2024-25: GEOG4001 - China

11-24 JUL 2025

From July 11 to 24, 2025, twenty undergraduate students from the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong, led by Professor Jimmy Li, participated in the 14-day “2025 Intercollegiate Field Excursion in Southwest China for Geography Students from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao”（ 2025年西南地区、内地与港澳大学生地理学野外联合实习）.

With the theme “Walking Along the Edge of the ‘Staircase,” the excursion traced a 3,000-kilometre journey from Chongqing to Kunming, crossing diverse landscapes including the municipal cities and ancient streets, the Sichuan Basin, the western Sichuan Plateau, the Hengduan Mountains, and ultimately reaching the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The route passed through more than 20 cities and regions, offering participants an immersive exploration of China’s iconic topographic “steps.”

Over 100 faculty members and students from 19 universities—including the University of Hong Kong, Southwest University, Yunnan University, Chongqing Normal University, and the University of Macau—joined this collaborative academic venture.

Throughout the excursion, students traversed the geographic edge of the “staircase,” and experienced the vibrant culture of the Sichuan-Chongqing Basin and the scenic landscapes of Yunnan. Highlights included exploring the winding karst caves of Mount Jinfo, witnessing the awe-inspiring maritime glacier at Hailuogou in Luding, observing transitions in vegetation and soil types from Zheduo Mountain Pass to Tagong Grassland, and reflecting on human-environment interactions from archaeological insights at the Yuanmou Man site to sustainability challenges in dry-hot river valleys.

The group also visited sites such as the Chongqing Urban Planning Exhibition Hall and the Soil Erosion and Ecological Restoration Field Observation Station, linking theoretical knowledge with China’s broader social development and ecological civilization efforts.

This meaningful field excursion not only offered a unique journey across China’s geographic steps but also served as a valuable platform for academic exchange and friendship-building among students from the Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao. Through hands-on observation and critical analysis, students deepened their understanding of geography, enhanced their professional competencies, and forged lasting connections. It was a vivid journey of intellectual and personal growth—walking the land, witnessing its beauty, and engaging with the pulse of our time.