Two Weeks in China

Assistant Professor of Social Science John Mackey led CGS students on a tour of the People’s Republic of China last spring. Collegian asked him to report on the trip:

The members of the 2010 CGS China Trip—12 travelers in all—touched down in Beijing on a hot Wednesday morning in May. Two members of the CGS faculty, nine students, and one parent were about to experience perhaps the most astonishing and fascinating two weeks of their lives.

The 2010 trip, sponsored by the Social Science Division, was a whirlwind tour through some of the most renowned highlights of the world’s most populous nation. By coach, train, and airplane, the CGS adventurers visited major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, took a relaxing boat tour of beautiful West Lake, and explored the mountainous region surrounding quirky Yangshuo.

The CGS group found a dizzying array of attractions awaiting them in China, both ancient and modern. They walked the Great Wall, visited the Forbidden City, viewed the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, experienced the peacefulness of a Buddhist temple, and were dazzled by the fast-paced nightlife of Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Whether sampling local cuisines, bicycling through the countryside, exploring museums, taking a river cruise, touring the Beijing Olympic Village, or taking Chinese cooking lessons, the members of the 2010 CGS China Trip were continuously fascinated, challenged, and delighted. It was truly a trip to remember. For information about future CGS trips to China, contact Associate Professor John McGrath or Assistant Professor John Mackey of the Social Science Division.

—John Mackey