At our final reception, Delaware Chinese Summer Lincs Program participants gathered to celebrate their experiences and accomplishments from their summer travel to China. Visit our youtube channel to view their video presentations on Chinese Culture, STEM, and benefits or learning Chinese language for college and career opportunities.
We traveled from Hangzhou to Shanghai by bus, stopping for a tour in Wuzhen (Water Town), where we walked through the town, visiting several museums. Blue printed cloth of China is very famous all around the world and Wuzhen is one of its original manufacturing places. Our final stop that day was Nanjing street, China's premier shopping street, starting at the Bund for a photo, then browsing through traditional stores and specialty shops provide choice silk goods, jade, embroidery, and other goods. That evening we checked into our Shanghai hotel, resting up for the next full day of activities. The following day, we visited the Pear Tower. This 468 meters (1,536 feet) high tower is the world's sixth and China's second tallest TV and radio tower. We visited the second sphere where there is a transparent observation deck with a magnificent 360 degree view of the city, around and below. After a traditional Shanghai dinner, we attended the most amazing acrobatics show in a large circus tent (temporary venue while the original was being renovated). The next morning, we boarded the bus to the airport in preparation for our final trip back to the states!
In our final days in Hangzhou, we completed our Chinese Language course with Jiang Laoshi, Chinese teacher, and began packing for our next destinations in China. That evening, a special closing ceremony was held to celebrate our friendships and reflect on our time spent in Hangzhou. Speeches were presented by the President of the University, Professor Gao and Dechineselincs lead teacher, Lori Roe. Our student representative, Alexa Fuad also delivered a speech and all students received a special paper cutting gift and program certificate from Wanxiang. After a delicious dinner, students performed the fan dance to Jasmine flower and a skit and song, Duìbùqǐ -对不起 "I'm Sorry" (my Chinese is not that good!) . Together the Chinese ambassadors and Delaware students sang the beautiful song, The Moon Represents my Heart by Teresa Tang. All of these song and dance performances can be viewed on our YouTube channel here.
Wednesday continued with our Chinese Language classes in the morning and a STEM class in in the afternoon. For the late afternoon cultural activity, students met with a chef who demonstrated how to make dumplings. After the dumplings were prepared, with and without meat for our vegetarians, they were cooked and the students enjoyed eating them. Thursday morning continued with Chinese Language classes in the morning, and in the afternoon, our cultural excursion was to the National Silk Museum. China is known for its silk production and manufacturing. Hangzhou is known as “the city of silk." The National China silk museum in Hangzhou is the largest silk museum in the world, consisting of 5 halls and 12,000 exhibits. It displays 5000 years silk history and culture which is regarded as an educational and amazing window for people to have a better understanding about Chinese silk and the Silk Road and have a new respect and appreciation for Chinese and Western silk art and fashion. There are original artifacts from ancient China, including collections of textiles, clothing, weaving machinery and tools. One building is dedicated to the process of making silk beginning with the silk worm and cultivation. Another building displays a timeline of fashions of both domestic and foreign exhibitions over the years up through the current century. What an amazing experience! Friday morning we rode the bus to a Hangzhou village on the countryside for our community service performance. Before we performed our songs, students were led into a room with dozens of fragrant flowers, including white long stem roses and eucalyptus. The flowers were distributed, along with supplies and students were guided through making beautiful flower arrangements! You can see how gorgeous they turned out. After the flower arranging activity, each of the student groups presented their performance. The first group performed a fan dance to Jasmine Flower and the second group sang an upbeat song entitled, Duìbùqǐ - 对不起 meaning “ I am sorry”. It is a comical song about a group of foreigners who can’t speak Chinese very well and say they are sorry!) To watch the full performances, visit our YouTube channel here.
Monday was a fun morning of Martial Arts with Ms. WU Xueshuang, winner of National Wushu championship several times. She teaches self-defense functions of Wushu, as well as Tai Chi and Sword Skills. Students enjoyed participating in this class. Tuesday included a trip to China’s National Tea Museum. A walk through the beautiful, outdoor venue of natural landscape among the trees, mountains, and tea fields of this preserved area, provided a history and culture of tea Culture around the world. With tea shops and resting places throughout, students could enjoy nature, taste tea, and learn about the development and practices of tea drinking . Later, that evening, after dinner, a group of our most creative and talented students gathered to brainstorm ideas about designing a memory board for Wanxiang Polytechnic University Campus displayed on campus. This group did an amazing job collaborating and creating the best board among all of the groups who have ever participated in this program! (And this is not a biased opinion!)
The tournament began with an overview of the rules and the competitors' bracket was set. Our playoffs were strong and exciting! The semi finalists included Melanie vs. Jonas and Ms. Brennan vs. Ms. Li. Our finalists were ready to duke it out! Melanie Heider vs. Meaghan Brennan! Melanie Heider won 21-12! What a fun and exciting night for all of us!
On Friday, after Chinese lessons and lunch, the students and ambassadors visited Zheijiang Amber Deneng Natural Gas Power Co. While there, the students were informed of how the plant worked, the plant's efficiency and output, as well as some information on Deneng's other facilities. In addition, students were taken on a tour of some parts of the plant under a light rain. In the evening, students were able to order carry out from McDonalds and a celebration was held for July birthdays! The traditional longevity noodles were served for a long and healthy life. Happy Birthday, L.J. Alexa, and Amy! Saturday was a day of learning for the students, with a back-to back schedule of Chinese class in the morning and a presentation about China's reform and international policy in the afternoon. Sunday was mainly a study day, with a debriefing on seminars, students working on projects, and completing surveys for the various presenters. That evening a special event was held....coming up in our next post! - Rhys Cottle-Vinson Wednesday was our study visit to Wanxiang Group's research and production facilities in the City of Xiaoshan. Their marquee displayed a personalized welcome message for our group, as company managers led us into the lobby area to gather for a few photos. We were guided by staff through the exhibition hall to learn about the history and development of the company and its founder, Mr. Lu Guanqiu. We explored the new energy show room of Electric vehicles, production line of Li-ion battery, EV assembly line and projection simulations of technological advancements in precision parts and components. Some students conducted interviews, to gather information for their presentation projects. For a preview of their new, fully electric vehicle, KARMA and other video clips from our tour, visit our YouTube channel. Thursday morning we attended Chinese language classes, then after lunch was a STEM seminar on Solar Energy, Technology, and Application, Photovoltaic, Cell & Panel Manufacturing. Just before our group dinner, we participated in workshops on Paper Rolling Art and Woodblock Printing. In the evening, students practiced for the community performance.
Sunday was Family Day! This is when the students spend the day with Native Chinese families. Each family plans various activities for the students. Check back for a link to our special family day presentation that will display photos and narratives on student experiences. The next morning, we continued our Chinese Language classes. Following lunch, our group participated in a tour of SongCheng Town, the largest theme park in Hangzhou featuring cultural characteristics of the Song Dynasty. One of the highlights of this tour was attending the performance, Romance of the Song Dynasty. The show is based on the history and development of Hangzhou as well as ancient legends, featuring beautiful costumes, dancing, and acrobatics. The following day, students attended a seminar on China's Plan and Recent development in Clean Energy". Our cultural workshop for the day was Dough Sculpture led by PAN Xiaohe, a local Artist. In the evening, after dinner, student groups met to practice for their community service performance.
Our Chinese language study continues with classes each morning. On Thursday afternoon, we traveled to Hefang Street for a cultural tour. This street connects the ancient Imperial Street of the Southern Song Dynasty and is the oldest block of Hangzhou. There are over 100 shops along the street, including teahouses, herbal medicine store, silk cloth shops and many the local products. This was a great opportunity to authentically apply our language skills in bargaining prices. If the item seems to expensive, just ask "你可以便宜一点吗?" Speaking the local language always gets a better deal! On Friday after Chinese classes, our cultural tour was to Hangzhou's Cuisine Museum. This museum exhibits over 200 cultural relics that represent Hangzhou's cuisine. Following lunch was a Calligraphy Workshop presented by YUAN Endong. Students learned the development of calligraphy, five kinds of fonts, and orchid painting techniques. Enjoy the photos of their beautiful artwork! Friday night was movie night! Students enjoyed snacks while watching the new Chinese release of the animated movie, Báishé (White Snake) the prequel to the Legend of the White Snake. Saturday was our first Study Day to meet and review our agenda. The chaperones led a discussion, debriefing on the cultural seminars attended, and presented information in preparation for the upcoming Song Dynasty excursion and tour of the Wanxiang Facilities.
To view some of the students' favorite dishes from the Cuisine Museum, as well as listen to practice of a Chinese song, visit our youtube channel. |