Beijing 2001
Six weeks, the most memorable six weeks! It isn't really a long period of time but I'd wish that it could be longer, simply because happiness and fun are never enough. The six weeks I've spent in Beijing this summer is so fun and enjoyable. It's not just about the six credits you can get from it but it's more about experiencing life in one of the most exciting city, Beijing.
At first, the reason for me to join this trip is that I can get a chance to study aboard in an area I'm interested and getting credits for that. However, the trip turns out to be much more than that. Although there's a 6 credits course component to the trip and you can obviously learn a lot from it but to my experience, I've learnt much more outside of the classroom.
Before going on the trip, I've already known a certain level of Chinese,
both in speaking and writing but there's always room for improvement. My
experience tells me that actually being in Beijing allows me not just to
improve my Chinese language skills but to also have a deeper understanding of
the Chinese culture and the daily lives of Beijing people. Beijing is the
cultural, literary, and political center of China. It has also been the capital
of China since the Ming dynasty. There are many historical sites from the Ming
and Qing dynasty in Beijing; for example: the Forbidden City, the Summer
Palace, etc. Besides, the three-day trip to Xi'an allows me to see much more
about ancient China because Xi'an was the capital for the blooming Han and Tang
dynasty. Also, the visit to the Terracotta Warriors was wonderful too. You may
have seen pictures of it before but the actual scene is much astonishing; you
will not believe it until you have seen it with your own eyes.
Those visits to the tourists' attractions are organized by the school, but
there are many other places which are worthwhile to go. There are many
different museums in Beijing; you can easily find them by looking at any
tourist maps. Since I'm a literature student, I'm more interested in visiting
old homes of famous writers. The two places I'd recommend are the Luxun museum
and the museum of modern Chinese literature. Luxun is one of the most important
Chinese writers in the 20th century. People often calls him the father of
modern Chinese literature because he was one of the pioneer in the May Fourth
Movement and he was the first to use modern language to write fiction and
prose. The Luxun museum is actually located in his old home in Beijing and it
has a lot of original manuscripts, pictures and other valuable items. On the
other hand, the modern Chinese museum is also one of the best places I've been
in Beijing. It has information, manuscripts, and lots more about modern Chinese
writers' and their work. There are many artworks related modern Chinese
literature too, such as stained glass paintings, oil paintings, sculptures,
etc.
Well, Beijing isn't just a place with lots of good museums. There are much more to explore there. I guess the first thing that comes to my mind will be food. I remembered a friend of mine who went on this trip last year told me to check out a noodle place right across from the hotel we've stayed in and that's the place where I had my first meal in Beijing. The noodle house is a modest place with reasonable pricing and also the food quality is "yum"! That's why I and my friends always hang out there. Besides, there are many other great places for food in Beijing, especially on the street where the hotel is but I guess I won't talk too much about it here or else I'm afraid I'll just make you droll. :)
There are much more interesting places in Beijing but I guess I won't
mention them all in here or else I'm afraid I'll be writing a book. Anyway, my
wonderful experience in Beijing also comes from being with the group of UBC
students together for that six weeks. I guess I will not make such good friends
even for studying four years here but that six weeks allows me to get to know
lots of very good friends. Even until know, we still meet regularly and remain
good friends. Besides, I'd really encourage people to try to make friends with
local people too. First of all, you get more chances to practice Mandarin and
secondly, you can have a better understanding of the lives of Beijing people.
Also, I've found the local teachers there to be very friendly and helpful too,
like Xi "laoshi" (means teacher in Chinese) and Guo
"laoshi". They are so nice and great to talk to.
There will never be a way to summarize the fun and joy I had in Beijing this summer.
For those who have not been in Beijing before or those who have not been on
this trip, hopefully you guys will be able to experience the happiness and
fulfillment I had; for those who have been on this trip with me, thank so much
you guys for such a good memory and special thanks to Ms. Yang who has
organized this trip and the teachers at Capital Normal University for making
this trip possible.