Volunteer Marks Addresses on Map in Xiamen Hall

Fluorescent tubes cast a cool, greenish glow over a wooden table in a town hall meeting room in Xiamen. A volunteer sits focused on a large folded map, using a red marker to highlight specific street addresses. The early summer evening light outside has faded, leaving the room lit by the harsh overhead fixtures that reflect off the glossy surface of the map paper. Quiet shadows pool in the corners along the beige walls, showing stillness despite the civic work in progress. The volunteer wears a simple white shirt, their hand steady as they draw a precise line across a street name. A stack of printed voter lists rests beside the map, and the edge of a metal chair leg catches the neon reflection on the floor.