There it is, the first stream of turquoise light in the night sky. The border of the sea and sky then gradually turned into a shade of orange. It’s four o’clock on a cool and windy morning, and the world seems completely silent but the sound of the waves splashing onto the reef. The rosy hue struck across the water and fell onto the spotless white reefs on the shore which had been washed by the waves. It painted the sea, sky, and the whole world pale pink. At five o’clock, people living by the sea begin to arrive at the reefs, picking up clams hidden in the sand and crabs brought to the reefs by the waves last night. Some set sails to catch fish. “Make use of the local resources available” is something the local people at Yantai always say.

Finally, the bright yellow sun slowly rises from the mountain beside the gulf. The hue in the sky becomes more vibrant as it rises higher and higher. Morning waves glistened in the sunlight, the ocean was so clear that the beam shot directly to the soft white sand at the bottom. A peaceful day at Yantai; my mother’s hometown.