On 20–21 October 2026, Year 3 students from Design Studio 3A at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) embarked on a two-day field trip to Qushan Island in the Zhoushan Archipelago. Led by Feiyue Chen and part-time teacher Yifan Wang, the trip offered students an opportunity to explore the island's unique landscape, communities and industries, and consider its future through the lens of urban design.
As one of the larger islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago, Qushan remains unconnected to the mainland by bridge and is a relatively lesser-known travel destination. Yet the island supports a diverse range of activities, from traditional salt production and fishing to wind energy, tourism, bulk commodity storage and ship repair. These overlapping industries, together with the island's communities and fragile coastal environment, form the starting point for the studio's design project, which explores how thoughtful, small-scale interventions might contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Departing from UNNC, the group made a brief stop at Dongsha Old Town on Daishan Island before taking a ferry from Shenjiawan to Qushan. Their first afternoon included visits to a wind turbine viewing platform, offering panoramic views of the island's energy infrastructure and coastal landscape, and Liangzhi Village, where students observed the relationship between traditional fishing settlements, guesthouses, residential buildings and the beach. After settling into accommodation in the old town area, students had the evening to explore local life independently.
On the second day, the group visited the island's historic salt-production landscape and the villages of Donggaotu and Waigaotu. Students conducted independent observations, documented local buildings and streets, and engaged with residents to gain a better understanding of everyday life on the island.
With an approaching typhoon, the group had to bring its return journey forward by three hours. Although unexpected, this change became an important part of the learning experience. For both students and teachers, who were visiting Qushan for the first time, the trip was a process of shared discovery. The uncertainties of ferry connections, changing weather and shifting travel plans offered a firsthand understanding of the conditions that shape island life.
More than a conventional site visit, the field trip demonstrated how urban design begins with careful observation, conversations and lived experience. The insights gathered will inform the students' ongoing research and design proposals, encouraging them to consider how Qushan's productive industries, local communities and natural environment might continue to coexist and evolve.