.

Beijing—The Great Wall, the Forbidden City of the Emperors, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square.

Xi’an—The First Emperor’s Tomb, Terra Cotta Warriors.

Shanghai—The Treaty Port-Era Bund, the emerging Financial Center of the World, shopping centers.

Suzhou—The Old City, Chinese Gentry Gardens

Hangzhou—The Silk Emporium Described By an Amazed Marco Polo.

These are just some highlights;  you will see much more at each of the five locations.

What they did:

Attended short courses on Chinese language, culture, politics, religion, and history; interacted  with Chinese students; gained hands-on experience by learning Chinese cuisine through cooking; practiced Chinese-character calligraphy; and witnessed Peking Opera.  Each participant was paired with an English-speaking Chinese peer while at the host North China University of Technology in the capital —Beijing.

What they said:

Dr. Henry Antkiewicz's blog while in China:  http://china062.blogspot.com/.

Margaret Gregg:  "Experience of a lifetime" was what the flyer said and it sure did come true for me.  So many new windows were opened.  I have to close a few of them now and then!

Just a few summary comments:

• remarkable intergeneration time.

• unbeatable cost!

• excellent model for community and educational institution to interface in cultural exchange, global awareness, and continuing education.

• good flexibility in scheduling.  Many lectures and historic sites and meals and time to rest, reflect, explore, shop!! in between. 

• great to have extended time at NCUT and  get familiar in a community setting. 

The consideration of our hosts in Beijing NCUT was overwhelming. All our needs and requests were dealt with respect and consideration.  An inspiration! . . .

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE CHINA TRIP  HAPPEN.

I truly loved the experience and have been talking with folks about it, sharing lots of photos and gifts. Everyone I talk with wishes they could have been with us.  And I'd love to go back.  I am reading more and tune into any media commentary that relates to China.

Ashley Chandler:  When I think of study abroad I think of during the school year not over the summer. Summer is vacation, work, and maybe the occasional summer school class. When this study abroad experience came available to me, to China where I’ve always wanted to go, I was a little hesitant at first. I did not want to spend all my time in China in a class room. I wanted to see everything and anything that made China, China. I am so glad I decided to go. I am an art major and all the classes were simply cultural. That was great on so many levels: history, religion, politics, calligraphy, and even cooking.  Besides the classes we did experience China. Everything one would go to China to experience, we did. The Great Wall, all the food, Shanghai at night, Buddhist temples, rickshaws, and basically anything one would want to see, feel, or do, we did.

Besides the study issue, I was a little hesitant about the safety issue. One is always scared of things like that when traveling to foreign countries, but the Chinese people were always so giving and nice. I never felt threatened in any way. The most threatening thing that ever happened was being Caucasian in a very Asian country, every local would want to take their picture with you. Because of that I came back with some very interesting pictures          

Overall, this was one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. It was very much worth the money, and I cannot wait to do it again. I hope that everyone gets to experience something like this once in their lifetime.