This past summer, The Beijing Center (TBC) accompanied Loyola Blakefield High School, Boston College High School, Xavier High School, and Notre Dame School of Manhattan to tour multiple famous attractions in China, including Beijing’s Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and Great Wall. With the assistance of TBC’s staff, students were given the opportunity to intimately learn about the rich history and cultural significance of these landmarks as they walked paths only emperors once could.
Most students initially were not that familiar with such places as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven. But after visiting, they never took the opportunity to see these attractions for granted. They all carry rich historical stories about previous dynasties and emperors, alongside ancient laws and different moral values which influence the way modern China conducts itself today. Students were fascinated by the preserved imperial-style gardens, 400-year-old trees, temples, pagodas, and walkways that were once made exclusively for emperors and royal families to observe and enjoy.
When climbing the Great Wall, students marveled at the great ambition and labor behind its construction. Similar styles of defensive walls began with small kingdoms in the 7th–8th century BC, were unified in the 3rd century BC to defend against northern invaders, and stopped expanding when the Ming Dynasty fell in 1644. Students were amazed by the history behind its construction and by the incredible human feat of building it across such unforgiving terrain.
Navigating the Great Wall today is much safer and more enjoyable than it was throughout history, as there are now handrails along the steps, amenities, gondolas, and even a toboggan to quickly zip back down, which was many students’ favorite part.
To supplement their knowledge of these landmarks, TBC provided students with lessons on ancient Chinese art that still live on to this day, including traditional Chinese calligraphy, seal carving, brush painting, literature, Tai Chi, tea appreciation, roof tile and ornament glazing, Chinese opera and mask painting, music, cooking, and dessert making. With all these experiences, students were able to attain a strong grasp of Chinese art and culture in just two weeks. They were not limited to these traditional experiences; students found new styles of art everywhere they went. They experienced modern Chinese acrobatics, and some students who met retirees in parks learned their styles of dancing.
With learning these styles of art, students caught onto the main themes that constituted all of them. One such concept: “less is more” illustrates the value put on negative space in Chinese painting, where untouched white space holds equal value to inked space. Students also learned how seal carving similarly forces great constraint, since one small cut in the wrong direction ruins the piece. Tai-Chi also taught the students this concept, as they were not focused on moving fast like break-dancers, but rather slowly and controlled in their movements. In tea appreciation, students learned how to slow down and increase attention or sensitivity in a calm, balanced manner. These ideas of simplicity, constraint, and minimalism were found in all the arts that the students encountered, allowing them to bring a completely new artistic perspective back to the States.
This past summer at The Beijing Center (TBC), students from Marquette University took TBC’s Chinese language courses for college credit. TBC’s program offers an intensive, immersive curriculum in the heart of Beijing.
This past summer in China, TBC connected students from Notre Dame School of Manhattan and Xavier High School with some of Beijing’s local elementary students. The young children were shy at first, but they eventually loved interacting with their new American friends.
This past summer, The Beijing Center (TBC) accompanied Loyola Blakefield High School, Boston College High School, Xavier High School, and Notre Dame High School to tour multiple famous attractions in China, including Beijing’s Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and Great Wall.
In the summer of 2026, The Beijing Center (TBC) hosted Loyola Blakefield High School, Boston College High School, Xavier High School, and Notre Dame High School for visits to renowned attractions and immersive experiences in Chinese daily life.