Fujian is a region of steep mountains, river valleys and a lush subtropical coastline. While the coastal cities have been engaging in trade for hundreds of years, the mountainous interior remained inaccessible until as late as the 1960s. One notable exception is Mt. Wuyi in the northwest, which offers fantastic hiking opportunities, and whose mild climate has supported the production of Oolong tea for a thousand or more years. Southwest Fujian, meanwhile, is the place to see the unique earth-houses of the Hakka people, one of Fujian’s many ethnic groups. Each house contains as many as 100 residents!

Our Fujian programs are based in rural Zhangzhou, where hundreds of Hakka round-houses dot the landscape. Participants will get to see the tulous from above, below, inside, and outside, with the opportunity to lodge inside of a restored “tulou hotel.” Students will learn about the Hakka culture through participatory EOTC experiences and supporting materials, as well as through a hike and a bike ride. After a night relaxing at a nearby hot springs resort, many of our Fujian trips will conclude in Xiamen, for a scavenger hunt on historic Gulangyu Island and some free time in the Zengcuo’an pedestrian area.

Fujian is also one of our most popular destinations for service learning projects. Simple projects range from mud-brick making to tulou wall repair. For schools interested in a multi-day service project, KA has established a long-term partnership with a local village near the Yunshuiyao Scenic area, where we are gradually restoring a community center near a remote tea plantation.