Dear Family and Friends of Term in Asia Students,
We've already finished our second country, China and this trip is passing by so quickly! We arrived to Shanghai City and our first impressions of the city were its massive skyscrapers. Nicknamed as “ New York of the West,” Shanghai is filled with toppling modern buildings and the city only continues to grow. It was overwhelming to be in such a big city that is constantly rebuilding and developing. While in Shanghai , we took our first course called Environments in China with Doctor Feng Lin at East China Normal University . From this course, we learned about China 's major environmental problems which were industrial pollution, water and domestic waste pollution, desertification, and the environmental affects of risky developmental projects. Along with class lectures, we also took various field trips throughout Shanghai that enhanced the course materials as well as broadened our American perspective of China and their efforts to development from environmental infrastructure.
After our stay in Shanghai , we also visited the following cities in the order of: Jinan , Beijing , Yichang, Kunming , Lijiang, and Dali. Each city taught us something new about China , and its diverse culture and traditions. As we climbed the 1,000 Buddha Hill of Jinan, the caves of Yichang and LiJiang, and the Great Wall of China , we were impressed at how the Chinese have conquered nature. While we tried to catch our breaths as we climbed these historical places, we were all amazed at its Confucian themes and architecture. From the modern life of Shanghai and Beijing to the rural areas of Yunnan Province , we tasted the different local foods such as such as stir fried frog, stinky tofu, pig's organs, pig's feet, Peking duck, and yak cheese wontons. Some of us remain more daring than others when it comes to eating but compared to Japan , China consisted of many exotic foods, sometimes too much for our appetites to bear.
Aside from experiencing Chinese food among our travels, we were able to enjoy the wonderful sceneries of the Batou springs, the Yellow River , and the Three Gorges Dam. In the capital city of Beijing , we were amazed at the massive changes the city is undergoing in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. Transportation systems were upgraded, coal pollution minimized, and the whole city renovated. In the comfort of modern Beijing , we were able to tour Tian'neman Square , Forbidden City, Ming Tomb, Sacred Road , and the Summer Palace . We concluded our China experience in the city of Kunming where we visited Stone Forest , which was once life to aquatic sea species. China was a fascinating and big country with various ethnic diversity. Our trip for China stops here but we are all excited for Thailand and Vietnam .
Sincerely,
Term in Asia Students