“Where are you from? I love your outfit! May I take a photo with you?” Chinese students prodded me in the crowds while I laughed – I wore nothing special. Only my hijab.
Last week under blue Beijing skies, TBC’s host university, the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), put on their yearly Cultural Fair. Not only international students, but Chinese minorities as well set up booths just outside the building TBC calls home. Walk to the right, and you’d pass the likes of Yemen, Oman, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Walk forward and you’d pass Italy, France, Tanzania, South Korea, and Ethiopia. Turn left and you’ll catch the likes of North Korea, Japan, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and so many more. Here, I’ve listed only perhaps half of the nations represented.
Last week under blue Beijing skies, TBC’s host university, the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), put on their yearly Cultural Fair. Not only international students, but Chinese minorities as well set up booths just outside the building TBC calls home. Walk to the right, and you’d pass the likes of Yemen, Oman, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Walk forward and you’d pass Italy, France, Tanzania, South Korea, and Ethiopia. Turn left and you’ll catch the likes of North Korea, Japan, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and so many more. Here, I’ve listed only perhaps half of the nations represented.
“Sounds like Xinjiang,” my friend giggled from where we sat behind a large speaker. “But it smells like Tibet!” She motioned to the next booth over, incense curling up from small pots. For TBC students such as myself who may not have the means to travel too extensively over the course of a semester in Beijing, UIBE’s annual spring Cultural Fairs offers a small glimpse into areas of the world we might otherwise not see. I encourage any student coming in the spring to bring your camera, free up your afternoon, and come ready to meet wonderful people, Chinese and foreign alike!
By Addy M., Loyola University Chicago, Spring 2017 Student
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.