On January 16, which is said to be her birthday, the people of Penglai hold a fair. They dance the yangge (a popular rural folk dance), play with dragon lights and walk on stilts. This is the occasion when huge crowd of people gathers for fun and entertainment.

Another important festival is held every January 13 and 14 of lunar calendar, fishermen sent lamps or articles of tribute to Longwang Palace at Penglai Pavilion to pray for safety on the sea and harvesting fishery. Later, they changed the custom into setting a boat of sacrifice, sending fishing lamps or starting firecrackers. At the same time, they held recreation programs.

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While visiting Penglai, many visitors are hoping for an encounter with mirage. Because Penglai sits on the southern tip of the Bohai Straits, the low temperature of the sea water and the high temperature along the coast result in the appearance of spectacular optical illusions. Usually they occur during summer and autumn, especially after it rains and when it is overcast and misty. Well, hope you have good luck!

The food in Penglai is typical norther style, which boasts a variety of noodles. On top of the list is "Penglai little noodle", manually pulled, called locally as "plunged noodle". The noodles are slim, pliable but strong, boiled in fish soup flavored with sauce, agaric, balm and aniseed. A bowlful is about 50 grams and is of unique seafood taste. Besides, there is a Penglai feast called "eight immortals feast", which has prawns, sea cucumbers, scallops, sea crabs, red snails and other sea treasures as materials, cooked into eight assorted cold dishes, eight hot dishes and a hot soup. The eight assorted cold dishes are shaped respectively lifelike in each of the eight cimelias used by the eight immortals crossing the sea. The hot dishes, too, are delicately cooked, reflecting scenery of spots in Penglai. More delicious is the soup, cooked with eight fresh seafood in boiled chicken soup. The "eight immortals feast" is the reserved food for banquets at top-grade restaurants and hotels in Penlai.

Those departing for other places may go the long distance bus station where buses for Yantai, Qingdao, Jinan, Weifang and Longkou are ready for service. At the harbor, steamers are available for Changdao Island, Dalian and Lvshun.Buses of different sizes go to major cities in China.  For railway and air services, Penglai relies on the railway station and airport in Yantai City, 70 kilometers away from Penglai.  As the nearest tourism city to Penglai, Yantai has bus service scheduled for Penglai every twenty minutes.

Related Story: Mirage Appears in Penglai

(CRIENGLISH.com)

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