Raj Racitalal

Beautiful scenery, unforgettable memories, and two incredible weeks in China! Xiamen Summer School was the trip of a lifetime, an experience which taught me about the Chinese economy and Chinese culture.

My first impression of China, and Xiamen more specifically, was the unbearable heat and humidity – something many of us are not used to back in England. Nonetheless, this was expected as I had learnt that China is a hot country. What I did not expect, however, was the impressive infrastructure which Xiamen has. The clean roads, impressive bridges throughout the island, and most notably – the twin towers overlooking the entire island.

The university was just as impressive as the rest of the island, if not more. The roads were in perfect condition, there was plenty of trees throughout the whole campus, and most importantly – most buildings (if not all) had air conditioning! I was surprised (once again) at the number of trees there were within the university. The view from the 9th floor (that is where we stayed) partly reminded me of a rainforest, with only the lake and the big building reminding me that I was in a institution of higher education.

We had the opportunity of going to various field trips during these 2 weeks. There are 2 in particular which stuck with me. The first one was the Nanputuo temple, an ancient temple built during the Tang dynasty (that is over 1000 years ago) situated right next to the university. As we made the climb up to the top, this was the perfect opportunity for us students to get to know one another, the volunteers and Chinese culture as we witnessed dozens of families making the same climb as us. The hour-long climb in the heat definitely gave us the leg workout we did not ask for, but it also made us appreciate the stunning view of the island from its peak.

The trip to Gulang Island was also very memorable. First, we had to take a 20-minute ferry to the island. Once we arrived, we learnt that the island was a pedestrian zone only (no cars were allowed anywhere). Whilst Xiamen is an island itself, Gulang is a microcosm of that, allowing us to explore the entire island in a few hours, whilst still maintain those stunning views and beautiful scenery. Despite it being such a small island, my only regret is that we did not get to stay there for longer.

As an economics student, all the lectures were fantastic. I got the chance to learn about the Chinese economy, and how big of an influence Chinese politics has on all aspects of life in China.

One of the things we learnt that is very different in China was the “Hukou”. A “Hukou” is a household registration status, which is passed down from parents to children as an entitlement. It is given per location; thus, you are only entitled to the state benefits (i.e. free education) within that region. This is a real challenge to Chinese people if they want to migrate from one region to another. It is also one of the ways in which internal migration is disincentivised by the government. Although this may look absurd initially, the reason behind the Hukou is to stop the regional disparities within China – the coastal areas of China have a much greater GDP per capita than western/central areas (¥9000 compared to ¥4000).

We also learnt how recently the Chinese economy growth rate is slowing down. However, after understanding the structure of the economy in more detail, it is arguable that a slowdown in the Chinese economy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Instead it shows how China should re-structure its economy and move away from relying on government investment, and move towards domestic consumption, as its main form of economic growth.

The cultural experiences really helped us appreciate the differences in their lifestyle compared to ours. We had a martial arts workshop, where we learnt some basic moves, as well as a whole choreographed fight in pairs. I think it is safe to say that some of us walked away with black belts, as we kept using some of the moves throughout the summer school.

Moreover, we got to make our very own dumplings! We learnt the correct technique to make them – thanks to the volunteers – but I do not think many of us got the hang of it. Regardless, it was a very fun experience making them, and more fun in eating them. One of the students also had challenge with a volunteer to see who can eat the most dumplings in one minute. Toby represented Team GB well and won, beating Ray by 10 dumplings to 5.

Overall, this is a trip that I will cherish and remember of fondly when I look back at 2019. From a place I was afraid to visit – due to the political and economic tensions with the West – to a place that I did not want to leave, to say that this trip has been memorable would be an understatement.

From a University of Southampton student, I hope everyone gets to experience everything Xiamen has to offer like I did, and much more.