars can amplify the faint ambient light by thousands of times and display green images; infrared binoculars can display different colors of images according to the infrared radiation emitted by objects. We used these two devices alternately to observe the activities of the rabbits, feeling different visual effects and experiences. We also took some videos and photos with our phones to record these precious scenes.
We played on the grassland for a while, and then heard Tom and the guide’s contact signal. We immediately responded to them and rushed to the meeting point according to the agreed direction. We met them in front of a small cabin. They also carried some animals they had shot, such as wild boars, deer, foxes, etc. We showed each other our results and then entered the cabin together. The cabin was a place for hunters to stay and rest provided by the park. It had simple beds, tables and chairs, kitchen utensils and toilets. We cleaned and skinned the animals we had shot in the cabin, and then cooked some delicious food with kitchen utensils, such as pheasant soup, wild boar meat, deer jerky, etc. We ate and chatted together, sharing our hunting experiences and feelings, and complimenting each other’s skills and courage. We all felt that this was a very interesting and meaningful hunting trip that allowed us to experience the excitement and fun of hunting as well as enhance our friendship and trust among us.
We finished our hunting trip on the third day in Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park and started our food trip. We searched online for some Qingyuan specialties and recommended restaurants, and then chose a few places we wanted to try according to our preferences and budget. On this day, we tasted Qingyuan chicken, lu goose, zhouxin porridge, knife-cut ci, jintan tofu and other authentic dishes, satisfying our taste buds and appetite.
Qingyuan chicken is a famous dish in Qingyuan and one of the representatives of Cantonese cuisine. It is made from local chicken in Qingyuan, which is steamed, cut into pieces and poured with sauce. It is characterized by tender chicken meat, thin skin and thick meat, not fishy or greasy, clear and fragrant sauce, slightly spicy and sweet, and endless aftertaste. We ate this dish at a restaurant called Qingyuan Chicken King and felt very delicious. We also tore the chicken meat with our hands, accompanied by peanuts and cucumber strips, which increased our appetite and fun.
Lu goose is another famous dish in Qingyuan and one of the representatives of Cantonese cuisine. It is made from local lu goose in Qingyuan, which is marinated, roasted and sliced. It is characterized by crispy goose skin, tender goose meat, not oily or greasy, paired with a secret sweet and spicy sauce, rich and varied taste. We ate this dish at a restaurant called Lu Lu Xiang and felt very satisfied. We also wrapped the goose meat with taro slices and lettuce, which increased the level and nutrition.
Zhouxin porridge is a special snack in Qingyuan and one of the representatives of Cantonese porridge. It is made from local rice and water boiled into thin porridge, then added with various ingredients, such as meatballs, beef, peanuts, taro, etc. It is characterized by light porridge water, soft and glutinous rice grains, rich and diverse ingredients, suitable for eating at any time of the day. We ate this kind of porridge at a snack shop called Zhouxin Porridge City and felt very comfortable. We also used fried dough sticks and sweet bean paste as side dishes, which increased the flavor and texture.
Knife-cut ci is another special snack in Qingyuan and one of the representatives of Cantonese pastry. It is made from local glutinous rice flour and sugar kneaded into balls, then cut into small pieces with a knife, then fried until golden. It is characterized by crispy crust, soft and glutinous inside, sweet but not greasy, suitable for dessert or snack. We bought this snack at a stall called Knife-cut Ci King and felt very happy. We also used sesame seeds and coconut shreds as decorations, which increased the beauty and aroma.
Jintan tofu is the last specialty dish of Qingyuan, and also one of the representatives of Guangdong soy products. It is made from soybeans grown in Qingyuan, then soaked in clear water, and then cooked in different ways such as frying, boiling, stir-frying, etc. It is characterized by soft tofu, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and not losing the soybean flavor. It is paired with different sauces and seasonings, and the taste varies. We tried this dish at a restaurant called Jintan Tofu Workshop and felt very surprised. We also used cilantro and chili as seasonings, which added more flavor and color.
This is the authentic food we tasted in Qingyuan. We ate very well and happily here. We have high praise and admiration for these dishes, and we have a deeper understanding and recognition of Qingyuan’s food culture and flavor. We think this is a very meaningful and interesting food trip, which satisfies our appetite and enriches our knowledge.
This is our three-day and two-night trip to Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park, where we spent an unforgettable time. We met old friends here, experienced the functions and advantages of night vision binoculars and infrared binoculars, tasted authentic food, and felt the charm of nature. We have high praise and goodwill for this park, and we have a deeper understanding and recognition of Qingyuan’s culture and customs. We think this is a very meaningful and interesting trip, which expands our horizons, increases our knowledge, and enhances our friendship.
We are very grateful to Qingyuan Qian Valley Creek Forest Park for providing us with such a wonderful platform and opportunity, so that we can realize our hunting dreams and food wishes. We are also very grateful to our hunting guides and restaurant waiters, who gave us a lot of help and guidance, so that we can smoothly complete our travel plans. We are also very grateful to ourselves, because we have a brave, curious, open and friendly heart, which enables us to overcome various difficulties and challenges, and enjoy various fun and surprises.
Although this trip is over, our friendship is not over, our memories are not over, our stories are not over. We believe that no matter where we go in the future, what we do, we will always remember this trip, always remember each other. We also believe that no matter how long in the future, whenever and wherever, as long as there is an opportunity, we will meet again, travel again, create more beautiful memories. This is our expectation for the future, and also our commitment to each other.
