Hopkins Students Spring into Spring Break China Trip

This spring break, 31 Hopkins Chinese students and four teachers voyaged to China and Taiwan, with stops

in Beijing, Xi’an, Changsha, and Taipei. Participating were able to immerse

themselves in Chinese and Taiwanese culture through trying authentic foods, visiting the Yali-Pecui school, and seeing many iconic Chinese and Taiwanese landmarks. According to Hopkins teacher and

trip organizer David Harpin, the trip allowed students to “deepen their knowledge

of China and Chinese culture” and “develop their global citizenship skills.” Lan Lin, Modern Language Department Head and one of the trip leaders, said, “I believe this trip significantly impacts our students,
offering them a broad spectrum of benefits that extend far beyond the classroom.”
Going into the experience students were most excited to learn more about Chinese culture, food, and language. Tai Candelario ’26 explained, “I signed up for the trip to just enrich my Chinese...and to also experi-
ence the culture as I’ve always been super interested in it.” Similarly, Arjun Agarwal ’26 said that he thought that it would be “a good opportunity to go and explore a new country and to see a new culture.” During their trip, students visited many different landmarks such as the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors, in addi-
tion to many other notable sights in modern Chinese cities. Lin said that exposure to China’s well known landmarks allowed students to “gain a deeper understanding of how tradition and innovation can coex-
ist and shape a nation.” Emma Yan ’24 said that her favorite landmark, was “the Summer Palace in Beijing.” Said Yan, “The architecture of the entire place was like nothing I’ve seen before.” When asked about their favorite Chinese monument, Candelario said, “A place that I was already looking forward to going before the trip was the site of the terracotta warriors.” Candelario explained that the terracotta warriors are replicas of soldiers in the Chinese army that were smashed by farmers trying to rebel
against their oppressive military. Today, the terracotta warriors are being pieced back together with modern technology. Nia McKeithen ’26 said, “One of my favorites was the Taiwan night market, which

is this super huge area of nightlife where they have all sorts of different stores.”

For participants, sampling local food was a key part of the trip. Said Lin, “The culinary explorations introduce
them to the diversity of Chinese cuisine, which is an essential aspect of cultural

appreciation.” According to Lin, students were exposed to many unique “culinary delights such as renowned Din Tai Fung soup dumplings, a dumpling banquet, Beijing Duck, and Hai Di Lao Hotpot.” When

asked about her favorite food, McKeithen said, “They had a lot of great foods but a

fan favorite among everyone was definitely the bao buns. My second favorite was probably xiaolongbao, which is also a type of dumpling and you can put different fillings in there and it can be meat, it can be red

bean paste — those are really good.” Yan said, “My favorite food was definitely the
dumplings in Xi’an.” Yan emphasized the sheer number of dumpling varieties: “We
tried 13 different types of dumplings there!” Hopkins students visited their sister school, Yali-Peicui, while on the trip. According to Lin, “Yali-Peicui [provided participants] with a unique perspective on
global education, fostering cross-cultural friendships and understanding.” Hendley
said, “Their school life is definitely a lot different from ours...All the activities they do they
have to work so hard at because it’s so competitive and all the kids, parents and teachers put so much

pressure on them.” Candelario agreed: “At Yali-
Peicui it was really interesting to see the classroom

dynamic and also the difference in the technology

that they had access to.” Another highlight of the trip for students was the

opportunity to speak Chinese in new contexts. Candelario stated, “There were a lot of opportunities to use Chinese and different Chinese that you would in a normal conversation.” According to Candelario,

“A big part of the trip was actually bargaining with people at shops, which used new

words that we had never heard before.” Participants emphasized the importance of cultural exchange.
Said Candelario, “I think it’s so important to get yourself in different cultures to just grow your own education and also your mindset and it’s really cool to see how other people live.” According to Lin, the
trip “[broadened student] horizons and preparing them for future global interactions.” Lin added that Hopkins students return from the China trip “with enhanced cultural sensitivity, a more profound understanding of global interconnectedness, and memories that will last a lifetime.”