My Experience in China

     This past month, I visited a country that I always wanted to see. Since I was young, I have always been involved in learning the culture and the language. I bet you already know what country I’m talking about. You guessed it, CHINA!

     The first four days of the ten day trip, were spent in Beijing. What an amazing city! We saw the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, shopped at flea markets, and ate at so many different restaurants. I can’t even begin to describe how surreal it was to see these monuments, but I’m going to try anyway. Talking about these magnificent and ancient places since my late elementary school years was a main reason behind the result of my happiness here. To think that hundreds and hundreds of years of very eventful history were beneath my feet, while being on the opposite side of the world is absolutely amazing to think about. During the trip, I found myself saying “Wow! I’m actually here. The place I only heard stories about and saw pictures from. I’m actually here!”

     The next six days of the trip were spent in Xi’an. Compared to Beijing, I found more of “the daily life in China experience.” This is because I stayed with an amazing exchange student and a great friend, Chen Yuhang. He welcomed me into his home with open arms and so did his family. I attended classes with him, went on a field trip, ate with him and his family, and so much more. In total, it was just an amazing experience to soak up all the culture. In contrast to my experience in Beijing, Xi’an really gave me an opportunity to meet new people and figure out what their lives were like on a day-to-day basis. I was also able to practice and improve my Chinese more than I ever could have imagined. On top of learning some new vocabulary, my ability to communicate became more fluid. Using what I learned in the classroom and being able to apply these skills in a place where I really had to use Chinese to get around, gave me a newfound appreciation for the real life applications of the language.

     All in all, this a trip that will really stick with me for the rest of my life. I met so many new friends that, some day, I really hope to see again, especially Yuhang and his friend Cao Yiming. Going almost across the world to a place that is completely different than mine, was eye opening and inspiring. It gave me a new perspective on our life that I will constantly use to compare to my daily life back home.

If you want to learn more about what we did everyday in China, please check out these amazing articles below that give you insight into the amazing experience we had.

https://thedailychina.org/beijing-china-day-1-day-4/

https://thedailychina.org/xian-china-day-5-day-9/

There are 36 comments

  1. Joanna

    Focusing on what you said at the end, about this trip really sticking with you: believe me, it will! I think about my China trip all the time, and what an impact it had on me in general. So glad you had fun! 🙂

  2. Juliann L

    I liked how you described what you did everyday in China. I’m so glad that you had fun on your trip and that the trip has had a tremendous impact on you. Great article!

  3. Kelly M.

    China must’ve been such an awesome experience and an educational journey for you to be a part of. The trip sounded like made a lot of new memories!

  4. Matthew Lecher

    I was also so unbelievably shocked that I got the experience to travel to China with our school. I also developed many long-standing relationships with the students I met in China. Wesley, you did a wonderful job sharing those experiences with us, thank you.

  5. Logan C

    Terrific Wesley! I am so glad I got to hear about your reflection on your recent journey to China and it sounds like a moment you will cherish for the rest of your life. Not only did it sound like lots of fun, you also enriched your education and knowledge of Chinese language and cultere.

  6. Dylan Swickle

    Great article Weasley. I had such an amazing time with you and the other kids who went on the trip with us ! I enjoyed the time I had there exploring a country that I am sure the both of us never thought we would have had the chance to venture to. I enjoyed all the jokes that we made with everyone such as sassy pants, tank you, shut it down in two seconds flat, and so much more!

  7. Emily

    This was a beautiful reflection of the experience in China. I hope that one day, you’ll be able to relive these memories again in the future 🙂 Nicely written Wesley!

  8. Jason S.

    Great article Wesley! It’s so great to learn about all of the things you learned from this experience! I think it is so cool that you were able to spend your first four days in Beijing seeing all of the rich culture and beauty of China!

  9. Avery Porges

    You clearly went on an awesome journey, and I’m glad you were able to come back and show it to us. Thanks!

  10. Kelly Wang

    Your time in China was evidently a memorable one. I couldn’t agree with you more on your thoughts about really being there at historical places. Good article!

  11. Tiffany C.

    I’m glad you finally got the opportunity to visit a place you’ve always been fascinated with and enjoyed your time there. It’s amazing how this trip had a positive impact on your perspective of life. Thank you for sharing!

  12. Pritesh P.

    Great job on your article Wesley! This article really reflects how much you learned and how much fun you had on your trip to China. Keep up the great work!

  13. Nicholas Yum

    Great article, Wesley! Meeting new friends is always fun, but being able to meet new people from halfway around the world must be life-changing! Not everyone can say they have met some great friends in China! It was surely a one in a lifetime opportunity! I hope you had a great time!

  14. Preethi S.

    Great article Wesley! Your article just shows what an awesome experience it must have been. The trip sounded like you all made new memories.

  15. Larry D.

    Awesome anecdote Wesley! Your article really captured how amazing of an experience you had during the trip to China. Keep up the good work!

  16. Michael P.

    Great work Wesley! I agree with your contrast of the time we spent in Beijing with the time we spent in Xi’an. I loved spending time in Xi’an because in Xi’an I felt like one of the Chinese locals. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I will never forget it. Keep up the great work!

  17. Stephanie Cen

    In this article you did an amazing in describing all of the amazing aspects of China. I love how you mentioned the activities done not only in Beijing but also with your host student.

  18. Yihui S.

    交换生与接待生之间真是有着奇妙的缘分——短暂相处而生的友谊,长久延续交际的可能。

  19. Boshu

    The real experience is always better than picture in books. There is a saying in China:After reading one thousand book, take a one thousand-mile walk. I think this trip must change you a lot.

  20. Jeff Bao

    Great Work, Wesely! It’s really interesting how you applied your learned Chinese skills, and it makes me smile when it works out because it allows you to interact with other people in a whole new way. Thanks for sharing!

  21. Herin Ahn

    Reading your article, I could really see that you loved the trip in China. Maybe I should consider going there too!

  22. Brian L.

    Glad you had a great time in China. Seems like you made new friends. Thanks for sharing such a memorable experience!

  23. Richard R

    Great to hear your experiences in China! It sounded like you learned a lot about Chinese culture and language, and visited a lot of Chinese landmarks.

  24. Pratim

    I thought that the article was written very well and I thought that his story was very entertaining since he started from his childhood. I learned that going to China really helps practice Chinese.

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