Four hundred and ten years ago on May 11, 1610, the world lost a leading facilitator in the development of intercultural communication, and in turn, solidified his reputation and legacy as the founder of cultural exchange between China and the West. Italian Jesuit missionary, Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), broke the ideological barriers between China and the West through equality and friendship.
After embarking on the Silk Road, going on a trip consisting of living out of your backpack, eating street food, and always being on the move, I knew this is how I wanted my Golden Week to pan out. As the semester hurled its way closer to Fall Break, me and a few others came to the same conclusion: we wanted to travel as far and as efficiently as we could. So, on September 26, four of my good friends and I took a short Didi to the Beijing Airport and began our adventure backpacking through beautiful Laos and Thailand.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the very special opportunity to adventure along the Silk Road with other students from my college for about 13 days. ChinaContact created a wonderful trip for us that definitely enhanced our short-term stay with The Beijing Center! The excursion was filled with many incredible experiences as we journeyed from Xi’an all the way to Kashgar, making stops in Tianshui, Lanzhou, Xia’he, Dunhuang, and Turpan along the way.
“Ok! We have to stop playing with the kids now. If we stay any longer the kids will be TOO EXCITED to go to sleep tonight.” Try to imagine making someone this happy – so happy that they can’t even fall asleep. This is what we were told right before we left the Bethel Foundation in Beijing last Saturday.
THE SILK ROAD – the most famous, by far the LONGEST, and arguably the most influential trade routes in the history of the world. Just let that sink in for a minute, and then you can go ahead and keep reading.
Join us for our annual Thanksgiving fundraiser dinner!
In the Jesuit tradition of being of service to those in need and in the spirit of giving thanks, we invite you to join our annual fundraiser dinner event on Sunday, November 17, 2019. This year’s theme will be the “Feast of Bartimaeus” and will be held at the University of International Business and Economics International Exchange Mansion, with our university, non-profit and business partners, scholars, professors, alumni, students, and their families!
Hello everybody, my name is Mingyue Du – that is my Chinese name. You can also call me by my English name, Danni. I’m a junior studying at the University of San Francisco as an accounting major.
When I arrived at TBC in January I wasn’t really sure what I’d be doing, but upon arrival, I was asked to help with the research aspects of The Beijing Center: to plan and take on a research project and to help plan some events around research activities. So, I was able to do that and learned a lot about Matteo Ricci. I helped to re-publish a book, of some of Matteo Ricci’s letters translated into English and to organize a panel discussion about the letters of Matteo Ricci and their significance, both for scholars and for expatriates living in China today as a spiritual source.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
Hello, I’m Nicole Marchesi. I’m a summer intern abroad student with The Beijing Center. I’m a student at Loyola Marymount University with a major in marketing and a minor in Chinese.
If you’re looking for an escape from the city, spend a weekend in Gubei Watertown. Located just a two-hour drive from Beijing, the town is made up of traditional architecture, greenery, and not to mention an endless number of doorways to take photos in. While in Gubei, hike up to the Mountaintop Church for a view of the city and a coffee to start your day. Once down the mountain, take in the view from a boat for only 80RMB.