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.
@Healer, 23 years old, female
“In class, feeling bored, I casually flipped through the map and stumbled upon two small islands near Shanghai—Hengsha Island and Changxing Island. Suddenly, I thought I should spend a weekend there. After class, I bought tickets for an overnight sleeper train, followed by a long subway ride and a ferry.
On the island, I rented a bike and rode around, and unexpectedly caught the sunset on a foggy day. There weren’t many travelers on the island, and I felt a bit scared when I rode to remote areas. It was in this anxious state that I moved forward, feeling both nervous and excited. Lying in the hotel at night, I thought to myself, since I’m always feeling anxious, I might as well take a few more steps.
@Lexi
“I know I’m a spontaneous person, but I never knew where the limit of spontaneity lies. This year’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday, my partner and I boarded a high-speed train to Chengde, intending to try the almond tofu and Lao San lamb soup there. Shortly after getting on the train, we discovered that the train’s final destination was Shenyang. We exchanged a knowing smile, understanding each other’s thoughts—Chengde was off the table, so we quickly bought tickets to head straight to Shenyang for barbecue!
This trip was quite haphazard; we only brought a backpack containing a T-shirt we had prepared for Chengde, leaving behind most of our clothes, pants, and toiletries. Moreover, neither of us had been to Shenyang before, and we had no friends there. We had no idea what to do, what to eat, or where to stay. On the train, we were too excited to even think about making any plans.
It was truly a whimsical journey—when it was time for dinner, we didn’t have time to browse Xiaohongshu, so we decided not to look at it at all. We hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take us to his favorite barbecue restaurant. We indulged in a feast, with meat sizzling on the clay oven, and the unique sesame sauce from Shenyang was incredibly rich and fragrant, leaving us thoroughly satisfied.
For accommodation, we found a chain hotel next to the barbecue place. Sitting on the steps outside, we booked a room for the night through our phones. When we checked out, the receptionist recommended a delicious flaky egg pancake.
As for sightseeing, we walked a kilometer before giving up. We saw a theater nearby and spent 20 yuan to watch a three-hour ‘Er Ren Zhuan’ performance, shaking a clapping prop to create applause and experiencing some of the simplest joys.
Here, we abandoned all review and recommendation apps, eating and experiencing whatever we came across. Because of this, we had the chance to truly interact with the locals. We chatted with a taxi driver about why the evening billboards were so bright, talked with a lady selling corn about the legends of strong women in Wuwai Market, and competed in chess with elderly men in the park. In those moments, I even had the illusion that I was a local in Shenyang.
Putting down our communication devices, we returned to the most primal state of travel, experiencing an unprecedented intensity of travel in those 24 hours.
In the end, we boarded the train home feeling satisfied and fulfilled—yes, the train tickets were also hard sleeper tickets we managed to buy at the last minute. I think I may never forget this trip full of twists and turns; after all, exquisite travel can be monotonous, while rough travel is uniquely special.”
Embarrassed and fearful, but deeply impressed
@Lucky Little Cowboy, 28 years old, female
At Sayram Lake in Xinjiang, I switched back and forth between enjoying the beautiful scenery and looking for a restroom—awkward yet unforgettable. I briefly escaped from the concrete jungle, and in the unreal beauty of Sayram and Hemu Village, there was a moment when I felt like a shepherdess born and raised here, as if my nomadic human genes were awakened. Especially in Hemu Village, the next morning, when I opened the door, a cat was sitting at my feet, and a little lamb was tethered on the grass in front of the house. In my pajamas with messy hair, wearing a down jacket over them, I squatted down holding a Hami melon, and in that instant, I felt a sudden reconciliation with everything, breathing freely in the vastness of nature.
@Li Dahei
Last year, I drove around Namibia for a month, often going a week without a shower. The vast, open landscapes were both stunning and challenging, with dirt roads that could be treacherous. I camped under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of nature, and experienced the thrill of wildlife encounters. Despite the lack of modern comforts, I felt an incredible sense of freedom. Each day brought new adventures—hiking through national parks, marveling at the desert scenery, and meeting local people. The journey left me with unforgettable memories and a deep appreciation for the beauty and rawness of the land.
