Hong Kong is very different than any other Chinese city the group visited. Due to its separation from mainland China, Hong Kong is a very international and Western. Comprised of Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong is certainly a beautiful city surrounded by mountains and water.
Lunch on the Jumbo Floating Restaurant
Every night at 8:00PM in Hong Kong, the city puts on a laser light show.
Repulse Bay beach is a beautiful public beach located in a very wealthy area of Hong Kong. Its sand was imported from Hainan, a tropical island off the shores of China.
-- Andrew Charette
A three-hour drive west of Shanghai stands Hangzhou – a peaceful town located near West Lake. It is surrounded by cascading hills of tea plants, and the spirit of the city was definitely calming.
The Tea Planting Garden
Linyin Temple, or the Temple of 1,000 Buddhas
-- Andrew Charette
When compared Beijing – an ancient city full of history – Shanghai is a city that is much more international. A river called the Bund splits the city into two distinct areas: Pudong and Puxi.
Since the French occupied Shanghai for a period of time, Shanghai architecture is very different than any other Chinese city.
Xintindi is a popular spot of Shanghai for restaurants, bars, and shopping. After much consumption of Chinese food, the group was overdue for Western food. Xintindi was our cure.
Local Shanghai design
-- Andrew Charette
By taking a high-speed train, the Shanghainese are able to cut the hour drive from Shanghai to Suzhou in half. Suzhou is considered the Venice of China, with artificial canals sinuously cutting through the city. Suzhou does not offer many tourist attractions, and therefore has a very traditional Chinese spirit.
Along our boat ride, we stopped at a local street market. Along the street farmers, fisherman, and merchants sold local goods. Although startling for some, eels and prawns were seen everywhere.
Local children from Suzhou.
-- Andrew Charette
Only a two-hour flight southwest from Beijing stands Xi’an. Previously a farming town, Xi’an has been transformed into a bustling city due to the discovery of the Terracotta Soldiers.
Now considered the eighth wonder of the world, the Terracotta Soldiers are still being excavated today. The soldiers, each different, have a solid base and hollow torso.
Chinese women love to be taller. Therefore, platform sandals and heels are the shoes of choice even when touring.
Fruit can be found everywhere. On our ride back from the Terracotta Warrior and Horses Museum, Prof. Wang stopped to treat us to the most delicious fresh cherries.
Another popular fruit is watermelon after every meal in the summertime. The Chinese love its ability to rehydrate and cool the body during China’s blistering summers.
-- Andrew Charette
After a flight long enough to be considered its own adventure, we had our first full day in China. Without hesitation we visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Nanluoguxiang.
Tiananmen Square is a 109-acre square at the heart of Beijing. It is named after the Tiananmen Gate of the Forbidden to its north. I was not fully prepared to what I was going to see behind the multiple gates of the Forbidden City.
Too large to capture on camera, the Forbidden City was mind-blowing. Wall after wall, room after room, and stair after stair assembled to create a private city and imperial palace for the Chinese dynasties.
Nanluoguxiang is a refurbished hutong – a series of alleys and streets that form traditional Chinese courtyard residences. Nanluoguxiang has been transformed into a popular shopping spot for local fashion.
-- Andrew Charette
Hong Kong felt the most like home of the Chinese cities we visited. It was just as welcoming as the other two cities had been, but it was the easiest city to get used to. The impressive subway system, neon bright malls, and huge commercial areas made it comparable to New York City, but also completely different.
The island is composed of three separate areas, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and Lantau. The airport was located on Lantau, but we stayed in a modern hotel on Kowloon, where the traffic and even foot traffic can get heavy and the people are highly fashionable. Hong Kong Island seemed the most diverse city in our itinerary. It had various vibes, from the sand beach at Repulse Bay to the cultural and religious spots along the mountain and beach. The open markets were exciting to explore and it felt like a tropical paradise.
There is a variety of currency in circulation there, some dating from the 70s and 80s, when Hong Kong Island was still under British rule and some more newly minted. The island felt the most Americanized of our trip, even though only about five percent of Hong Kong’s population is American. Although I missed not needing to use the Chinese language, I felt welcomed and at ease. It was a relaxing place with a plethora of scenic views and an excellent city to cap off the China trip.
--Jena Glick
Shanghai feels like a larger city than Beijing, but that may be because the traffic is a little bit heavier in and around it, and all of that vehicular activity and the roadways may give that feeling.
Shanghai has hidden surprises quite different from those in Beijing, from $1 dumpling dinners to the beautiful skyline of the Oriental Pearl Tower, that add to its character.
Some Shanghai areas look like futuristic scenes from the next sci-fi film, while others are low-key and trendy. The people were again incredibly friendly, and the food was just as delicious, but Shanghai’s outer areas may distinguish the city most.
Just outside Shanghai are two areas, Suzhou and Hangzhou, which contrast with the inner city greatly and make it all the more beautiful. Large lakes span what seem to be miles, and the hills are filled with tiny tea leaves bursting with flavor. In Hangzhou, we traveled along a canal so small that our boat often collided with others passing by. Everything was okay, and funny little experiences like that made the trip enjoyable. Stylish people and trendy boutiques make Shanghai feel like Manhattan, but the larger, less dense areas reminded me that I was somewhere new and exciting.
In Shanghai, we experienced high speed trains that travel at over 200 mph and ventured to outside areas that were filled with art, culture, and welcoming citizens. There were marvelous sculptures to see and intriguing factories to visit. Of my favorites were a silk factory and GTL, a product development company that is now the employer of an LIM College graduate. We also visited a knitwear company, Heshan Knitwear, and were able to see the thorough process that each individual garment must go through from fabric to pre-shipment.
Shanghai was unique because I was able to enjoy so many different industries - architecture, fashion, business, and even public transportation. It made me even that more excited to see and explore what the next stop would bring.
--Jena Glick
As the first city that I visited on the China study abroad trip, I wasn't sure of what to expect from Beijing. But it exceeded any expectation that I may have had in the back of my head and left me wanting more and more after I left. It was full of culture and liveliness that I've yet to see matched at home.
The people were incredibly friendly, and although it was a bit difficult to catch a cab, once you got in, the drivers loved to talk (even though it took a bit of an effort to understand the majority of what they said). However, what made it easier was the fact that I took the Chinese course last year and was able to use a good amount of the language that I learned. The Chinese seemed impressed by my and others' attempts to overcome the language barrier and it made me feel like even though we were worlds apart, we could start off a conversation with something in common. However, secretly I marveled at the way that we communicated just by using basic human movements and shared sign language when we couldn't speak on the same terms verbally.
As the capital of China, Beijing obviously offers many historically important areas to tourists. We enjoyed a tea-ceremony where we could also purchase favorite teas, and saw The Forbidden City, the Olympic City, and the Great Wall. As each place I was amazed by the unique and fun fashions I saw, such as many women walking along the Great Wall in high heels and dresses, funky designs on umbrellas that people held open as parasols, and the high-fashion tee shirts that many men sported. Beijing was the best place to visit first in China as it threw us straight into an exciting culture shock that made me appreciate its individuality and character and all the more amped to visit the next two cities.
--Jena Glick
We visited Cotton Incorporated the day before our flight back home. It was cool to see actual cotton plants all over the office. Across the hall from them was the Louis Vuitton office.
