Global Learning Program Tutorial Goes to China

Over spring break, 15 first-year students travelled to China as part of a Global Learning Program (GLP) Tutorial titled “Memory, Identity, and Food Culture.” Led by Jin Feng, professor of Chinese, and Todd Armstrong, professor of Russian, the GLP class ate their way through four Chinese cities—Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, and Shanghai—while deepening their understanding of course themes in context. Along the way, they visited important cultural and historical sites, including a Buddhist temple, the Chinese National Silk Museum, and Nanjing University—to name a few. Oh, and did we mention the food?

Students with their luggage wait in line to check in at Delta counter

Check-in at the Des Moines airport

At the Des Moines International Airport, “Grinnell time” doesn’t apply. By 6 a.m., the GLP class was checked in and ready to go.

Group of Grinnellians rides the escalator up a floor.

Layover in Detroit

Layovers are better with other Grinnellians. At the airport in Detroit, students debated where to eat their last American meal for a week.

View out of the plane window catches the wing and a shadow of the plane on the clouds below.

Midflight to Shanghai

On the 15-hour flight from Detroit to Shanghai, students napped, ate, checked out the in-flight entertainment, and napped some more. Meanwhile, the plane arced over Canada, the polar ice caps, and Siberia before touching down in China.

Bus to Hangzhou

Highway rest stops included a mix of traditional vendors and Westernized shops. Some students chowed down on shredded shrimp and fried frogs; others sipped Starbucks.

Group walking between buildings at a paved pedestrian area

Arriving in Nanjing

Professor Feng leads students through the streets of Nanjing, a city known for its vibrant history—and salted duck.

Scorpions for street food

First snack in Shanghai: scorpion on a stick.

Two diners laughing while lifting eels with chopsticks. Table loaded with a variety of food.

Trying eel noodles in Hangzhou

At KuiYuanGuan, a 150-year-old noodle restaurant in Hangzhou, the pickier eaters of the group tried their first Chinese delicacy: fried eel.

Jin Feng and others drink green tea from clear cups

GLP class tries famous Dragon Well tea

At a teahouse outside Hangzhou, the GLP class sipped on Dragon Well green tea while learning about its history and nutritional benefits. After the demonstration, nearly everyone bought some of the famous tea to take home!

Diner holds small octopus over table wreathed in steam

Hot pot in Hangzhou

Extracting a baby octopus out from a bubbling hot pot with a pair of chopsticks is cause for celebration.

Group sits at round table set with fine dishes

Dinner at Hangzhou Cuisine Museum

After touring 5,000 years of Chinese food history at the Hangzhou Cuisine Museum, students enjoyed an exquisite meal prepared by chefs who cooked for the G20 summit in September 2016.

Grinnellians' varied coats stand out from behind a line of Chinese runners dressed in black and yellow coats.

Morning exercises at Nanjing school

Grinnellians jump in line for morning exercises while visiting Nanjing University’s affiliated high school.

Students share dishes with family style dining

Never-ending dinner in Nanjing

Even eating family-style, it’s hard to finish dinner when each table is served 30 plates!

Group shot in front of Nanjing University with right orange bikes to the side.

GLP at Nanjing University

The GLP class poses for a group photo at Nanjing University. This May, Grinnell and Nanjing University will celebrate 30 years of partnership between the two institutions.

Group, backs to trees, gaze to where Sadkowski is pointing.

GLP meets Grinnell-in-Nanjing fellow

Karol Sadkowski ’16, who is currently teaching English in China on the Nanjing Fellowship, showed off his school to the GLP class.

Bright lights and the outline of buildings against the dark sky above a crowded street

Night crowds in Confucius Temple district

The Confucius Temple district of Nanjing featured brilliant lights, abundant shopping opportunities, and overwhelming crowds.

Boat tour of Hangzhou’s West Lake

Even on an overcast day, Hangzhou’s West Lake is breathtaking. Students enjoyed a boat tour with local guide Cindy, who had this to say about her city: “Peking may be the capital, but Hangzhou is the heart of China.”

Group taking pictures of Lingyin Temple and its surroundings.

“Temple of the Soul’s Retreat”

Lingyin Temple is commonly translated as “Temple of the Soul’s Retreat.” At the historic Buddhist monastery, students witnessed the splendor of intricate stone carvings and opulent halls.

Group looking at small figure carved into a niche in a grotto wall

Buddhist carvings at Lingyin Temple

Buddhist carvings from the first millennium dotted the grottoes at Lingyin Temple.

Scarlet and Black umbrella sporting the Honor G mixes amongst the rest of the umbrellas on a rainy day.

Qinghefang Ancient Street

GC pride kept students dry on a rainy day in Hangzhou.

Pink buds and red foliage surrounding the lake.

Rural village in Jiangsu province

Bursts of spring color brightened up grey skies at a rural village in Jiangsu province.

Professor Feng translates Mandarin

Jin Feng, professor of Chinese, translated a conversation between GLP students and the manager of the award-winning KuiYuanGuan noodle restaurant.

Chinese National Silk Museum

The last day in Hangzhou included a trip to the Chinese National Silk Museum, which showcases the history, production, and culture of Chinese silk across eight exhibition halls.

Chinese National Silk Museum

The last day in Hangzhou included a trip to the Chinese National Silk Museum, which showcases the history, production, and culture of Chinese silk across eight exhibition halls.

Global Learning Program Tutorial Goes to China

Travel

The Food

Grinnell in Nanjing

Sights and Sounds

Learning with Global Context