Nowadays, social media is filled with exquisite travel experiences: popular tourist spots, trendy shops, and even Instagram-worthy photo spots; meticulously crafted travel guides, capturing stunning views, and edited photos… However, over time, people’s thresholds have risen, and they gradually grow weary of such cookie-cutter travel experiences. The ‘polished social media posts of a rough life’ no longer hold any appeal.
Thus, ‘Renwu’ magazine launched a call for submissions on ‘unrefined travel,’ and soon received nearly 600 responses. Readers from all over the country shared their travel stories. Some traveled without makeup, without taking photos, and without acting like special forces, fully immersing themselves in the scenery; some didn’t check in, didn’t wait in line, and didn’t follow travel guides, simply playing wherever they went; some slept on worn-out bedding and ate undercooked meals, yet were moved by the howl of a wolf in the wild; some stumbled upon a group of interesting friends while wandering the streets of a foreign country, and in that moment, ‘saw a small piece of the galaxy pass through the upstream of my soul’…
A new world slowly unfolds before us. The strangeness, the unknown, and the surprises brought by the distance reopen the senses that have been closed off by the fast-paced urban life. In many moments to come, those unexpected fragments encountered during the journey will become the ropes that allow us to escape the mundane, ‘I know I can leave at any moment to live any kind of life.
Unexpected surprises that come with spontaneous trips.
@Mo Mumu, 32 years old, female.
This year’s Qingming Festival, I went to Gansu. It was very cold there, and the carefully packed floral clothes went unworn; in the end, a thin green cotton jacket was all I had for the entire trip. The wind was strong, and there was a lot of sand, but it became my spiritual nourishment for the year, something I savored for six months. What impressed me the most was coming out of the Mati Temple in Zhangye and taking the high-speed train back to Lanzhou. I didn’t expect that the Qilian Mountains I saw at the Mati Temple would accompany us all the way; it was so spectacular! I felt a bit drowsy on the train, just about to doze off when I looked up and saw vast, knife-like peaks stretching endlessly. There was snow on the mountains, and snow scattered across the large patches of black soil in front of them. Leaning against the window to take a closer look, I noticed that the black soil wasn’t all barren; there were large clumps of black grass curled up, separated by the thin snow. I wanted to reach out to the mountains, but the mountains seemed to come to me. The train kept moving forward, and the knife-edged snow-capped mountains drew closer and closer. Just as they were within arm’s reach, suddenly, the scenery outside plunged into darkness; we entered a tunnel, traveling through the mountain. After countless moments of darkness, we bid farewell to this range of mountains. When I came to my senses, I was already in tears.
@Everything ,“Inner Mongolia
I once went to Tianjin, feeling both messy and free. In the early morning, looking at the lights of Beian Bridge, I rode my bike through the underground passage, feeling as free as the wind. At 11:15 PM, I encountered an unknown clock. I thought to myself, in a city that isn’t my hometown, it feels like I’ve witnessed its 24 hours. I spent three days shuttling between two cities. After an all-nighter, I went to take an exam. There were many unforgettable moments, but all I remember is that after returning, I took a long hot shower, ate two dishes, and slept from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. That evening, I washed all my clothes and cleaned my shoes. In that April, I stood by the window, smelling the flowers and feeling the evening breeze, and I felt that youth was right there on my freshly washed white T-shirt.
@Jiang Yue, 28 years old, female
“Usually, having a three-day holiday feels quite ample, but it limits me to choosing places that are neither too far nor too close, making it particularly difficult to decide. I really dislike planning my itinerary in advance, and since I’m starting from Beijing, buying tickets for nearby destinations can also become quite a challenge.
Once, during a three-day holiday, we wanted to explore the surroundings and searched on Xiaohongshu for good places to go. However, everything we saw looked quite similar and rather boring. So, we asked a friend for recommendations and were suggested Wuling Mountain in Xinglong, Chengde. We were really spontaneous; we bought high-speed train tickets in the afternoon and left that evening.
After biking to the foot of the mountain, we began two days of hiking. Before going, I had no idea what to expect, but we met a farmer’s aunt who cooked us delicious meals. Initially, we didn’t plan to watch the sunset, but the owner of the only hotel on the mountain mentioned that some people were going to see it, so we joined them. The next day, after watching the sunrise, we slowly walked down the mountain, and even the small flowers and grasses by the roadside made us particularly happy.
So, in my opinion, travel doesn’t necessarily require pursuing particularly distant places or famous attractions; it can still provide a wonderful experience.”
