China 2010

In China we visited three major cities Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai. In Beijing we visited many historical sites, enjoyed delicious food, stayed at a beautiful hotel and interacted with many of the people there. We stayed in Beijing for three days. The hotel we stayed in was called Sun World hotel. The hotel was very beautiful and there morning buffet was delicious. Some historical sites we visited were Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Lamasery, Ming Tombs, and Climbed the Great Wall. I have learned so much from these sites about Chinese history. I did not know that Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China on Tiananmen Square. Emperors went to Temple of Heaven to make sacrifices for good harvests. The day we climbed the Great Wall was the key point for our stay in Beijing. Before we started to climb up, there was a quote from Mao Zedong on a tablet. The Quote said “You are not a true man, until you climb the Great Wall.” I read the tablet as a boy and climbed up the wall as a man. People in Beijing would stop and stare at us. Some would ask to take photos with us. In Beijing, we also shopped in markets. We loved to bargain to lower the prices.

 

 We took an airplane to Nanjing. The airports of China are very quiet and not crowded.

 The next city on our journey through China was Nanjing. In Nanjing we finally saw Gloria and Queena, after a month of separation. My draw dropped, when I saw the outside of Nanjing Foreign Language School. The campus is so pretty. The students on the campus are very nice and welcoming. I quickly became friends with Sydney, Roy and Claude. I play ping pong (table tennis) with Roy usually during breaks. We went to many sites, such as Confucius Temple, Nanjing Museum, Nanjing Massacre Museum and the highlights of Nanjing were Nanjing Foreign Language School and the home stay. In Nanjing I stayed with Queena. The one thing I found enjoyable was to watch how they come together as a family and their pride in their cooking. Queena’s grandparents can cook. The morning before I left, Queena and her father took me to a Ming tomb. The cherry blossoms were very pretty. I miss all the students I met especially Queena and Gloria. 

 

The next stop was Shanghai. Shanghai is China’s modern city. Shanghai is lighted up each night. The city is so pretty. We stayed in Charms Hotel. The view from the hotel was amazing. We visited the Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, Silk factory, and “The Bund”. In Shanghai we ended out Journey in China and came back home.

I am very grateful for the chance to travel to the other side of the world. From this experience, I am excited to learn about many more cultures around the world. I am eager to travel the world and major in international studies. I have matured and tried many things that might not look appetizing. I am eager to share my experiences with my fellow peers and persuade many to apply. I am very grateful for this experience. And I would like to thank all the donors who helped to fund the program.