Visit Dian Toujiao (Big Swan Hometown) in Yan Duanjiao, and Have a Close Encounter with Big Swans

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The easternmost point of the Shandong Peninsula has a beautiful coastal city, where China's most beautiful coastline is located: Weihai. The 'End of the World' Shan Tou, located in Rongcheng, a county-level city of Weihai.

Rongcheng was formerly known as 'Da Wu', meaning 'Place of Dancing,'. Rongcheng originated from the fact that in the Yongzheng era, 'Emperor Zhuang hunted big fish in Shan Tou Mountain, which was located in Rongcheng, hence the name was derived from it, and the new county was named Rongcheng with its capital in Yuan Chengshanwei.

Every winter, the most captivating thing in Rongcheng is not just the natural scenery, but the beautiful swans from Siberia.

These swans are seen in Rongcheng's Dyne Bay, either dancing, being cute, or resting, forming flocks and pairs together… This has become a paradise for photographers.

The swans maintain a rare 'life-long mate' system. When an adult swan lays eggs, the male swan will stay beside it, and when encountering dangers, it will flap its wings to rush forward to defend it, bravely fighting with the opponent.

In 2011, the China Wildlife Protection Association awarded Rongcheng the title of 'Home of the Big Swan of China.' Rongcheng thus became a national Big Swan Nature Reserve.

Dyne Bay is the world's largest Big Swan wintering resort.

Dyne Bay is a coastal village with about 500 households. There is a small mountain to the east of the village, which blocks the Yellow Sea, forming a small bay.

Every November, the big swans come to Dyne Bay to spend the winter. Due to the villagers' voluntary love for birds, the swans also formed a close relationship with the villagers, creating a harmonious environment of people and birds.

The seaweed houses in Dyne Bay are one of China's intangible cultural heritage. The 'seaweed' used to build the houses is a wild seaweed, such as large-leaf seaweed, growing in shallow waters of 5-10 meters.

When you enter Dyne Bay fishing village, you can see houses built with original stones or bricks, with raised roofs, with fluffy, fishing net-covered roofs, which are rustic and have a distinct local characteristic, resembling fairytale cottages.

Seaweed houses are one of the most representative ecological dwellings in the world. According to records, seaweed houses have been gradually formed since the Qin, Han, Song, and Jin dynasties and have been widely inherited in the Shandong Peninsula. They reached their peak prosperity during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

If you love swans and photography, you can go to Dyne Bay, Rongcheng, in winter, live in a seaweed house, enjoy the sea view, and have a close encounter with the big swans.

Photos in the text are all taken by the editor, text is original, infringement will be pursued