My trip to the Wuyi Mountains was a relaxing break from the more aggressive sightseeing that I had been doing throughout most of my trip in China. The mountain chain is located in the northern part of Fujian province, and is protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This heritage site is kept in pristine conditions by the local and provincial governments because of its exquisite natural beauty. My local tour guide and I joined a group of tourists and took a tour of the mountain chain via bamboo boat.

The two men giving the tour used bamboo poles instead of the conventional oars to push the boat down the river that meandered through the mountain chain. There were many Chinese characters written on the stone walls of some of the cliffs, and the guide explained to me that some characters gave directions to those who navigated the river, while others likened certain structures to human or animal characteristics. After our tour, the guide and I joined the other tourists for some homebrewed tea at a fantastically ornate tea table. My experience in Wuyishan and the Wuyi Mountains was the first time I interacted with some of the semi-rural areas of China, which was a welcomed change from the fast paced life in the large cities.