On November 23, 2013, the Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics (WISE) and School of Economics (SOE) at Xiamen University (XMU) were gracious enough to host a group trip to Nanjing county for its international students. Both the first and second year international master’s students were invited to join the day trip.
New friendships were formed as we boarded the bus from XMU to Nanjing county. While on the bus, our tour guide provided us with pertinent history and knowledge on Xiamen, the Fujian province, and other geographical background.
When we arrived in Nanjing county, WISE and SOE organized a nice lunch for us. The restaurant served some of the local delicacies. With full bellies, we walked off our lunch as we were led to Yun Shui Yao. While there we visited two Hakka Earth buildings: Hegui building and Huaiyuan building. The rectangular Hegui Building was built on wet land in 1732 while the circular Huaiyuan Building built in 1909. This area and its structures still hold a lot of historical value and have been inscribed in 2008 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. They attract numerous tourists from all over China and the rest of the world.

This one-day adventure was a great way for new students to get acquainted with old. Moreover, everyone who attended was able to mingle with individuals from many different parts of the world. It truly was the perfect forum to observe multicultural relations and the diversity of the Economics program at Xiamen University. All of the international students who attended on this day certainly appreciated their tour and overall experience.
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(Fendi Bentley-Townsend, class of 2014 student of WISE-SOE International Master's Programs)