In Lianyungang, there is a kind of "freshness" that is engraved in the bones.
When people there are asked, they will tell with a smile that the happiness they consider is a very simple state. Specifically, it only exists in the form of "drinking beer, eating clams, and taking a bath in the sea."
Although this statement is somewhat ironic, it truly outlines the background of life in this coastal city.
For many out-of-towners, homesickness may be that steaming bowl of clams with original juice.
The unique umami flavor is not only an enjoyment on the tip of the tongue, but also serves as a cultural symbol, full of hometown feelings.
The Hongdao Clam Festival, which comes on time every year, turns this delicious taste of ordinary life into an art, cultural and tourism feast that allows everyone to enjoy themselves.
A fresh bite: local taste on the tip of your tongue
In Lianyungang, there are many ways to eat clams. However, what wins people's hearts the most is the taste that retains its original taste without being overly processed.
The clams are clean of sediment and fresh. Just throw them into the pot, close the lid, don't put a drop of water, don't add any seasoning, just turn on the fire. The method is surprisingly simple.
Soon, the clams opened their shells one by one in the heat, revealing the tender clam meat, and what was gathered in the pot was the purest soup from the sea.
Don't throw away the leftover clam soup. Use it to cook noodles. The deliciousness is unparalleled.
A local specialty is fried clams. The spicy aroma of chili peppers and the sweetness of clams collide in the fire, and it has become the signature of countless late-night snack stalls.
When people living in Lianyungang eat clams, what they enjoy is the natural gift from Jiaozhou Bay. Among them, especially the Red Island clam, with its thin shell and tender meat, it has long been a well-known local specialty and has also been registered and protected by the National Agricultural Products Geographical Indication.
Driving to the sea to dig clams: a sense of ritual engraved in genes
For Lianyungang people, the appeal of the sentence "Let's go to the sea!" is no less attractive than any trip. This is the case.
Clam fishing is not just a way to obtain food, it is also a leisure style deeply integrated into the bone marrow, and an activity that parents and children can participate in together.
Every weekend or holiday, especially during the Red Island Clam Festival, the vast beach is full of people with shovels and buckets.
What people enjoy is not the amount of harvest, but the fun of searching for treasures in the sand, and the time of close contact with the sea.
The waters in this area have a long history. Looking back on the past, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, this specific place was already a key and important place for Qi to obtain "the benefits of fishing and salt."
Nowadays, on the occasion of the Clam Festival, you can see many elements of fishing and salt culture that have been passed down for thousands of years, including the fishing net weaving technique of Hongdao Street, which is listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Shandong Province.
Digging clams is not only about seafood, but also about tracing and experiencing the DNA of ancient culture.
From "planting" to "traveling": small clams leveraging big industries
Did you know that the delicious clams on the table are actually "grown"?
Every other year in the spring, people who make a living by fishing will arrange their fishing boats in a straight line and release clam seedlings as big as rice grains into the sea.
Since the 1960s, Hongdao Commune conducted the first attempt to close the beach for breeding. Until now, the scale of breeding has continued to expand, and the small clams have grown into a large-scale industry that drives the local economy.
Today's Hongdao Clam Festival is no longer a simple "carrying a bucket to dig for clams" situation, but has become a comprehensive cultural and tourism festival that integrates "eating, drinking, playing, learning, appreciating and shopping".
In the seafood restaurant, you can taste the authentic food, in the music and food camp, you can relax your mind and body, and in the sunset cafe, you can enjoy the wonderful scenery, and you can also see unique intangible cultural heritage displays such as the Hongdao Hi Box and Liu's clay sculptures.
Even the Clam Bus and Clam Tram have become new check-in places.
With the help of e-commerce platforms, these delicious clams "swim" across the country and even across the ocean, attracting a large number of "international fans".
Urban character in little shells
Lianyungang people often say this to their foreign friends, "Come to Lianyungang and see me, and I'll treat you to beer and clams!" These words are simple, enthusiastic, and carry a bold energy.
After spending a very busy day, I didn't spend much money. I went to buy a bag of real beer and two pounds of clams, which would start a wonderful night.
This behavior of eating clams started from the "eating clams" of the ancients and continues to the daily life of modern people. It also quietly reflects the tolerant and optimistic group character of the city of Lianyungang.
It has never pursued the luxury of delicacies from the mountains and seas. However, it has found the true meaning of life in a home-cooked meal that reflects the delicious taste.
The Dragon Boat Festival holiday is coming soon, and the clams are plump at this time. You might as well go to Lianyungang, in the atmosphere of "mountain", "sea" and "tide", to personally experience the joy of harvest, taste the delicious food provided by the sea, and find your own aesthetics of life.
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