52 Hours in Huizhou: Beautiful Sunsets, Diving in Murky Water and Palm Tree Print Clothes
Stop three of the 9-city sprint through post-COVID South China.
Tuesday night. Huizhou. Double Moon Bay.
Arrived like a mysterious beach NPC. 🌒🧍♂️
No plans. No friends.
Just salt in the air and main character delusion. 🌬️🎭🌅
I came to scuba dive. 🤿🫧💦
No tourists. No dive squad. Just me + 3 uncles + 1 boat held together by hope. 🧓🧓🧓🛥️🪛
The Dive:
Visibility = underwater soup. 🍲👀🌫️
No coral. No clownfish. Just the sound of my breathing and brown water. 🐠❌🧠💀
I kicked a rock. Made eye contact with a sea cucumber.
Felt spiritual. Or maybe just lost. 🪸🧭🥴
We surface.
The dive boss shrugs. Hands me a cigarette. 🚬🧍♂️
I take it.
Not because I smoke —
Because it was a brotherhood beacon. 🫡🌀🤝
That puff meant: “You suffered. You’re one of us now.” 🫧🔥👊
—
Plot Twist:
I didn’t bring ANY clothes to change into. 🥲💦🩳
So I walk to the corner shop:
Wet. Shirtless. Slightly sunburnt. 💀☀️💧
Point at a palm tree shirt + shorts combo 🌴👕🩳
Auntie stares.
Says the price.
I can see the neurons firing as the auntie software programs boots up
Where are you from?
How long you come to China?
What’s your job?
You have Chinese gf?
Transaction complete. 💸✨🌴🔥
🛵🕶️🌴💥
—
Later:
Rode around town like a post-apocalyptic beach detective. 🕵️♂️🏖️🚦
Everything’s closed. Lights off. Signs faded.
Post-COVID ghost town energy. 🏚️📴🚫
But the sunset?
Biblical. 🌅📿🧎♂️
I stood on the sand:
👣 Wet feet.
📸 Salt hair.
🕶️ Dramatic silhouette.
⛅ Thinking: “I am either thriving or deeply unwell.”
—
Final Verdict:
Huizhou gave me:
• Mud water diving 🤿
• Brotherhood cigarette 🚬🫱🫲
• Shirtless panic 🧍♂️🛒
• Ghost town scooter tour 🛵💨
• Palm tree redemption arc 🌴✨
• Sunset forgiveness 🌅🫶
—
This is Part 3 of my 9-part series
《52 Hours in X》
A fast-travel experiment through post-COVID China.
One city 🏙️. One story 📖. 52 hours ⏱️ at a time.
Next stop: Shantou.
Spoiler: dialect chaos, beef balls, and the rise of Victor from 汕头. 🧠🥩📛🌀