XINLI WU, Ph.D, P.E.
COURSE SYLLABUS
FAQ
PENN STATE EDUCATION ABROAD PROGRAM
Class Summer 2009
Class Summer 2010
Class Summer 2011
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Thanks to the following hosting companies in Shanghai, China:
• Summer 2010 Class China Trip Itinerary
• Videos
Shanghai world expo 2010 HD, opening ceremony fireworks
• Photos
• Experience from some of the students who took the course in the summer 2010.
JOHN DAVID BALOG, jdb5305@psu.edu, Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2013
Taking ENGR 197 has been an amazing experience for me!
It was the first time I have been out of
Overall this trip was extremely interesting and fun. I think you did
a very good job at setting everything up and planning the stuff we did.
There were some times when it seemed that it could have been planned a
little better, and other points when it felt kind of boring or pointless to
be in a few places. But I don’t think it is possible to have a four week
period and be able to please thirty people. I think you did an awesome job
of letting us see the culture to the fullest extent. There were times when
we experienced some things that even most Chinese people don’t get to
experience and there were many times when you let us do our own thing and
explore for ourselves the true Chinese culture. Letting us have free time
every evening let us explore and kind of split into groups to get a more one
on one taste of
MARC ALAN DURIGON, mad5427@psu.edu, Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2013
If given the chance, may Americans would decline the opportunity to travel
abroad to China. In fact many of my friends at Penn State were
surprised that I “took the risk” in traveling to China, and to be honest
their comments made me question my commitment to the program. However,
after a wonderful three weeks within China I soon realized that the
Engineering 197 program would become one of the greatest learning
experiences of my life.
During the long and dark plane flight over to China, I created a
stereotypical picture of China in my mind. I worried that I wouldn’t enjoy
the food, thought copious mounds of trash inhabited the streets, imagined
the smog from factories would blot out the sun. Yet, when I landed in
Beijing all of my prejudices were destroyed the moment I gazed upon the
beautiful Beijing Airport, which is also the largest airport terminal
worldwide. The Beijing airport was so architecturally interesting that
it made Pittsburgh’s airport look like a warehouse, and after the first
minutes driving down the Beijing highway to our hotel I noticed the streets
were in fact cleaner than American cities probably due to China’s massive
work force. Although the sky was hazy because of pollution, it still
was not as nightmarish as I had predicted. Then came the moment of
truth, our first meal: dinner at the hotpot. Culture shock aside I enjoyed
the hot pot very much, even though our table probably undercooked most of
the meat. I really liked how that meal and many following incorporated
multiple people gathered around a circle of food as opposed to the typical
four person seating style at most American restaurants. This set up
for meals really bought us as students together as friends in my opinion,
since we could all share our crazy experiences from the day or night before
all at the same place. After eating and enjoying the wholesome and
delectable Chinese cuisine, I was confident from that day on that the trip
would be an awesome experience.
Overall Beijing was my favorite city. The breathtaking architecture
and color of the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Tian An Men Square
fascinated me beyond anything I had ever seen. Also, the ornamentation
and layout of the second hotel in Beijing was awesome, which made it my
personal favorite of the trip. The Great Wall of China was incredible.
I did not believe how it snaked up and down the treacherous mountains into
the horizon. I cannot imagine the hard work, sacrifice, and even
fatalities of the workers that constructed the wall thousands of years ago
as an ultimate safety device. I am not surprised now that I have stood atop
the wall that it can be seen from space. Also the lunch in which we ate
Beijing duck was my favorite meal of the trip.
After arriving well rested from the comfortable soft sleeper to Dalian, our
group experienced the magnanimous hospitality from Professor Wu’s friends.
It was unbelievable that his friends would pay for 30 expensive and great
tasting seafood dinners. Hospitality of that caliber is hard to find
in America. Although our time in Dalian was short, I did
accomplish some successful shopping at a nearby shopping mall. The
mall it seemed was built in a circular fashion with escalators and stairs
perpendicular to the entrance, making vertical travel easy. It was
also strange to not have salesmen taunting us into their shops, but rather
the floor staff silently waited for us to ask for assistance.
Nonetheless, it was very different from an Americans shopping mall.
Instead of shopping by store as it is done in America, each level of the
mall was partitioned by item; electronics were on the first floor, women’s
clothing second, and so on. I personally liked the change because it
made it easier for me as a shopper to find things.
Our time in Dalian was short, but Chongqing’s was even shorter. Even
still, the food was great there and it was stunning to gaze upon what our
tour guide testified as the largest city in the world; population 38
million. Following Chongqing our group traversed the Three Gorges by
river cruise. It was amazing to see the monstrous gorges as well as the
interesting lifestyle of the peoples living along the river side. I am
in wonder of how the government moved so many millions of people due to the
construction of the Three Gorges Dam, a feat of which I feel the United
States could never accomplish. My favorite part of our relaxing river
journey was the Fengdu Ghost city, which survived the dam’s construction.
The mystical colors of the temple and fantastic guardian statues and the
passion the Chinese have about their history and culture truly impressed me.
Traveling to Xi’an was probably the
greatest experience of the trip: the hard sleeper train. Words cannot
describe the night on board that train, however I was impressed in how total
Chinese strangers could bunk six men to a cabin without problems. While in
Xi’an I learned more about the history of China. I couldn’t believe
the ambitious emperor Qin constructed a mountain sized tomb for his final
resting place, or even that he made an 8,000 terra-cotta army to defend him
even in death! Both sites were amazing to visit, although we could
only view the mountain tomb from afar. Another event that stands out
to me was the delicious dumpling dinner featuring my all time favorite dish
of the trip: the walnut dumpling.
From Xi’an we traveled to Shanghai, was my runner up favorite city. The
lights and energy at the bund was a once in a lifetime view. At the world
expo was one of my favorite days of the trip; I learned a lot about the
culture of many other nations and witnessed the stunning achievements in
engineering that many nations displayed through their extraordinary
pavilions. The engineering firms we visited in Shanghai were great,
especially Huntsman and Armstrong, but I feel that GE may not have been
worth our time because it seemed that our tour there was merely a tour of a
tour room, rather than seeing something noteworthy. However, the hospitality
and friendliness that all the businessmen and engineers showed us was not to
be forgotten or matched by most American companies. The eco city displayed
the ruthless determination of the Chinese once again by displaying their
focus on environmental protection. The Chinese will nearly have made a
totally green community with low pollution emissions. As long as world
energy methods remain as they are, such communities will have to be the
cities of the future in order to save the planet, and I am impressed and
surprised that China is one of the first to create such a community.
After Shanghai we nearly concluded the trip in Huangshan. I loved the
small town aspect of the city. Some events that stand out to me were the
karaoke bars and energetic night clubs that my friends and I visited,
visiting Professor Wu’s brother’s house, and viewing a truly rural area of
China. The return flight home was disheartening because I had to say
goodbye to a group of friends that I had bonded with for nearly a month.
In conclusion I would like to share my three favorite memories: 1. The tour
guide Duncan’s jokes, 2. Night time on the River cruise, and 3. Professor
Wu’s I Heart Beijing T-shirt. Overall this was a fantastic
experience that I will never forget.
Atindra Garigipati, ayg5111@psu.edu, Chemical Engineering, Class of 2013
This summer I was chosen to take class that looked at the historical,
cultural and environmental factors on Engineering Design in China. During
the trip we visited many historical landmarks and projects that will define
China in the future. In general the experience I received going on this trip
was incredible, awe-inspiring and most importantly fun.
Before
I discuss the positives of the trip, I must note how grateful I am that I
was chosen to go on this trip. Thank you so much Xinli, without this trip I
would have not enjoyed China as much and would not have gotten the full
China experience in the four weeks, again thank you so much.
During the trip we visited 7 different cities, and each city we visited the
popular landmarks and observed the culture of China through food and
entertainment. The first city we visited was Beijing, the capital of China.
There were many places we visited. Examples of places we visited were
Tiananmen Square, The Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City, the Summer
Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Beijing was one of my favorite cities that
we visited, not only because of the prestige of the landmarks we visited,
but also the first hand experience we had with the Chinese culture. Since
this was the first city we visited on this trip, everybody had a huge
culture shock. The first meal we ate was the hot pot dinner. Being a
vegetarian, I knew I would have to adjust to the food in china, but the
first meal was a huge shock to me, I had never seen such radical food in my
life, but it was an experience I know I would never experience again and I
greatly enjoyed it. The day we visited the Silk street and Wangfujing Street
was another great representation of Chinese Culture, we learned how to
bargain for traditional Chinese merchandise and experience some very extreme
foods, personally I tried the starfish. Also with the landmarks, I got to
see thousands of years of history in 4 days, from the amazing architecture
and construction of the Great Wall from the Qin Dynasty, to the complexity
of design of the Forbidden City, a landmark connected with the Ming Dynasty.
We also looked at the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, China’s most popular
dictator. Also we looked at modern history with the Olympic Village,
the Bird’s Nest. With all of the great things that happened in Beijing,
there are some things that I would change for the future classes. Since the
class has a possibility of being cut down some time, I think the Summer
Palace and the Temple of Heaven could be omitted. This is because in my mind
those two places almost looked the same. Also the day you visit the Great
Wall, possibly start a little earlier, I know that’s asking a lot, but it’s
great if you can maximize the amount of time on the Wall, I felt like we
didn’t spend enough time actually seeing and observing the Great Wall.
After the 4 days in Beijing, we took a train to see the city of Dalian. Even
though Dalian did not have many sites related to engineering design, the
city was very scenic. Through the two days in Dalian I see that Dalian is a
city that is a work in progress, the city has a very bright future. Another
reason why we visited the city was to experience the unique eating culture
there, which was very enjoyable for me. We had two dinners that were filled
with both entertainment and drama, we even got to celebrate one of our
classmates’ birthday. The food there was amazing, Dalian is known for the
great seafood, and during the dinner we had where it was a one huge table of
30 or so chairs, there was some really great seafood. Again because this was
my first experience eating seafood, I enjoyed it that much more. I think
Dalian was a great place, and most certainly should not be left out. The
students need to experience the food there, regardless of how selective
people are regarding food. Plus it is a nice break after 4 tiring days in
Beijing.
After a short stop in Yichang, we boarded another train to the city of Xian.
Xian is a city that has the most history in it. The famous landmark we
visited was the Terra Cotta Museum. The Terracotta Army was very interesting
because of the historical background is has. Each statue was a replica of a
soldier from the Qin Dynasty. It was breath-taking to see a place landmark
that is relevant to ancient Chinese history. Also we visited the tomb of Wu
Zetian, the first female leader of Chinese history. Even though we
didn’t spend as much time there, it was nice to learn about the first
ever-female leader and what she did. As with the other places, I believe the
Terracotta Army is a very good reason why the trip should continue the stop
to Xian.
The next city was the big city of the trip, Shanghai. During the 5 days we
stayed in Shanghai we visited so many different places. Visiting Shanghai
gave me a great reason why China has an extremely bright future
internationally. The big day in Shanghai was the visit to the World
Expo. The World expo is a huge fair for the world; each country builds a
pavilion describing the culture of their country. The day we visited the
World Expo was the longest day of the trip as we stayed from 8 in the
morning until midnight. Of the entire trip, the World Expo was my
favorite part of the entire trip. Shanghai in general is an amazing city,
when we visited The Bund and Nanjing Road, the pedestrian street, it was
very scenic and you noticed the huge population in China, there were many
people roaming the streets of Shanghai. When we visited the two companies,
we got to see big business in China. We saw how manufacturing
companies conducted their work in a Chinese environment, which is
surprisingly different from the U.S. The Pudong area of Shanghai was very
nice as well; we got to see the towering buildings and the center of
Shanghai. Clearly this was the best city we visited. One thing that could be
left out is Chongming Island. Since the Eco City project has not been
completed, it wasn’t very interesting as it should be. I feel like the class
should visit this in 5 years, once the project is completed.
The last city was Huangshan. In this city we really got a good perspective
of how common Chinese lifestyle is dealt with. Also during the stay in
Huangshan, we saw a set of caves; the interesting thing about that was that
archaeology was still going on in those caves. Overall, the visit was good,
again all of us got a good lesson in Chinese culture; we saw how common
middle class Chinese people lived their lives.
In Conclusion, the trip to China was very successful, I learned a lot and I
know that without you, Xinli and the Penn State Global Programs, I would not
have gotten an amazing experience in a country were change is happening and
a country that has a great future. Again I am very grateful to be selected
to go on this trip once again I sincerely thank you Xinli.
Zachary E. Green, zeg5000@psu.edu, Smeal College of Business, Master's of Accounting, Bachelor's of Accounting - Finance Concentration, 2011
China changed me. I wish I could have stayed longer. I didn’t want to
travel more. I had already done that. I wanted to settle down and create a
life for myself – learn Chinese, cook for myself, find friends, become part
of it all. Often times I found myself intentionally venturing away from our
group of classmates. It wasn’t because I didn’t like our group – I
did. It was because I wanted to absorb my surroundings as fully as
possible. I often sat in local restaurants or on street corners by
myself. I took walks into areas of cities that most people in our class
were too afraid to venture. It was within these moments, that I found
myself “in-tune” with China. I actually felt the country take hold of me
and come to life inside of me.
I listened
to the conversations of pedestrians on the street. Obviously, I had no idea
what they were saying. I knew no Chinese prior to visiting the
country. Then, after a few days, I felt that I had gained the ability to
understand what people were talking about. It was not the words that I
learned to comprehend (it was still all Chinese to me!), but it was the body
language and tone of voice to which I had become accustomed. I often
imagined where people were going and what they were doing.
Don’t
get me wrong. I loved being part of our group. After going on these
“personal adventures” I was thrilled to share my stories with the group. I
could not have made it through China without my friends in our group.
Whenever I felt alone and isolated enough, I found comfort in being able to
retreat back to a family of people who understood me.
The group dynamics changed my impression of people. I studied the people in
our group and learned how people interact, and how they respond to new
experiences. Our group was filled with people from all extremes, and
those who fell somewhere in between. Simply put, we were all unique
from each other due to everyone’s personal backgrounds.
Never before in my life had I openly tried so many different things. One of my favorite experiences was the food. The strangest of animals are the most prized of foods in China. Riding the subways in Shanghai really gave me a feel for the large city. Bonding with tourists from Hong Kong who spoke English helped me gain insight into their opinions of Hong Kong, The People’s Republic of China, and The United States.
My advice to anyone is to travel. And, when you
travel, talk to as many people as possible. Try as many new things as
possible (with safety in mind, of course). After returning to the states,
with time to reflect upon my experience in China, I literary drive myself
crazy thinking about how many people, memories, experiences, lessons, and
bottles of fire water one month in China can provide.
When I tell people I went to China, they seem
surprised. However, when my
friends tell people they went to Europe, they act like Europe is normal. To
me, China is just as normal as Europe. It is one of the largest nations on
our planet and deserves our attention. In my opinion, it is more
interesting than the majority of countries in the world. There is
still a great deal left to discover. I know, in my heart that I will
one day return to China. It is unbelievable how one month can change
someone’s view on the world so deeply.
SCOTT MICHAEL HROMISIN,
suh184@psu.edu,
Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2012
Where to begin? The trip was absolutely spectacular; so much so, that words will have difficulty doing it justice. I thought, towards the end of the trip, that I was ready to come back to the State. Few times in my life have I ever been more mistaken. Now that I have the opportunity to reflect on the trek, look at all the incredible pictures I have taken, and tell people about my travels, adventures, and escapades I realize how much I miss being in China and everybody that I traveled with. It is somewhat depressing actually because I had such a good time in the Orient and now I am stuck working forty-five hours a week in a warehouse.
One aspect of the trip that stands out particularly in my mind is all
the various types of authentic Chinese fare I had the privilege of sampling.
The food over there was so different than the food in
The only thing that could possibly rival the amazing food would be
the equally amazing sights. What can I say? When you look past the smog,
Speaking of interesting, modern Chinese culture is really something
else. I knew they did not share the same amount of political freedom as we
have but I would have never guessed that they seemed to have more social
freedoms. Perhaps it was because we were American tourists, perhaps not, I
can never really be sure, but it seems to me that people over there do not
care what you do in public. An excellent, although not very becoming,
example is public urination. More times than I wished, I saw parents just
letting their toddles urinate right in the middle of a sidewalk. If a parent
tried that here they would be crucified. Additionally, and to the joy of
every
Perhaps the most amazing, and most disturbing aspect of Chinese
culture for me was how fast the entire country was modernizing. In any
direction, in any city I could see a crane. Sometimes I saw twenty high-rise
buildings being constructed at once. That is absolutely ridiculous. There
are bustling metropolises that were farms when I was in diapers. Honestly I
still haven’t decided how I feel about this. On the one hand it’s one of the
most impressive things I will ever see yet on the other I find the rate at
which the land is being developed and paved over to be rather disturbing. At
the same though, I am very impressed with how green the country is. Turning
a blind eye to the smog and the coal power plants, the fact that a majority
of buildings were equipped with solar panels and that I saw more nuclear
power facilities over there in 3 weeks than I’ve seen in 20 years in the
All in all,
Kaitlyn Johnson, kmj5161@psu.edu, Chemical Engineering, Class of 2013
“How was China?” This little question is one that I have been asked countless times since returning home from China. Yet, this seemingly simple question has turned out to be one of the hardest to answer, because I can never decide what I want to talk about first. Should I start out telling them about the Great Wall in Beijing or the Terracotta soldiers in Xian? Should I describe what it was like to go through the locks at the Three Gorges Dam or tell them about my world tour at the World Expo? Should I mention all of the different foods that I tried or would it be better to begin by recounting my experiences with the various forms of transportation? I had so many wonderful experiences while in China that it is hard to convey the breadth of what I discovered in a short conversation.
I enjoyed the cities that we visited and the different views of China that each offered. I enjoyed traveling to Beijing and being exposed to the more ancient history of China. It was really thrilling to walk through the Forbidden City and to know that hundreds of years ago, the emperor of China walked on the exact same path that I walked upon. I also loved having the opportunity to experience the Great Wall. When the tour guide told the group that we would be climbing the Great Wall, I thought that he just meant walking. However, I soon realized that he was not lying when the next morning I found myself attempting to walk up a path that was angled at 45 degrees. Although the hike was quite scary at times, especially on the way down, I felt extremely accomplished when I made it to the top.
I experienced many “firsts” throughout my time in China. One of these experiences occurred on our travel from Beijing to Dalian. That trip was the first time I had ever ridden on a train. Also, when we were in Dalian, I tried many different foods for the first time such as the crab claws and the expensive abalone. I really enjoyed the dinners that we had at Dalian, especially the large round table dinner. I had never before seen a round table large enough to seat almost 40 people for a meal, and it was fascinating how a giant self-revolving lazy susan at its center was the method by which everyone obtained their food.
Some of my favorite moments occurred on the river cruise. It was a nice halfway point in the trip, which allowed everyone a moment to catch their breath and recharge for the final half of the trip. I thought that the day excursions were very educational and I really enjoyed touring the Fengdu Ghost City. It was enlightening to learn about a religion different from my own and to try to pass the tests necessary to make it to heaven, such as crossing the bridge or climbing the stairs while holding my breath. Traveling in small wooden boats propelled by rowers down the Shennog Stream was another highlight of my trip. The ride was so beautiful and it allowed me to view the landscape surrounding the gorges more closely. Even though I really enjoyed both day excursions, actually going through the river locks on the ship was by far the most exciting part of the cruise. It was thrilling to actually travel through the locks watching the walls rise as the boat fell in the water. As the boat was going through the locks, I realized that actually traveling through the lock system first hand is a unique experience. It occurred to me that not many people could say that they have done that, and I am really glad that I had the opportunity to do so.
Although I enjoyed the history of Beijing, and the food in Dalian, Shanghai was definitely my favorite city. I loved being able to walk around and shop at Nanjing Road at night and I enjoyed learning about the different companies like Huntsman and Armstrong. However, by far, my favorite part of Shanghai was the World Expo. Not only was it exciting to see the pavilions of the many countries, but also it was interesting to interact directly with the people of China. For example, while Abbie, Kristen and I were in line for the Italy pavilion, we asked the boy in front of us if he knew where we could get a taxi home from the Expo. He didn’t know where to catch a taxi, but we did end up speaking with him about America, his profession as a lawyer, and how the lawyer’s role in China is somewhat different than that in America. Because my father is a lawyer, I found this conversation concerning the Chinese view of the legal profession especially intriguing. Also, coming home from the expo, Erik, Layla, and Shihui took us on a public bus and subway to return to our hotel. Erik, however, got confused and had us get off the bus at the wrong stop twice, only to realize that the train that we needed wasn’t available. Consequently, we had to take a different train and ended up a good twenty-five minutes from the hotel causing us to have to walk back to the hotel via Nanjing Road. Although this way home took about four times as long as if we had just taken our bus directly back to the hotel, it was exciting to experience public transportation in China.
In Huangshan, I enjoyed viewing how both middle class and rural people in China live. I was glad that we were able to experience this because to that point in our travels, we had really only seen China’s major cities and I believed that it was important to realize that not all of China lives in the modern cities like Beijing and Shanghai. I found it extremely interesting to learn that XInli’s brother’s house used solar power to heat the water for the house and I think that America would benefit greatly from incorporating innovations such as solar energy into our everyday lives as well.
Looking back, I am so happy that I decided to take this class and travel to China. I am so thankful to be given the opportunity to experience a culture with such a vast history that is so different from my own. Although it was exciting to see all of the famous landmarks, such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Soldiers, I think the parts that I will remember most are not ones that can be found in a guide book, but rather those many “firsts” that I had and the people that I met. If I have another opportunity, I would love to travel to China again, but in the meantime I am eager to watch China evolve and change over the next few years. This trip to China was such a positive learning experience for me and definitely helped me grow both as a person and as a world-class engineer.
Brian Killeen,
bqk5043@psu.edu,
Aerospace Engineering,
Class of 2013
When I look back on our trip to China, I am so glad I decided to apply for the class. It has been one of the best experiences of my life. Not only was learning about the culture and the engineering of China insightful and interesting, but the trip was also so much fun. I made many friends and had many laughs along the way. I would do it again a thousand times over. I will suggest to my friends to apply for next year because I believe it would be good for anyone to experience China. I thought that the trip was planned quite well, and I enjoyed every aspect of it.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the trip in Beijing. It was our first impression of the Chinese culture, and for me it was a positive impact. I was amazed as we drove around on the first day and I observed the new world around me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the friendless of the people, and by how quickly I was able to adapt to the Chinese way of life. My favorite part of staying in Beijing was seeing the Great Wall. I grew up always hearing and talking about the Great Wall like it was on another planet. If someone told me a year ago that I would be stand on the Great Wall, I do not think I would have believed them. It is such an honor and privilege to have been one of the most famous monuments in the world. It was also great to see the Forbidden City because it allowed us insight into the history, culture and tradition of the Chinese people. It really allowed me to understand the progress the Chinese people have made over the thousands of years, and it really is impressive. I was glad we went to the gardens such as the Summer Palace and the Imperial Garden because we were able to see a more beautiful side of the Chinese culture as well. One other thing I did enjoy in Beijing was the acrobatic act. It was cool to see a show that showcased the Chinese culture in a different light.
In Dalian, It was nice to see a capitalist side of China. I had always believed China to be anything but capitalist. However, after seeing your friends office and eating two fantastic dinners there, I realize how western China has become. It was also a beautiful seaside city and very scenic.
The cruise down the Yangtze River was nice because we got to see one of the famous rivers of China. We were able to see how riverside farmers live and it was nice to relax for a few days. I also liked the boat tour down the tributaries of the river. Traveling through the gorges was amazing. I was thoroughly impressed by the scenic gorges and thought it was great to see one of the most beautiful places in China. My favorite part of the cruise was traveling through the locks on the last night. It was awesome to see how they work transporting boats down such a larger height. It was also cool the next seeing the three gorges dam. I was surprised to find out how much hydroelectric energy the damn would produce and I was thoroughly impressed with their dedication to creating cleaner energy.
In Xian, the Terracotta Warriors were insane. It gave us insight into how the past emperors lived and allowed us to see the power they wielded. I was amazed to see how many warriors were created with such detail.
Shanghai was probably my favorite city that we visited. It was huge, exciting and very crowded. Pudong and the Bund were great. I enjoyed seeing the huge financial center light up. The people there were very helpful and friendly. I really enjoyed seeing the World Expo too. It was a great experience to see all the cultures of the world come together to showcase their respective nations.
Haungshan was interesting because we were to escape the tourism of the larger cities and see how people actually lived in China. It was especially nice to see your brother’s house. I had wondered what common households look like and it was interesting to get a tour of a house. It was a great insight into how a normal Chinese family lives.
Overall, I loved the trip. It was cultural rollercoaster that I will never forget. I loved having the people come up and talk to me. I loved observing the differences between Americans and Chinese in everyday life. I loved seeing all the engineering feats and how their technology has evolved over the ages. So thanks for everything Xinli, it was a fantastic month, and I owe it all to you. I hope to see you over the next semester!
ANTHONY ANDREW KMETZ, aak5011@psu.edu, Civil Engineering; Minor: Energy Engineering, Class of 2012
Spring 2010 was my first semester as a student since returning from
Afghanistan. In the months leading up to the summer, I was still unsure of
how I wanted to spend my first free time since before being deployed the
year before. I had internship offers in Philadelphia and Seattle, and my
position as a research assistant at the Center for Innovative Sintered
Products at school was still available. I also contemplated simply taking
the summer off and spending my time hanging out at school and home with my
family. To put it simply I needed something to convince me one way or the
other how to spend my summer. The internship offer in Seattle was too good
to pass up and exactly what I had been looking for. However, after knowing
Xinli for several years now, his passion for practical teaching, exuberant
demeanor, and vast knowledge intertwined with a large social network in
China proved to be too much to pass. After making my decision to take the
class (one of the best decisions I’ve made in recent memory), I essentially
told the district manager at PCL Construction (the internship I accepted) I
was going to be there about a month later than I initially told them.
Although there was initial hesitation on their part, an explanation of my
reasons prompted Mr. Malone to graciously extend his approval and in several
email correspondences while in China, curiosity to my travels.
There’s no way I can explain everything I saw and experienced while in China
that has made the lasting impression that it has. However several things
will stay with me the rest of my life. One night during our cruise down the
Yangtze River through the Three Gorges (a lifetime trip in itself), myself,
another student, and a carpenter/traveler we met on the cruise got off the
ship at night when we had docked in a riverfront city for supplies/crew
rest. While this little excursion of ours was not on the class itinerary,
our night culminated sharing a dinner on the waterfront with several
strangers who graciously welcomed us with open arms. A passerby who spoke
broken English translated and informed us that we were the first Westerners
to be seen by them, let alone eat at their table. Another memory from the
trip that stands out was the surreal feeling of standing inside the National
Stadium (Bird’s Nest). Two years prior, the entire world watched from the
edge of their seats as Usain Bolt became the fastest man in the world, ever.
This along with other feats of the 2008 Olympics came rushing back as we
walked through the stadium, more significantly, the site where China
revealed itself as a renewed superpower to much of the uninformed world.
Finally one of my favorite experiences in China was the day we met with an
old classmate of Xinli’s in the port city of Dalian. The best way I could
describe Dalian is a combination of Seattle and San Francisco. One night we
have the privilege of being treated to dine in the hotel owned by his
classmate, the vast window overlooking countless cranes, cliffs, and
shipping ports spreading across the bay. This particular meal was on the
short-list for best meals in my life. The spread was extravagant with
boundless seafood, traditional dishes, and drinks that knew no bottom. At
one point in the meal I broke into a smile knowing very well, this isn’t the
type of setting someone experiences when they travel to China on their own.
This was a dinner graciously hosted for us, by a multi-million dollar
business man.
While
there are stories that could go on for days, these few instances reaffirmed
my decision to put off the job for another month. Of course we saw the world
renowned sites such as the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, and Forbidden
City. But the most memorable parts of this trip were the ones specially
arranged by Xinli, or the countless unplanned encounters with people on the
street and previously unheard of landmarks.
One thing I look forward to almost as much as applying the knowledge and
experiences from this trip, is the ability to share my zeal for this class
with potential students. Most students when they go abroad take the safe
route, they go to countries loosely based on our culture, most of which have
Anglo or Latin roots for their language. I dare younger engineering students
to take a chance and immerse themselves in a country with a language that
sounds impossibly hard to learn (by the end of the trip we actually were
able to communicate with basic Mandarin), and a culture that has almost zero
resemblance of a Western lifestyle. As the trip progresses, the students
will become more comfortable with the culture, and by the end realize the
differences are smaller than initially expected.
CATHERINE PEREGO, cmp5258@psu.edu, Nuclear Engineering, Class of 2013
The three weeks I spent in China were the most eye-opening, exciting, and
interesting time abroad I've ever had. I really enjoyed getting to
experience a completely different culture, even if I was uncomfortable and
shocked at times during the trip. Obviously, as with any trip involving a
large group of people, there will be some things that some people like, and
some things that they don't. There were definitely things during the class
that I found very interesting, some I thought were amazing and fun, and some
that weren't my favorites.
The first night in Beijing we went to dinner at a hotpot restaurant, and the
entire night the same thought kept running through my head: "This is what
culture shock feels like." We certainly did not ease into Chinese culture;
we were thrown in head first. I think that this was an interesting choice to
make, and even though I wasn't comfortable with it at the time, it was
important for us to see something that was so normal to the Chinese and so
different from what we were used to.
The majority of the time spent in Beijing was seeing the sites, which I
really enjoyed. It let us get used to the cultural differences by seeing the
mix of old culture, like the Summer Palace and Forbidden City , and the new
culture, like Tiananmen Square and the Olympic Village. One of the best
experiences throughout the whole trip was meeting the students at CUMT. I
really enjoyed talking with them and gaining a better understanding for what
their life as a student was like, and how it differed from ours.
I thought Dalian was a very interesting city because it was not very
touristy, so we got to see something that most people didn't. The incredible
hospitality we received was also amazing – seeing how the upper class lives
and dines was something that I will always remember, and it gave us the
opportunity to try new foods and experience a completely different
atmosphere. Those two nights were definitely some of the most memorable of
the whole trip.
The cruise was also an interesting addition to this year's course, and I
think it was really important to see the Three Gorges Dam, so going on the
cruise is the best way to do so. The scenery was beautiful, and it was a
good break in the trip where we got to relax more while still learning
through the videos on board and going offshore to the Ghost City.
I thought Xian was interesting, although it was not my favorite. I
understand why it is important to see the Terracotta Warriors Museum, but
the free time we had exploring the city was more fun – one of my favorite
parts of the trip was when we got to go out in small groups and experience
the city during the day, seeing how everyone else lived, where they ate and
shopped; the cultural immersion aspect of the trip was very educational in a
real world sense.
At the end of the trip, we spent time in Shanghai and Huangshan. I
absolutely loved Shanghai, it was a gorgeous city (the night on the Bund was
amazing) and there were a lot of interesting things to do. I wish we had
spent more time exploring the city, perhaps rather than going to the
Eco-city project. Of course, the World Expo was a once in a lifetime
experience – absolutely incredible. I also enjoyed going to the companies to
see how these giant multinational corporations operated in China. It was
very interesting to see what was the same as their European and American
operations, and what was different. Huangshan was another great addition to
this year's class, because it was a lot of fun to see another non-touristy
town and to see how a family lived. The rural village we visited was
something that all people should experience, although it was not fun. It was
eye-opening, and humbling, because these people were happy with so little,
and they gave everything they had to their elders; the nicest, newest
accommodations in the town were for the retired people of the town. They had
so little, and we have so much, yet I feel like we're less
appreciative of what we have. So it taught me to be thankful for what I have
and realize that there are so many people out there who have real needs,
instead of me complaining that I need a new purse or pair of shoes or
something along those materialistic lines.
This course taught me so much more than what was on the syllabus, and I
think it forced me to grow up, to be more independent, and to be open to new
and different situations. I used to be the person very comfortable in her
little box, never stepping out and trying anything seriously unusual or out
of the ordinary. I did so many things that I never thought I would,
from following people on the street trying to sell us stuff into their back
alley shops or eating scorpions or even climbing along the Great Wall. I may
not have been comfortable all the time, or even happy with some of the
out-of-the-box things we did, but looking back on it I am so glad that I did
everything I could on the trip, because it helped me to not only understand
the culture and society of China, but also to understand myself.
Kristen Salava, kas5751@psu.edu, Bioengineering , Class of 2013
Thinking back to when I first found out I was selected for the class, I was
so excited and literally could not wait until I was sitting at the
Pittsburgh airport waiting to take off. However, the closer the date came,
the more nervous I became. I had never traveled anywhere other than the east
coast, let alone been out of the country. It sunk in that I would be
traveling across the world to a place I knew almost nothing about. But, I
realized then what this experience is about. It is about stepping outside
your comfort zone, doing something different, and learning a lot about a new
culture along the way.
One of the best ways I stepped outside my comfort zone was through the food.
Before China, I had thought I was an adventurous eater, but I was quickly
proven wrong the first night at the hot pot. I did not know what a hot pot
was before we got there so I was shocked to see raw food filling up the
tables. It was really intimidating walking by the tables of food because I
could not identify anything. It was very overwhelming at during the first
week at our meals because there were so many dishes and nothing was
familiar. But, throughout the course of the trip, I began to get used to the
food and enjoy it. I was really proud of myself that by the end of the trip
I could identify what something was without having to ask someone. My
favorite food we ate was in Dalian. I like seafood in the US so I loved that
we got such great, fresh fish in Dalian. The hot pot dinners were also
something I grew to actually like. By our last hot pot in Shanghai, I loved
the hotpot and being able to cook the food you want right in front of you in
the broth you want.
One of the things I really enjoyed was seeing all the historical sites I had
only ever read about. I never thought I would actually get the chance to see
these things in person and I am so happy that I got the opportunity to do
this. My favorite thing that we saw were the Terracotta Soldiers. I had seen
pictures of them before on the television or on the computer, but those pale
in comparison to what they actually look like in person. I knew there were a
lot of them, but standing above the pit and gazing down on them was
unbelievable. There were so many of them, and all of them have such
exquisite detail on them, from braids in their hair to the bottom of their
shoes. It is hard to think about how much work went into one, let alone the
thousands of them in all the pits. I also enjoyed the replica of what the
emperor’s tomb and underground palace is believed to look like; it was so
extravagant. It was amazing to me when we saw what the entire area used to
look like, with walls surrounding everything, rivers of mercury, the
terracotta soldiers, and replicas of palaces and buildings around the actual
tomb. I am excited to see what it actually looks like when they finally
finish excavating it.
One of the other things that was a favorite of mine was the Great Wall. The
Great Wall is not only a Chinese landmark, but also a world landmark. It is
something that everyone learns about at some point in their life, and when I
learned about it, I never thought I would actually get the chance to visit
it. Some monuments that are extremely famous can be disappointing when you
see them in person. The Great Wall, however, did not disappoint at all. If
anything, it was even more magnificent than I could have imagined. It is
hard to grasp just how big it is until we were driving alongside of it for a
good distance and it just kept stretching on. It looked so majestic and
intimidating sitting on top of enormous hills, high above us. Standing on
it, though, it was even better. Being able to see for miles around you, high
above the ground was powerful and you could easily understand why it was
such an awesome military force. I also enjoyed learning the history of it
and how it was continually added onto and made better by each dynasty.
One of my favorite cities we went to was Shanghai. It was very modern, even
more modern than many cities in America. The architecture of the buildings
was also very different from buildings seen in America. There were many
buildings that had curved architecture which is something that is not very
common here in America. The sky line was especially beautiful at night when
we viewed the buildings from the bund and all the buildings were lit up. The
World Expo is something else that I really enjoyed going to. We were very
fortunate that it was being held in Shanghai this year and we were lucky to
have the opportunity to visit it. It was interesting to see which countries
were the most popular to visit, such as China and Germany. In addition, I
enjoyed being able to walk around the area we were staying in and see the
local culture. In the morning when we would leave the hotel to get
breakfast, we would have to wait five minutes to cross the street because
there were so many bikes. The Nanjing Road was also really exciting. It
reminded me of New York City with all the lights and stores and also by how
crowded it was all the time with many different people.
I never realized how much knowledge I would gain and how much appreciation I
would have for being given the opportunity to experience China the way we
did. Most people never get the chance to do something like this, and it was
not until I was back home in America that I realized that. Not only did we
get to see amazing and beautiful historical sites, but we also got to
experience the amazing culture firsthand. These are things that people only
dream of doing, and I can now say that I did those things and had so much
fun while doing it. Thank you so much Xinli for the opportunity to do this!
TREVOR CHARLES SHERTS [tcs5103@psu.edu], Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2013
When people here at home ask me about my trip to China the first question is usually “Did you have fun?” I respond with something like, “Yes it was awesome I really gained a new perspective on the world.” The next question is typically, “Was it worth it?” This question has a simple answer too, absolutely. The trip to China was truly an invaluable experience and opened my eyes to and important part of the world that many Americans hardly ever think about. Most of my family and friends have never been immersed in another culture and when they talk to me about China they have very warped and untrue opinions and thoughts about the nation. By actually visiting China I now have a better global perspective that will allow me to make more informed international decisions in the future.
Beijing was a really cool city and I wish we had maybe one day just to explore the downtown area a little more than we did. All the ancient sites we visited in this city were amazing. I think my favorite was the forbidden city. We only got the chance to explore half of this amazing area and perhaps in future years a longer visit would be nice. More time at the great wall would have been awesome as well. Even though we did get a late start heading out that day (lost a student), having enough time to explore less crowded areas of the wall would have made our time there much more meaningful. Those are my only suggestions while in Beijing, aside from those thoughts, the entire tour through Beijing was extremely well organized and thought out. The first tour guide was excellent and had great knowledge and insight into all the sites we visited. Also, the book with our group photo that was purchased at Tienanmen Square was a great idea. Everyone here at home who I have shown that book too has found it a great summary of our time in Beijing.
You mentioned skipping Dalian during our group discussion, but in my opinion that was a key part of the trip. The meals we experienced in Dalian were excellent and really exposed us to some great traditional dishes. Aside from the food, the coastline in Dalian is beautiful and deserves a visit in future years of the course.
Our visits to Armstrong and Huntsman were very well organized, and seeing the production line at Armstrong was a really cool experience. The tour at GE didn't seem quite as thought out. If the tour of GE's facilities was a bit more in depth and better planned, however, I think it could be a great thing to do.
My main concern from the trip is the amount of drinking that took place. I may have a slight bias since I don't drink at all, but I feel that the danger of walking around a foreign city drunk needs to be emphasized more in the future. We were lucky in finding both students who got lost in Beijing, but in future years that luck may run out. On the cruise and back in the hotels where students were in large groups with either you or Sven there was a safety net, but out in the city a small group of students could find themselves in a dangerous situation more easily than they may have thought. In my opinion the dangers of being in a foreign country need to be emphasized more strongly.
Overall this trip was fantastic. It really allowed me to see an important part of the world that not many Americans get the chance to see.
Kevin Sweer, kds234@psu.edu, Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2012
Wow, I can’t believe I went to China for four weeks and it already feels like it was so long ago. Exploring the Forbidden City, climbing the Great Wall, taking a cruise on the Yangtze River through the locks, eating fantastic food; this is only a taste of what I got to experience there. I can definitely say this trip was a once in a lifetime experience.
Traveling to China with a professor who lived there makes all the difference in a trip like this. Xinli was able to teach us about much of what we did and keep it fun at the same time. It was very convenient to have someone to translate for us if we got stuck, or point us where to go to get great food. And if he was not available, there were three great Chinese students with us who could all do the same. The language barrier made some things tough to do, but it definitely added excitement and showed me how independent I could be in situations.
One of my favorite places we visited was the Great Wall of China. Even the drive alone was an experience that will not be forgotten. The views of the mountains and the wall twisting up and down the slopes were spectacular views that just got even better as we climbed. It was way more crowded than I expected it to be, probably because in most pictures you see, it looks virtually empty. This was not the case though. In the area we were in, it was so crowded that we had to push through people to get to the top. Though we got the marvelous view that we expected, many of us wished we could have spent more time up there hiking the wall to the less crowded areas and seeing more. A few extra hours would have been a good amount of time. I think it would be easy to devote a whole day, or at least most of a day to the Great Wall.
There were so many other great structures that we visited that I don’t have time to go through, but they include the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Ghost City, Three Gorges Dam, all the museums, Terracotta Army, and the entire cruise. These were all great visits that I enjoyed and will always remember. Though many people complained that many buildings in Beijing started to look the same, I think it’s important to go to as much as possible since I don’t know if I’ll ever make it back there. We weren’t there just to look at the architecture, but also to learn about the history and culture. We were also very lucky that the World Expo took place at the time of our visit. That was definitely worth the visit.
Other than the historical sites, I think it was a great idea to visit the companies. Armstrong and Huntsman were great places to visit and I learned a lot about them. General Electric, on the other hand, was not as fun since we did not get to see any labs or any actual work they were doing. It seemed like they just kicked us out at the end.
Overall, this is probably the most exciting trip I have ever taken not only because of the culture and great places we went to be, but also the people I traveled with. It is always so much fun to travel with a large group of peers whom all go to the same university. I have made lasting friends, those from the United States AND from China, and have learned so much more about myself. I recommend this trip to anyone who even thinks about studying abroad. It may seem like a lot of money to go on the trip, but it is the best experience that any money can ever buy.
Abbie Swoboda, aes5356@psu.edu, Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2013.
When people ask me about my trip to China, I don’t even know where to begin.
All of the words that I come up with never do justice to how truly
incredible it was. There isn’t any way that I can break down the trip
to a 10-minute conversation to fully explain how much fun we had and how
much we learned. As cliché as it may sound, the trip was life
changing. Traveling to China was my first international experience,
and not only did I learn about their country, but I learned a lot about my
own as well.
Steve Zoranski, swz5020@psu.edu, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Class of 2012
I’m a Junior in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, and I traveled to
China last summer as part of the ENGR 197 Class. I had never been to a
foreign country before, so I jumped at the opportunity to see what the
course had to offer. This being my first ever trip overseas, I had no idea
of what to expect, so I approached the trip with an open mind. I found that
China is a country that is constantly adapting to today’s modern world. We
toured wonders of the world such as the Great Wall, and we also visited
modern engineering companies such as GE and Huntsman. I will never forget
the experiences that I had in China. There are not many opportunities
at Penn State that allow you be in the company of so many important people
in a country half the world away. I recommend the class to anyone who is
willing to undertake a once in a lifetime experience.
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educated about this ever-challenging world of globalization, please contact
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