Far too many university students have tried to capture the magic of studying abroad in words, and while I’ve attempted to resist this perennial urge, I’m finally throwing my hat in the ring. I spent a semester in China frolicking across fields, trekking up mountains, and sprinting from one high-speed train to another. I visited more cities than I can fit here, each deserving its own love letter, so consider this a brief playlist of my semester abroad’s greatest hits.
Chongqing
After missing our original train and scrambling to find another, my exhausted friends and I arrived in Chongqing primed for disappointment, the words “over-hyped” already on the tips of our tongues. Known as China’s “8-D cyberpunk metropolis,” Chongqing could easily be reduced to its flashing lights and infamous infrastructure, but an intangible sweetness comes from the hodgepodge of elements that make up one of China’s most viral cities. A serenity lies in the river cradled by its surrounding mountains and the towering, mind-bending buildings built into them. It is one of the most densely populated cities in China, and one of its hottest tourist destinations, but somehow, the lights felt like they were shining just for me.
Must-do: River cruise, 18 Steps District (Shibati, 十八梯).
Guangzhou
In the sweltering, sticky heat of July, my friends and I found solace from Guangzhou’s notorious humidity in its extensive underground shopping centers. One of the final cities I visited during my stint in China, I was determined to eat and shop my way through Guangzhou until my Alipay gave out. But for all the damage the trip did to my wallet, Guangzhou turned out to be so much more than just har-gow and cheap bargains. Over 2,000 years old, Guangzhou has been one of China’s central trade hubs since the founding of the Maritime Silk Road. A highlight for me was the tree-lined pedestrian street on Shamian Island, once a strategic defense point during the Opium Wars and now lined with Qing-era colonial architecture.
Must-do: Canton Tower at night.
Zhangjiajie
So, I got severe food poisoning on this trip. Tragic, I know. But what comes up must come down. And getting to witness the majesty of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park was, undoubtedly, one of the highs of my life. The sights were too beautiful! The skies were too clear! Tears of wonder streamed too freely! It was only natural that the universe, and my body, would attempt to put things back into equilibrium. I’ll never forget the smell of sweat mingled with the crisp scent of air that can only be found at high altitudes, perfuming the buses as they wound their way up the mountains. Cramped from arm to sticky arm, we collectively craned our heads through the windows to catch glimpses of the view whenever the foliage or cliffside allowed it, as if the Earth were playing peekaboo with us. More than the famous reveal from the top of the Bailong elevator, or the sweeping panoramas of the viewing platforms, it’s these moments I remember most vividly.
Must-do: Golden Whip Stream.
Xiamen
I spent my final days in China visiting a friend in the idyllic, oceanside city of Xiamen. When I think of Xiamen, I’ll think of balmy days spent on the back of a scooter, and my toes buried into the sand as I listened to the gentle crash of waves. It is a city of warm, breezy nights and sweltering, humid days. Tranquility is its greatest strength. Greenery abounds throughout the city, palm trees line oceanside walkways, and vines race across pastel overpasses. Spending time in Xiamen feels like spending a week bathed in an aesthetic Instagram filter; edges are a little softer, and life’s problems feel like blurred figures in the background.
Must-do: Seafood hot pot at 朱富贵 (Zhū fùguì).
Beijing
I’m not sure if living in a city for four months strictly counts as a “visit,” but I would be remiss to forgo Beijing on this list. When I first expressed interest in studying abroad in China, I told my mom there were two primary options: Shanghai or Beijing. She said that while the cosmopolitan comforts of Shanghai may be more familiar to me as an American when it comes to culture, history, and unabashed national pride, Beijing reigns supreme.
It’s hard to differentiate whether I fell in love with the city of Beijing or the people who populated it. While I mourn the long subway rides from the Haidian district, where my school’s campus was, to the city center for hutong exploring or to Sanlitun for shopping and nights out, I miss the people who made those hours fly by even more.
Must-do: Beihai Park.
It’s hard to say whether the memories I made in China will stay with me forever. I’d like to think they will, but my memory is notoriously fallible. These cities, these sights, the people, the breeze, the blossoms—these will all move on without me. So before the progression of time inevitably dulls my memories and theirs, this is my attempt to hold on. This, and the monthly bike subscription I’m still paying for because I can’t figure out how to cancel it.
Cover image by RADII/Nora Lee.
