Old classmates reunite after twenty years, marveling at the old and new from a hundred meters high in the sky.

🐾 After many years, my university classmates, taking advantage of the summer vacation, came to visit Xiamen. As a local, it was my duty to ensure they had a good time exploring and dining. Our first stop was naturally our alma mater, but I had recently heard about the Xiamen Star Helium Balloon, which offers a panoramic view of Xiamen University and its surroundings from a hundred meters in the air. Isn't that more exciting and interesting? ♥️ Our first stop was the Xiamen Star Helium Balloon: At 9:30 in the morning, we arrived at the Xiamen Star Helium Balloon located opposite the Xiamen University Art College. The tide of tourists had not yet arrived, and the traffic situation was quite favorable, with no congestion. The ticket price was 150 yuan per person. Before the official takeoff, the staff conducted a test flight to ensure safety. If you have backpacks or luggage that are inconvenient to take on the helium balloon, there are facial recognition lockers available for storage. Unlike hot air balloons, helium is an inert gas that is light, colorless, non-toxic, and non-flammable. This helium balloon contains 6600 cubic meters of helium, and the balloon's diameter reaches 23 meters. Even if the balloon is damaged, it will not lose buoyancy. There is one main steel cable and three safety cables connected to the ground, an emergency safety cable in the gondola, and an emergency generator and winch between the equipment, ensuring safety. As the helium balloon slowly ascended, the blue sky, sea, beach, twin towers, and panoramic view of Xiamen University all came into view, as well as the distant Gulangyu, Zhangzhou, and Kinmen Islands. Standing a hundred meters in the air, looking at the faintly recognizable old appearance and the increasingly beautiful new face, I couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion as I looked back at my alma mater from a different perspective! The whole process took about 20 minutes, with a 10-minute stay in the air. After the ride, we were still not satisfied. Later, walking on the beach, we saw the helium balloon again and thought about when we could come back for another experience! ♥️ Our second stop was Xiamen University: Xiamen University is now open to alumni, who can enter the campus without an appointment by presenting their alumni card and ID. Seeing the familiar face of my alma mater again, the campus was still serene and youthful. Although I couldn't help but recall the poem "The scenery is old and familiar," I sighed slightly at the passage of time and the changes in people and things. Then we had lunch in the school cafeteria, reminiscing about the old days as we chatted and laughed. ♥️ Our third stop was Nanputuo Temple: Exiting from the south gate of Xiamen University, we arrived at the famous Nanputuo Temple. You can enter by making an appointment on the spot at the entrance, which is not only free but also includes incense as a gift. There were many worshippers and tourists in the temple, and the garden scenery in front of the temple was quite good, with flowers, trees, lotus ponds, curved bridges, pagodas, and pigeons, all full of life! We originally wanted to have a bowl of vegetarian noodles in the vegetarian restaurant, but unfortunately, the spicy oil noodles we wanted were sold out. We'll have to come back next time. ♥️ Our final stop was dinner: We drove along the coastal road, admiring the charming sea view, and arrived at the Minnan Courtyard near Guanyin Mountain. This place has a superior geographical environment and is a Minnan cuisine restaurant suitable for entertaining VIPs. Before the meal, you can have tea and chat in the courtyard, take photos and check in. However, it's cooler to eat in a private room in the summer. We bought a four-person set meal, which cost nearly a hundred yuan per person, including small green dragon, Thousand Island Lake fish and other seafood, appetizers, main dishes, fruit juice drinks, etc. Overall, it was quite good. In the evening, there were Minnan-style dances and performances in the outdoor courtyard, which was one of the highlights. 💕 From morning to night, from the sky to the ground, circling half of Xiamen Island, with memories of the past and memories of the present, this day's itinerary was quite fulfilling! #relaxing