Fr. Seil Oh, S.J., the Vice-President of International Affairs from Sogang University, South Korea, visited The Beijing Center (TBC) on January 6th, 2025. During his visit, he met with TBC’s Executive Director, Simon Koo, to discuss strategies for enhancing the collaboration between their respective institutions.
Fr. Oh reviewed TBC’s educational programs, including the “Study Abroad” semester exchange and the “ChinaContact” short-term program. He commended these initiatives for their role in expanding students’ global perspectives and stressed the increasing importance of international exchanges, especially in a post-pandemic world. He expressed hope that Sogang University and TBC would deepen their partnership and find innovative ways to strengthen their international educational ties.
During his tour of the TBC facilities, Fr. Oh was particularly captivated by the Terracotta Warrior statue in the Hutong, a reminder of his recent trip to Xi’an. In the library, he was impressed by the extensive collection of books and artifacts, notably the “Tibet Corner” and “Yunnan Corner.” These areas showcase unique cultural items collected by TBC faculty and students during their Excursion Trips to Yunnan in the spring and along the Silk Road in the fall. Fr. Oh expressed a keen interest in the cultural richness of these displays and shared his enthusiasm for the culture of Dunhuang, a significant site along the Silk Road. He hopes that Sogang University students will have the opportunity to participate in these valuable programs and develop a deeper appreciation of China’s rich cultural heritage.
Reflecting on his visit, Fr. Oh recalled his last trip to Beijing 35 years ago. He marveled at the city’s dramatic transformation and the rapid development of China, urging Sogang University students to engage in exchange programs to directly experience the vibrancy and dynamism of this rapidly evolving country.
Beijing’s Temple of Heaven may be one of, if not, the most iconic tourist sites in Beijing. Constructed starting back in 1406, around the same time as the Forbidden City and the other respective temples of the Sun, Earth and Moon.
Another one of the more irreplaceable experiences we have in China as students is the amount of cultural exchange we get to participate in. While The Beijing Center organizes plenty of culture-based events, from tourist activities to arts workshops, there’s something about engaging with other people our own age in cultural exchange that’s really special.
Over this past weekend, some of our students enrolled at Minzu University of China took their annual Spring Outing – this year, to Gubei Water Town. Situated about a 2-hour drive northeast of Beijing, the April weather made it absolutely perfect to explore for a spring outing. It surrounds various canals and offshoots of Yuanyang lake.
If you ever want to get a taste of Old Beijing, by far one of the best ways is to visit the hutongs. They’ve conceptually been around all the way since the 1200s, and in their most modern forms exist as protected alleyways and streets surrounded by old traditional houses and neighborhoods in the heart of Beijing and are recognized in China to be an important part of cultural heritage in the city.