A few weeks ago we went to see one of the most iconic monuments you’d think of when you think of China; we visited the sight where the Terra-Cotta warriors were found and excavated. The Terra-Cotta warriors are an army built by clay during the Qing dynasty under the order of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It was an army that was buried with the emperor to protect the emperor in his afterlife. They were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, when they were just digging around a lake. The … Continue reading A Visit to the Terracotta Warriors: Joel

Through biking to random places or heading home with my host family, I have been down some peculiar streets. The streets I am referring to happen to not allow cars, only pedestrians and bikes, so I will be referring to them as pedestrian streets. These streets are hidden around the city and their entrances are either disguised or made obvious with a gate marking the entrance. The streets feel like they are filled with the most random vendors. Occasionally, you will find a row of vendors selling vegetables, sometimes it is fruit, other times they have snacks or someone making … Continue reading Pedestrian Streets: Cora

Did you know that Chinese teenagers are obsessed with basketball? Every year at the Gao Xin high school they hold a basketball competition specifically for the ‘gao yi’ students, the tenth graders. It is a competition meant only for boys and girls don’t have their own competition either but, you can select a few girls on your team and when they score your team receives double points. This doesn’t mean they get to play however. For example, Melanie’s team had three girls but the girls weren’t even dressed properly for the game and when Melanie asked them, they just said, … Continue reading Playing Sports: Joel

Last week we visited Sun Village, which is about an hour’s drive from Gaoxin No. 1 High School. Our drive there was nothing out of the ordinary: music played, people talked, slept, nothing of much needed excitement or attention. The day was sunny and warm, and when we arrived at Sun Village, we were greeted by one of the teachers who told us about Sun Village’s history and the making of this organization that was set up for to care for children whose parents were unable to take care of them because they’re in prison. We were given a tour … Continue reading A Visit to Sun Village Children’s Home

Before traveling to China, Chinese teachers, both previous and current, prepare us for the immense amount of culture we will experience while staying here. We learn about zhongqiujie, the story of the zodiac animals, and why not to share a pear. However, we could not have expected how immense this culture is, as well as how deeply it is rooted into society and everyday life. Much of it comes in the form of symbolism. For example, the Shanghai museum. The building is split between a top and a bottom. The bottom is square in shape, representing earth and the ground, … Continue reading Symbolism in Chinese Culture: Cora