From November to December 2018, ChinaContact, TBC’s short-term program team, hosted a group of eight students and faculty from Javeriana Cali University for their “China Immersion 2018” program. During their 21 days in China, the group traveled Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai, learning about the different customs in different parts of China, witnessing the beautiful scenery of early winter, and immersing themselves in Chinese culture. To help them better make sense of all the things they saw, ChinaContact helped organize lectures about Chinese history, politics, economics, and business, taught by distinguished local and international professors.
At the same time, ChinaContact also organized group site visits to different companies and enterprises to help the students and faculty gain first-hand knowledge on how to do business in China, including site visits to Coca-Cola Beijing, PRIME Flowers, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, and the Colombia embassy in Beijing and consulate in Shanghai.
The group was also invited to attend TBC’s 20th Anniversary Thanksgiving Gala dinner, through which they learned more about the history and culture of The Beijing Center.
Interested in a similar cultural immersion trip in China? ChinaContact will support your group’s goals with tailor-made programs year-round. Find out more at thebeijingcenter.org/chinacontact.
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a volunteering activity that left a deep impression on me. It was a day dedicated to cultural exchange, creativity, and a wonderful reminder of the vibrancy of tradition — both Chinese and beyond.
The past few weekends have been some of the most exciting of the entire semester, full of trips to the zoo, mountain hikes, ancient parks, and more! Our first trip out of many was a visit to the Beijing Zoo. I had mentioned earlier in the semester that I wanted to see some pandas, since I was in China after all, and our TBC friend Andy made it happen.