Problems without Passports in China
By Anna Lipscomb ‘19
There is something about being abroad - whether it’s for a few days or a few months - that changes the way you view the world. It’s the new sights, sounds, smells, and experiences you encounter every moment that stick with you and constantly remind you that there is always more to explore.
The beautiful view from my airplane window
I just got back from a two-week trip to China as a part of EASC’s Problems without Passports Global East Asia program. Our group consisted of 8 other students, myself, and Professor Sheehan, and we spent two weeks at USC learning about China, globalization, and consumerism, and then two more researching and sightseeing in China. We visited four cities - Beijing, Hebi, Zhengzhou, and Shanghai.
Our first stop was Beijing. Even though I was still a bit jet-lagged from the flight, the adrenaline pumped through my veins as I took in the massive city. I was amazed by the eccentric architecture, such as the Bird’s Nest stadium and “bubble” building (Beijing National Aquatics Center). There was so much diversity in the types of buildings - you may see historic, traditional buildings and architecture one on side of the road but a modern skyscraper on the other.
The Olympic Bird’s Nest stadium
Over the next few days, we visited different sites - the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, the Temple of Heaven, the Olympic Bird’s Nest, just to name a few. We also had the chance try Chinese foods - such as hot pot, Peking duck, and green tea ice cream (which became a Global East Asia favorite). My favorite part of Beijing, however, was making new Chinese friends. Since Professor Sheehan knew a professor at Beijing Capital Normal University, we were connected with some of the graduate students there who assisted us with our fieldwork by taking us around Beijing to shopping areas such as Wangfujing, Xidan, and Nan Luo Gu Xiang. They also taught us how to navigate our way through the Beijing metro, use WeChat (a Chinese social networking app), and order food at a Beijing food court (at Xidan, we had to get lunch cards, which were supposed to speed up the ordering lines and food process - I don’t know how we would’ve done it without our new friends’ help). Since my research group was observing the use of celebrity endorsements by athletic brands, the students were of extra help to us by identifying Chinese celebrities featured in stores.
Me at the Ming Tombs near Beijing
Working with the Beijing students also gave me the opportunity to practice my Chinese. Even though I had only finished one semester of Chinese before the trip, I found that I was still able to communicate with them. One of the girls even showed me around her university, which ended up being a really cool experience because of how different it was from back home. For example, one side of the hall was classrooms and the other was professors’ offices. Since one of her classes only had two students, she and her classmate would have class in the office.
After the first day of fieldwork, we had dinner with the Beijing Capital Normal students. They helped us pick popular Chinese dishes and showed us how to eat them.
After Beijing, we took a high-speed train from Beijing to Hebi (at one point it was going nearly 300 km/h). We expected to find a “ghost city” (a city with many new buildings that are empty). Although this true to a certain extent, especially in the newer part of the city, we were surprised to find that our hotel was next door to a new, bustling shopping center with bright lights, high-end stores, and even a movie theater! There was also a nearby Pizza Hut that I hardly recognized because of its restaurant-like appearance and extensive menu (in China, many Western fast food chains market themselves as stylish and family-friendly - but they didn’t even have cheese pizza at this Pizza Hut!). That being said, we did go out of our comfort zone and explore into the older part of Hebi, where the buildings and shops appeared more dated and rough, which reminded us of the economic and social disparities that still exist.
A shopping area in the older part of Hebi
This little city had more surprises - while strolling in a pedestrian park, we found a building with a striking resemblance to Big Ben. Complete with the rainy weather and Big Ben, I almost felt like I was in London. It was the strangest thing - walking in a small city that is absent from most maps and suddenly finding a Big Ben. Oh, the beauty of globalization.
On the bus ride between Hebi and Zhengzhou, we stopped near the Yellow River and looked at basically the Chinese Mount Rushmore. Zhengzhou was similar to Hebi, except bigger. The traffic was also more chaotic, so we mostly relied on the metro. We found some familiar places - Walmart, McDonald’s, Haagen Dasz - as well as our new Chinese favorites like green tea ice cream and hot pot. The thing that made the biggest impression on me in Zhengzhou was when we were walking around the city one night looking for dinner. It seemed like everyone - young and old - were out. There were women doing zumba on the street, children sitting and watching TV outside of an electronics store, vendors selling goods and street food… So simple, yet so alive.
Last, but certainly not least, was Shanghai - my favorite city in the world. Our first night, we went to the Bund, which is by the river and overlooks Pudong. We called Pudong “Tomorrowland” because of how beautiful, bright, and futuristic it looks at night. I couldn’t believe that the city’s skyline had been constructed during my lifetime. The next day, we visited Pudong and saw the aerial view from the Shanghai World Financial Center (or what we call the “bottle opener building”). Travel tip: Rather than paying an exorbitant amount for an observatory tour, go to the Park Hyatt restaurant on the 93rd floor and buy a nice cup of tea while enjoying the view. You’re welcome.
View at the Bund
Being in China for those two weeks strengthened my inspiration and motivation to keep learning Chinese and hopefully return someday to work or study. It brought me together with other USC students who are also passionate about China, and allowed me to explore beyond the metropolises and into the lives of the common Chinese people - from the father and son in Xun County running an inn, to an old grandmother near Yunmeng Mountain who invited us into her courtyard.
Traveling and experiencing China allowed me to learn about myself by meeting new people, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, learning to view the world from a new perspective… and realizing that this is just one of many adventures that I will have during my time at USC. I hope that you will find them as well. Fight on!
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