In the early morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I woke up before the alarm clock rang. Outside the window, the sky was still dark, and the house was quiet. We planned to use this holiday to take our two children to see a real sunrise over the sea. For our destination, we chose Nantong, the closest place to home.

To catch the sunrise and avoid traffic on the road, we decided to set off at 3 a.m. I gently opened my daughter’s bedroom door — she had already dressed herself and was packing her travel bag, her eyes full of excitement. In the next room, my son was still sound asleep. When I woke him, he rubbed his eyes and asked, “Are we going to see the sunrise?” and immediately perked up.

As the car drove out of the city, the streetlights slipped away one by one, and eventually even the outline of the city disappeared into the darkness. The highway was very quiet, with only the sound of the wheels rolling. My daughter leaned against the window — at first, she chatted with us sporadically, but soon drifted off to sleep. My son, on the other hand, was very excited. He pressed against the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the “sea” in the pitch-black outside. My husband and I exchanged a smile, held each other’s hands tightly, our hearts full of anticipation for this family trip.

After about an hour and a half, we finally arrived at the Golden Beach in Nantong. As soon as we opened the car door, a salty sea breeze rushed toward us. My daughter was the first to jump out of the car. When she looked up at the night sky, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!”

It was a starry sky we had never seen in the city — without the interference of neon lights, the sky was filled with countless stars, like scattered diamonds embedded densely in the dark blue canopy. The outline of the Milky Way was clearly visible, as if you could reach out and touch it.

My daughter immediately took out her phone to capture the breathtaking scene, only to realize that the camera couldn’t capture even a fraction of its beauty. My son was also awestruck, tilting his little head back and muttering, “So many stars,” while pointing at the sky and saying, “That’s the Big Dipper, and that’s Altair.

We slowly walked along the wooden boardwalk toward the sea. The muddy beach beneath our feet was soft, and each step left a small indentation. We found a clean reef to sit on and quietly waited for the sunrise.

My daughter leaned against me and whispered, “Mom, this is the first time I’ve seen so many stars. They’re really beautiful.”

No one knew how much time had passed when the eastern sky gradually began to lighten with a pale glow. The stars, as if they had completed their mission, quietly faded one by one. The colors at the horizon slowly shifted — from pale pink to orange-red, and then to a dazzling golden yellow.

Finally, a tiny red dot peeked out from the sea’s surface. Then, half of the sun appeared — and suddenly, the entire sun leapt up above the horizon!

At that moment, golden sunlight instantly bathed the beach. The sea shimmered with sparkling waves, as if it were covered in scattered gold.

My son jumped up with excitement, grabbing our hands and trying to run toward the shore to touch the golden light. My daughter took out her camera and kept pressing the shutter, wanting to capture this beautiful moment forever.

As the horizon was gently tinted with a soft orange in the early morning, we walked on the cool sand, heads lowered as we searched for seashells that held the secrets of the sea.

My son clutched his “treasures” tightly, carefully tucking them into his little pocket. Looking up with his small face, he said he wanted to take them home as gifts for Grandpa and Grandma.

After a simple breakfast, we drove to Evergrande Ocean Venice. As soon as the car stopped, the children ran toward the beach like birds freed from a cage — building sandcastles, chasing the waves, and filling the entire shoreline with their cheerful laughter.

Watching them laugh, play, and chase each other in the sunlight, my husband and I exchanged a smile, our hearts completely filled with a warm feeling called “happiness.”

This Mid-Autumn Festival didn’t feature a lavish family feast or a lively gathering, yet it became especially meaningful because of our experience watching the sunrise.

Work is the same — even repetitive tasks, with a small adjustment, can lift employees’ moods and boost work efficiency.

Date of Contribution: November 2025
Author:
Changzhou OPK Handling Equipment Co., Ltd.
General Affairs Department
Li Yinhuan