Camping, picking fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fishing are among the top choices for Zhuhai residents to get close to the nature and have fun in the countryside during the upcoming five-day Labor Day holiday, which falls from April 30 to May 4.

Parks and beaches citywide, such as Xiangshan Lake and Haibin parks and Gongle Garden, are recommended for people interested in camping. For instance, the 1,000-sq-m grassland in Tangyuan Garden Inn off Shanfang Road in Tangjiawan has been popular with camping enthusiasts recently, with colorful tents scattered on it.

Duan Fei, owner of the inn, noted that camping integrates outdoor sports, relaxation, entertainment, and accommodation. It is suggested that people check the weather in advance and choose the proper place for camping. Sites with abundant vegetation and grasslands offering a firmer ground are recommended.

Apart from tents, damp-proof mats, placemats, folding chairs, storage boxes, and sleeping bags are necessities for camping. Those who stay overnight in tents also need to prepare a high-capacity portable power source and star-shaped light strings, which can be wound over the fixed ropes of tents. Small gas cylinders are also suggested for barbeques.

Tangyuan Garden Inn will hold a camping fair during the May Day holiday, allowing campers to experience local culture in Tangjia Ancient Town, taste Tangjiawan folk refreshments, and ride bicycles to the nearby Qi'ao Island. 

Children catch fish on a farmland [Photo by Wu Changfu / Zhuhai Daily]

Zhuhai's climate is also suitable for picking fruit and vegetables all year round, which is a popular activity for parents with young children. Yang's Grape Garden in Dongwan Village of Doumen's Lianzhou Town is famous for its grapes. 

The first batch of muscat grapes and watermelons will be ready for picking during the holiday, while the sunshine rose grapes will ripe in June, according to Yang Guanghua, owner of the orchard. Visitors can also taste local Doumen delicacies, such as boneless sieve fish, geese, and yellow clams.

Elsewhere in Doumen, pitaya flowers at Shiyiren Eco-Sightseeing Manor are blooming, while a large grassland suitable for putting up tents is available for visitors. In addition, visitors can experience shrimp fishing at nine ponds and have local restaurants prepare their catches or rent barbeque grills to cook on their own. 

The farmland in Bayi Community of Jinwan's Hongqi Town has welcomed the harvest seasons of vegetables like eggplants, peppers, green beans, cabbages, amaranths, lettuce, wheat, sweet potato seedlings, pumpkins, and cucumbers. People can buy the fresh vegetables they picked at a price of 8 yuan ($1.2) per 500 grams.

A worker of the farmland noted that self-raised chickens, ducks, and geese are also for sale, as well as fruit like watermelons and guavas grown by nearby villagers, which would help increase local farmers' incomes.