Gulangyu sunrise

Xiamen is also a Special Economic Zone, but unlike Shenzhen it was a real place before that. We stayed on Gulangyu Island, formerly a foreigner's enclave; it has a beautiful mix of architecture, and a maze of lovely tiny winding alleys with no motor vehicles allowed. It's also packed with tourists (and believe me, "packed" takes on a whole new meaning in China), but fortunately they all stay in the touristy area and it's easy to get away from them.

One morning we climbed to the highest point on the island to see the sunrise. The sun didn't cooperate, but that wasn't our fault.