Beijing, China is famous for its Peking Duck. I ventured to a local restaurant that specializes in this exact dish to not only experience the dish for myself, but to also uncover what has allowed the Peking Duck to maintain its popular status besides the unique taste. I arrived at the restaurant one evening, and before I asked the waiter about the dish I was truly concerned he would name some cooking practices I wasn’t familiar with, but the waiter gave me an unexpected surprise; she led me to this fully glass box in the middle of the restaurant, and, inside this box, was the kitchen and the chef’s. I could see every step necessary to prepare the meal.
The waiter shared her opinion on why the dish has retained its demand over decades. She believes that the historical significance that dates back to the “imperial age” along with the overwhelming acknowledgement by the Beijing community in regards to the unique, wonderful taste, the Peking Duck will live on for centuries to come. She also believes that the process necessary to make the Peking Duck is so exquisite that it is easy to tell when the Duck is prepared properly, and I believe she is spot on. After looking at the unique process, I now understand that it is years of perfecting the process that has allowed the Peking duck to be one of the most delicious dishes I have had since I arrived in China.
One afternoon, as I was browsing through one of the many stores at Beijing’s Pearl Market, I saw two English-speaking natives walk into the store and comment on how they liked the variety of sports jerseys and athlete names that were hung up on the wall. As the store clerk walked up to these two gentleman, she intervened in their conversation by commenting on the quality of her products: “these are best that you will find, feel the material!” To my surprise, and even more to the store clerk, the two men used, what seemed to be fluent, Chinese to not only ask about the price for the hockey jersey, but also if she had certain sizes and teams. After they purchased some of the clerk’s products, I asked if they would answer a couple questions about living in China, and they agreed.
The two men granted me an interview that not only touched upon the distinct difference between being a minority in a rural and urban city in China, but also on their experience with the natives; an attitude that they believe should be adopted by Americans when they come across foreigners. They both agreed that the overall environment when it comes to the Chinese interacting with foreigners is a pleasant one. They both feel accepted into the community as minorities, and, they even feel even more appreciated when the natives learn that their Chinese is fluent. The only distinguishing factor between the relationship between two natives and that of a native and a foreigner is that the Chinese natives are in awe when they see a foreigner; this is especially true in rural areas where the people of those areas rarely—described by my Chinese teacher as once in 4 or 5 years—see foreigners. These specific encounters make them feel special.
I’d say I have to agree with them, because, during my time in the city of Xian, I also came across similar situations in which the natives enjoyed asking me questions about a life completely different than the ones they lived. Throughout my time here in China, I can strongly say that the Chinese have shown nothing but respect for me and my culture.
In recent weeks, several U.S. based news outlets have been covering a topic that has become increasingly popular amongst civilians due to the recent issue concerning North Korea’s government and their newly developed missile: Intellectual Property(IP). IP, to those who are not aware, is described by the World Intellectual Property Organization as “creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.” What is the relation between China’s IP practices and the U.S. government’s recent exchange with North Korea? The U.S. government insists on using trade and an investigation on their IP practices as leverage in order to incentive the Chinese government to intervene into North Korea’s recent progress with their missile program that has proven to be a formidable threat to the U.S. as of late. What does a possible investigation on IP theft mean to the Chinese who use these “stolen” products on a daily basis? Let’s ask them.
After interviewing several Beijing natives on how they felt about this possible investigation on products so vital to their everyday lives, there were nearly identical thoughts and feelings shared amongst the interviewees. One of the initial reactions of the native speakers to the topic was that they felt that there was a possibility that if the U.S. government’s suspicion yields merit, then, in the upcoming years, they and their fellow countrymen wouldn’t have the opportunities to flourish in the advanced society that they have had for so long. Their concern stems from the fact that they are aware that if the investigation falls through, then the Chinese companies that allow nearly the entire population to benefit from all sorts of up-to-date technology won’t exist, and, therefore, the affordable, advanced lifestyle to many has instantly become a lifestyle granted to only the wealthiest within the population; they are forced to buy over-priced American bred products.
This issue truly seems to not only affect government officials, but will also affect over a billion civilians—an entire population. This affair is merely one component of many, so, if you considered this topic interesting, then I encourage you to look into this topic more because this war on IP theft between the U.S. and China, although recently becoming popular, dates as far back as 2015.
Every weekday, we get the opportunity to practice our Chinese one-one-one for nearly an hour with one of our instructors. These sessions are very informal, and while they are meant to reinforce the grammar and vocabulary we have learned that day, they often turn into interesting conversations about friends, activities, politics, social media, and anything else that we feel like talking about – just like I would have a conversation in English with my American friends. Our second-year Chinese instructors are young, smart and interesting, and are always willing to discuss complicated topics with us. Here are five things I’ve learned from these conversations:
1. The American Dream and the Chinese Dream are extremely opposite. In America, personal opportunity is paramount, and we’re told that if you work hard enough, you, personally, can be extremely successful. However, in China, the success of the country is much more important than the needs of individuals. Even Chinese children are taught that they should not work hard for their own money and success, but rather to better China at large. This idea of sacrificing personal glory is much less common in the United States. However, while this cultural belief is definitely different, that doesn’t mean the people are very different – Chinese people want to provide for their families and feel proud of their successes, and Americans have a lot of patriotism and place a lot of importance and value on service.
2. In some ways related to my above point, discipline is extremely important in China. Every college student does at least a week or two of mandatory military training (i.e. physical training, learning how to properly make a bed and fold clothes, being yelled at by the equivalent of drill sergeants). Many Chinese primary and secondary schools have a rigorous class schedule in addition to daily physical training – many of my Chinese friends recount running around their school’s track in formation every morning while repeating some book knowledge. This discipline can be seen further in the strict parental guidance that is common in Chinese households – children must learn to be disciplined in how they manage their time, often placing extreme importance on grads and sacrificing all other activities to focus on school and homework every day. From a young age, Chinese people often must put their work and duties above their own desires and are taught to listen and heed the instructions of authority. There is MUCH less room to ask “why?” or question authority in China – from children to their parents to citizens to their government.
3. Perceptions of North Korea and Russia are completely different. In America, those countries are perceived as scary or bad, but that’s not necessarily the case in China. In fact, many Chinese people like to visit North Korea because they think it’s interesting or funny to see inside the secretive country! As an American, I would never even consider venturing into North Korea, but to Chinese people, the idea isn’t too uncommon.
4. Public safety is completely different in China. Before entering campus every day, I had to show my ID card to a guard at one of the four gate entrances. As an American, my initial, natural reaction was that this was to prevent bad people from getting on to campus, i.e. school shooters. However, it wasn’t until I took a minute to think about it that I realized threats like school shootings generally don’t happen in China. Private citizens are not allowed to have guns or weapons of any type, and punishments for crimes such as murder are generally harsher than in America. Additionally, China has not faced the terrorist threats in attacks that have been on the rise in America and Europe; while the police watch and monitor for those events very closely, from what I know the only terror threats they face are from small groups from the more rural eastern China. I felt very safe in Beijing, even when walking alone on the streets at night, which to be completely honest I can’t say about most of the American cities or towns I’ve been to.
5. There is an incredible blend of tradition and modernism throughout China, especially in big cities. China is a huge country with a storied history, which can clearly be showcased in the architecture and preserved parks in the cities, but also much more modern than I expected, which can be seen in things like modern buildings and public transportation, but even smaller things such as how people use WeChat or AliPay (phone apps) to purchase virtually everything in the city. This divide between old and new is also evidenced in the people’s attitudes and values – many people hold more traditional or “old-school” views about things such as marriage, homosexuality, and filial duty; however, at the same time, many people, especially young people, are becoming increasingly open-minded and aren’t much different from young people you might meet in America. I definitely didn’t not expect the level of modernism that I saw in Beijing, and I think this dichotomy of tradition and modernism will only continue to grow and change in the future.
As I boarded my Seattle plane headed for Beijing nearly two months ago, I was, to be honest, a little terrified. I nervously clutched my purse as I handed over my ticket to the airline worker, too anxious to say even a simple “你好” (“hello”) to the flight attendants as I found my seat. This was my first time I was to leave the safety and comfort of America, and was headed to a country that not only a 15 hour difference in time from home but also, I suspected, extreme differences in language, culture, and customs.
Little did I know that, even so far from my small town in the deserts of Southern California, I would find a new home and a new community in the bustling city of Beijing. After landing in Beijing, Notre Dame program directors and teachers immediately helped me find my way to campus, carry my luggage to my room, and asked several times if they could help me find dinner or any toiletries I needed. Despite being surrounded by an unfamiliar cityscape, I immediately felt welcomed and taken care of by the Notre Dame staff/professors here for the summer Notre Dame in Beijing program.
I continued to feel the comfort of the Notre Dame community as I started classes and got more accustomed to the city. My classmates have diverse backgrounds, majors, and interests, but there is immediate camaraderie in being able to joke about our Notre Dame dorm experiences, commiserating about the workload and pressure of being a Notre Dame student (even during this summer program!), and of course, getting excited about the nearing football season and return to campus. Even in an unfamiliar city, having the Notre Dame “family” made me feel comfortable, and they are they best people with whom to explore Beijing!
Beyond just my twelve classmates plus instructors, this Notre Dame community here is broadened by the Beijing Global Gateway. The Gateway is, according to Notre Dame’s website, “provide academic and intellectual hubs where scholars, students, and leaders from universities, government, business, and community gather to discuss, discover, and debate issues of topical and enduring relevance”. Basically, it connects Notre Dame students to people and opportunities in China and greater Asia, as well as connects people, businesses, and leaders to the Notre Dame campus. While we were here, the Global Gateway hosted a large event (which included a welcome event and a fabulous lunch) to which every person in Beijing connected to the university was invited – current student studying abroad or interning in Beijing, ND graduates who live in Beijing, current students who are from Beijing, incoming students from Beijing and their parents, professors in Beijing, and other friends of the university. It was impressive to see how large the ND network is half a world away from the physical ND campus. The event made me feel lucky and proud to be part of a university that is internationally respected and connected, and really made me excited about all of the opportunities that the Notre Dame “family” – including the international community – presents.
Attendees of the Notre Dame Beijing Global Gateway event
Notre Dame has some of the most intelligent, interesting, kind, and accomplished people in its community – including students, professors, and alumni. Being a part of this program has reminded me of this. Ye Laoshi, a Chinese professor at Notre Dame and our resident program director here, sacrificed seeing his son’s birth (which happened just a week ago!) to serve us in this program. Another instructor, Huang Laoshi, accompanied and stayed with one of my classmates at the hospital when she caught the flu, then continuously checked up on her until she was feeling better. My instructors and classmates always take time to really ask how I am doing, and I feel comfortable asking for help with any matter, no matter how small. The people here go above and beyond to challenge us in the classroom, as well as provide a support network out of class as we explore this new country.
Notre Dame in Beijing students and instructors, plus a couple of other ND students working in different ND Beijing summer programs!
These experiences have reminded me why I chose this program over other summer programs – not just for the outstanding Chinese instruction and improvement in my language skills, but also for the people. I constantly feel grateful to be a part of the Notre Dame community, and even this far away from our beautiful campus, I still feel connected to that community – to me, that is a very special and unique thing!
My time in the Venice of the North is nearing its end, so I am trying to check off the St. Petersburg bucket list, so to speak. It is amazing how it seems that the more time you spend in a city, the less time there is to do everything you hope for. I have sometimes spent less than a day or two in a city and thought that I had seen most all of what I wanted to see. Even with six weeks in Saint Petersburg, I feel that I would need months more to see and experience everything. There are still numerous museums I have not visited, and I have only seen a few sections outside of the city center.
Yesterday, I was able to see three of my desired locations. First, I finally went inside of the Kazan Cathedral, a huge church, just a block away from the university, modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Unlike many of the large, old Orthodox churches in Russia, it still is a functioning church; most, having been shut down by the Soviets, act today only as museums. Pictures were not allowed, but it was enough for me simply to go inside and experience its beauty.
Next, I saw the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood, the massive church in the old-Russian style built on the location where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. It is one of the signature sights in St. Petersburg, as is St. Basil’s in Moscow, but I had yet to actually go inside. It was worth the wait. As with St. Isaac’s Cathedral I visited earlier, practically every inch of wall and ceiling was covered in ornate mosaics and paintings. What particularly stood out is the shrine in the back of the church on the exact spot where Alexander II was assassinated (or rather, attacked; he died in the Winter Palace).
The interior of the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood
Lastly, I finally saw the bridges go up. St. Petersburg is a city built on rivers and canals—hence, the nickname “Venice of the North” or “the Russian Venice.” St. Petersburg is also a port city. Every night, around 1 or 2 a.m., the bridges on the Neva River all go up—they are all drawbridges. This sight, almost completely unique among major cities, was amazing to behold. I stood on the bank between the Dvortsey (Palace) and Troitsky (Trinity) bridges, the two most famous in the city. With this view here of the троицкий мост (Troitsky most), I felt I had finally become a Peterburger.
I have studied Chinese since my sophomore year in high school. That’s approximately 4 years of strenuous character writing, pronunciation drilling, and seemingly endless grammar patterns. The every day vocabulary quizzes and chapter tests were always stressful. If I had a penny for every time my roommate has said “oh my gosh, Cat, how much Chinese homework do you have? I left two hours ago and you were still writing Chinese characters!” I would be richer than Bill Gates. However, when I received the opportunity to come to Beijing and study at the prestigious Peking University, I was thrilled. The reason I study Mandarin is so that one day I can be as fluent as native speakers and can potentially find work in Shanghai or Beijing.
You can imagine my disappointment when as soon as I arrive in Beijing, I have to be rushed to the hospital because I found out I am allergic to MSG. For those not familiar with MSG, it’s as common as salt is in American food. Yeah. Imagine being allergic to salt. It’s not fun. My entire face was covered with red dots. I was so embarrassed I wore the my navy blue Yankees hat 24/7 until the doctor’s medication finally worked and the dots were gone.
After that, I said to myself, “okay, Cat. You got illness out of the way. At least it wasn’t something serious.” Psyched myself out; just you wait. Because everything in China has MSG in (probably even the air has MSG in it), I could barely eat anything. My mom and doctor were extremely worried, so they asked me to go back to the hospital and get a blood test to make sure I didn’t develop anemia. So back to the hospital I went. Apparently, I wasn’t getting enough nutrition, so I had to open up a Chinese bank account and download an app called “饿了吗?” which translates to “are you hungry?”. On the app, I could order Western style food on my phone and have it delivered to my dorm building.
Okay, so now I have been to the hospital twice. Just you wait; we’re not done yet. Three weeks before the end of the program, I start feeling my throat itch and my head hurt. I thought nothing of it, but 15 minutes into my first class, I could not stop coughing. I was in so much pain, that I was rushed to the hospital for the third time. I waited there for 3 hours before the doctor (who already knew me on a first name basis at this point) gave me some DayQuill and told me to get some rest. Turns out it wasn’t just a cold– it was bronchitis. I went to the doctor 3 times that week, until they finally prescribed me 5 different types of medication. That week was definitely not fun.
So after all of that, I just have one question: why does China hate me?! All I want is to practice my Chinese and enjoy Chinese culture!
Of course, while all of these experiences were real, I am just joking. I know China doesn’t actually hate me. Since I have been here, I have received nothing but love and compassion, especially from all of my new teachers. While I was sick, they would all take turns texting me and making sure I was alright and asking me if I needed anything. I can’t wait to come back to China soon; hopefully I won’t have to go to the hospital!
If you are going to Beijing, you definitely cannot miss out on Beijing Kaoya, a.k.a. Beijing roasted duck, my favorite Beijing dish. Originally a dish that was exclusively served to the emperors of China in the Ming Dynasty, Beijing Kaoya gained popularity among the affluent class of society during the Qing Dynasty, then among the rest of China during the 19th century to eventually become a quintessential Chinese dish that attracts not only Chinese locals but also tourists from all over the world. Since then Beijing Kaoya has not only become an iconic dish of Chinese cuisine, but also a part of the people’s national pride.
The most distinctive feature of Beijing Kaoya is its crispy skin that is served on top of thin slices of meat. Diners usually coat the skin with sugar and garlic sauce to enjoy the combination of crisp, sweet, and sour. At the same time, diners also wrap the meat pieces in a small steamed crepe (chūn bǐng) with thin slices of cucumber, spring onion, a sweet bean sauce and devour the wrap by hand.
photo of Top China Travel
The dish utilizes every part of the duck; nothing goes to waste when preparing Beijing Kaoya! After the skin and the meat have been trimmed, the remaining parts of the duck (bones, fat, tendons, etc.) are usually used with ginger and a kind of vegetable to make a tasty broth, which is served at the end of the meal. I especially like the broth because it washes away the after-taste of duck skin at the end.
ducks are hung on hooks and roasted in a brick oven
Beijing Kaoya is also special for its preparation and presentation process. After the duck has been hand-plucked and washed, air is pumped underneath the duck’s skin to perfectly separate its skin from its fat layers. This process is crucial to prevent the skin from tasting like fat, a crucial characteristic of the dish. Then the duck is soaked in boiling water, glazed in maltose syrup, and hung to dry on a rack for 24 hours before being roasted in a brick oven. I was surprised to learn from my server that the preparation method of Beijing Kaoya has not changed at all since it was served to Chinese emperors in the 14th century.
Diners may also find the presentation process exciting. A server would present the whole roasted duck on a cart, trim the skin, slice the meat, and organize the goods on a plate right before their eyes.
While we have been in Beijing, the Chinese government announced that it would soon begin cracking down on the use of VPNs in the country. For those who do not know, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that allows many Chinese internet users to bypass China’s Great Firewall, which restricts the content that users’ Chinese users can access. For example, without VPNs, while in China, you cannot access foreign news outlets, search engines like Google, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. This issue is both cultural and political in nature. For one, without VPNs, the government can censor what information Chinese citizens have access to, so they will only see positive news about the government’s activity. Also, Chinese people will essentially be cutoff from the rest of the world. Social media plays a key role in the Western world. It is a way to communicate, share ideas, spread news, etc.
Chinese people seen to be mostly upset with the loss of social connection. Younger people I spoke with expressed how they were disappointed that they would no longer be able to use Instagram and Twitter. Generally speaking, they were not upset that they would not receive uncensored news about their government. Chinese people do not seem to have the mindset that many Americans have where you question everything the government does. However, hundreds of thousands of people will be affected by this government action, both Chinese internet users and rest of the world who will no longer feel their presence.
As part of the program tuition we pay to attend the Notre Dame in Beijing program, we are funded to have lunch with our classmates and instructors at “Chinese Language Table” every Friday, as well as take weekend trips to places like the Great Wall of China, Beijing museums, and classic Beijing acrobatics shows. Our longest weekend trip happened halfway through our program when we had the opportunity to visit Xi’an – an extremely historic city west of Beijing – for three full days.
Xi’an is best known for having the Terracotta warriors, but this city really has a wealth of activities, history, and interesting people. Xi’an is widely considered one of the most historical cities in China as it served as the cultural, political, and economic center of China for thousands of years, with history dating back 5000 or 6000 years. Qin Shihuang, the emperor who unified China into one nation in 210 B.C., lived and built his empire in Xi’an, and many following dynasties also ruled from Xi’an. Additionally, Xi’an was the eastern-most point on the ancient Silk Road which connected regions across ancient Eurasia that was crucial for trade and the spread of culture and ideas. Here are just a few of the amazing things I got to experience on this trip:
The first night we arrived, we were treated to a lively demonstration of Xi’an’s thriving and lively nightlife. While walking through a downtown plaza near Big Goose Pagoda, a famous historic temple area, we were surrounded by huge crowds of people walking and enjoying the night, as well as several groups dancing. They each their own speakers and seemed to have several people who knew what they were doing; we excitedly joined in and tried to keep up with the various steps. Some of the groups were keeping fast Zumba-like paces, others seemed to be doing slower, more traditional moves, and one group was completely comprised of elderly dancers waving umbrellas and fans and moving in a coordinated maze-like dance. There were many locals and tourists alike wandering through the plaza, enjoying the dances, and soaking in the city’s atmosphere. Even late into the night, the city was bustling with traffic and energy!
Dancers in a central Xi’an plaza; Big Goose Pagoda, a local attraction, can be seen in the left background. Xi’an was lively at all times of day and night!
Of course, probably the most famous Xi’an attraction is the Terracotta warriors. These thousands of clay figures, each, incredibly, different in facial expression and clothing, were built to guard Qin Shihuang’s (China’s first emperor) tomb and accompany him to the afterlife. There are also horses, chariots, swords, arrow tips, and other weapons that have been excavated; while almost all of these figures and objects are dull gray today, patches of paint hint at once brightly colored clothes. Archaeologists estimate there to be 8,000 figures, but the total may never be known, and archaeologists are still in the process of unearthing the artifacts in four different “pit” areas. The sheer scale of the project – the number of warriors, the detail put into each clay figure, as well as the size of the sites in which they are buried – is extremely impressive, but perhaps the most interesting aspect of the whole thing to me was how long they went undiscovered. Emperor Qin died in 208 BC, but the figures were not discovered until the 1970s! Another fascinating aspect of this site is Emperor Qin’s actual mausoleum. It took archaeologists years to locate his burial site (it seems the terracotta warriors did an outstanding job of guarding their emperor), and it still has not been opened as archaeologists believe we do not have the proper tools and techniques to get in without damaging the tomb. Qin’s tomb is expected to contain ever greater riches and more impressive figures and carvings. This site is a testament to the power and grandeur of ancient Chinese emperors, as well as the intelligence and creativity of humans to have created and hid such a stunning project for so many years.
The main pit containing the clay figures; way bigger and more impressive than I expected!Our NDiB group before entering the first Terracotta Warrior pit
A projection of what Emperor Qin’s city in Xi’an might have looked like; all of this has been destroyed or buried by today. The terracotta warrior pits can be seen on the left side of the model.
We also had the opportunity to bike along the Xi’an city wall. In ancient China, most cities had walls enclosing the main city to serve as protection from invaders and other outsiders, but today many have been destroyed or knocked down. Xi’an’s is one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved city walls. It took a couple of hours to bike the entire length of the wall, along which you could see many ramparts, ancient watchtowers, and one “archery tower” which provided protection to one of the gates of the wall. In ancient times, the wall had a moat, drawbridges, watch towers, corner towers, parapet walls and gate towers; today, some of these features have been removed or decayed. Regardless, the ride was a really incredible time to imagine the history of the city while observing the new modern buildings and construction inside the walls – as well as get my body moving and enjoying a truly beautiful day in the city!
Our group before splitting up to exploreA view from my bicycle
In true Chinese fashion, every meal was a big and communal. My classmates and I joke that we didn’t have time to feel hungry for even a moment on the trip, since we were always given so much good food! We got to try many traditional Xi’an and Chinese dishes, including mutton soup and biang biang noodles. Before eating the mutton soup, you are given two pieces of flatbread which you must then tear into hundreds of small pieces, to which the server adds a special meat and broth. The bread absorbs the broth, and you are left with a special and extremely tasty stew! Biang biang noodles are also a famous, special treat – they are thick, belt-like noodles that are specially made in Xi’an. The “biang” character is the considered the most complex in the Chinese language, and most Chinese people do not know how to write it! My favorite fact about these tasty noodles is why they were named – according to our server at the noodle restaurant we tried, they are called “biang biang” because that is the sound that can be heard as the noodles are being flapped and stretched as they are created, as well as when they are being slurped up and enjoyed by hungry people like our group!
I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to get out of Beijing and explore a different side of China with my classmates. I am constantly fascinated and impressed by the vast history of this country, as well as modern developments; my weekend in Xi’an was a fantastic opportunities to explore both new and old Chinese culture.
If you are going to Beijing, you definitely cannot miss out on Beijing Kaoya, a.k.a. Beijing roasted duck, my favorite Beijing dish. Originally a dish that was exclusively served to the emperors of China in the Ming Dynasty, Beijing Kaoya gained popularity among the affluent class of society during the Qing Dynasty, then among the rest of China during the 19th century to eventually become a quintessential Chinese dish that attracts not only Chinese locals but also tourists from all over the world. Since then Beijing Kaoya has not only become an iconic dish of Chinese cuisine, but also a part of the people’s national pride.
