Submitted by Alex Stein on the 2016 winter session program in China sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice..
Edging sideways down a narrow path, I wade my way through a cactus farm. The sand crunches under my shoes. I’ve been walking for several hours now. The water bottle in the side pocket of my backpack is nearly empty making the heat from the arid weather even more difficult to bear. I never thought during my month long abroad program to China would involve walking through an environment reminiscent of a landscape in Mexico, but here I was in the Xiamen Botanical Garden: A beautiful, yet exhausting trek through one of China’s national parks, located in Xiamen, a quiet little island off the coast of Southeastern China.
I was hundreds of miles away from Beijing and the bustling city life that encompassed it. A brief week break from the northern capital, Xiamen is a welcome surprise. Its environment akin to Florida, complete with palm trees, clusters of skyscrapers and beautiful beaches, Xiamen functions as a worthy vacation spot for many of China’s citizens.
What amazes me the most is how varied the environments and locations in Xiamen are. During my week stay, I have walked on sandy beaches, strayed between tight streets flanked by European architecture on a picturesque island, admired the designs of a wealthy island estate decked out in gazebos and miniature ponds and gardens, climbed mountains to gaze over the city and trounced through forests covered in a misty haze surrounded by waterfalls and bridges. My month long program in China has amazed me and awed me to say the least and I still have nearly two weeks to go.