By Benji Nguyen
Biannually, students participating in the Chinese program from years 9-10 are provided the brilliant opportunity to participate in the China Tour. Students would travel to the cities of Beijing 北京, Shanghai 上海, Chengdu 成都 and Xian 西安. The aim is for students to train their Chinese speaking capabilities with the locals as well as indulging themselves in Chinese culture. I had the opportunity to participate in this event during the Term 1 holidays with 20 or so students.
The first city we landed at was Shanghai. Shanghai 上海 in Chinese means “on the sea”, as it is one of the largest ports in the world. Other than being located near the sea, Shanghai is known for their “Shanghai Tower”, giving a birds-eye-view of the entire city as well as the Bund (the river that flows across Shanghai). During our trip, it actually rained as we walked across the streets of Shanghai. We came out of that day with our socks soaking wet. Shanghai is also home to famous dishes such as Xiao Long Bao, stir-fried eggplant, and wonton soup.
The next city we visited was the capital of China – Beijing 北京. The direct translation of Beijing means “Northern Capital”, which geographically makes sense with Beijing’s location. On the tour, we visited 天安门广场 (Tiananmen Square), The Forbidden City, The Great Wall of China (with its spectacular views) and many other busy areas. The highlight of the trip was the Great Wall. Compared to urbanized China, the air in the countryside is clearly purer. We also tried the local cuisine which included the infamous Peking Duck, which melted in your mouth with each piece.
After our time in Beijing, we headed south-west to 西安 Xi’an. Xian is actually the original capital of China when it was first unified by Qin Shi Huang, until a few centuries after Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire changed the capital to Beijing. The direct translation of Xi’an means “Western Peace”, mainly for good luck and overall harmony. Xi’an was definitely the best city in my opinion, known for the Terracotta Warriors and the Drum Tower. The tour group went to a restaurant for a spicy noodle lunch, with the noodles hand-stretched, and the ingredients balanced for flavour. We had the opportunity to go to a museum where we learned how to make fire, and build traditional Chinese music instruments. Xi’an was the city that I thought was filled with the most culture, earning my favourite Chinese city spot.
Finally, a high-speed train sent us to our final area – Chengdu. Chengdu 成都 is known as the “spice capital”, and is known for its spicy food. Other than this, it is also known to be the home of the adorable Giant Pandas. We learned in a museum how to make some traditional Chinese dishes such as the delicious “Kung Pao Chicken” made with dried chilies, sauces, diced chicken and peanuts. In addition, we also visited the Panda Research base where we could take adorable panda photos and purchase fluffy souvenirs.
Overall, the China Tour experience was great tour that provided to us the rich history and culture of China. We tried spice-loaded food, met friendly locals, visited bustling streets and explored every nook-and-cranny of each city. We made bonds with our tour guides and strengthened our own bonds. If you are planning to go on a tour or not, I can confirm that the tours are surely a fabulous opportunity to attend to.