Welcome, reader, to another Earth Week celebration post! Today, we are sharing a small gallery of photos taken by our Intensive English students. We asked our students to submit a picture of their favorite place from their home country.
Below, you will find seven pictures with a quote from the student who took them. Continue reading to learn what each of these places mean to our students.
Kenting National Park, Pingtung County, Taiwan
“Maobitou is located in the Kenting National Park. It is one of the two southernmost points in Taiwan. It looks like a cat lying and raising its head, so its name - Maobitou - means “cat nose.”
“Every time my family and I visit Kenting, we have to visit Maobitou. We could climb up the hill near Maobitou and look out to sea and ‘this cat.’ In addition to finding the cat cute, looking at the sea can also make us feel refreshed. We all like to chat here and release our life stress. This place brings me only happy memories, so I love the place.”
Crescent Moon Lake, Dunhuang, China
“This is a crescent-shaped spring in the desert in northwest China. I read about this place in my textbooks when I was in elementary school. Finally, I went to this place last year, listened to a concert with tens of thousands of people in the desert, and took a hot air balloon ride where I took this photo.”
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Tokyo, Japan
“The flowers and trees [here] are beautiful throughout the year. There are 1,500 cherry trees and 70 varieties here that bloom in spring. The autumn leaves and the chrysanthemum exhibition, which is related to the Imperial family, are both wonderful.”
Grand Josun Hotel, Jeju, South Korea
“Grand Josun Hotel in Jeju is a great place for a family trip. Our daughter especially loves the swimming pool. It looks like it goes straight into the ocean, so she has fun swimming while enjoying the beautiful view.”
“We also have great memories of eating delicious local food in the evenings, like grilled Jeju black pork and tasty grilled hairtail fish. It’s a calm and special place that means a lot to our family.”
Playa El Majahual, La Libertad, El Salvador
“The beaches of El Salvador, that Pacific Ocean that bathes our small, long-suffering country. This picture represents the beauty of El Salvador, a place that has recharged and sustained me.”
National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
“These two famous statues (left: 6th Century, right: 7th Century) represent the spiritual essence of Korean Buddhist art. Struggling with personal issues, I was frustrated by my internal weakness. Several distracting thoughts overwhelmed my mind, which put me in emotional pain.”
“However, when I arrived at this place, I was struck by the serenity of the statues and began to reflect on my inner voices. The symbol of life’s cycle (∞) along with the Buddhist statues reminded me that nothing lasts forever. From that moment, I have been trying to let go of my obsessive thoughts. This is why I adore this place.”
Humantay Lake, Soray, Peru
“This photo was taken at Humantay Lake [near] Cusco, Peru - a moment I’ll never forget. It was shortly after the pandemic, when travel finally became possible again.”
“I went with a group of other travelers, strangers at first, but the kind of people you bond with quickly when you’re sharing something this intense. The hike up was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. We spent several hours walking through the cold, with the wind cutting through every layer of clothing. The altitude (nearly 14,000 feet above sea level) made every step feel like a mountain on its own. My legs were burning, my lungs were struggling, but I kept going. We all did.”
“The moment when I arrived at Humantay Lake, everything went quiet. The pain, the cold, the effort - it all melted into something beautiful. The lake was like a piece of sky had dropped into the earth. Turquoise, still, and sacred. I felt this incredible mix of exhaustion and awe, like the mountain had tested me, and I had earned that view. I love this place not just for how stunning it is, but because it reminded me of resilience: [both] mine and the Earth’s.”
“After everything the world had just been through, standing there felt like healing. Like hope. This photo captures more than just a beautiful landscape - it holds the memory of a journey, a challenge, and a deep reminder of why our planet is worth protecting. Because places like this… they change you.”
Thank you for reading. We hope you’ve discovered something new about our beautiful planet through the eyes and words of our Intensive English students.
By Hadrian Barbosa