Ciara Forsythe- Experience China, Huangshi, China

Experience China, 2023

“A wonderful life-changing experience.”

Moments to remember

Meeting the students from the Hubei Normal University was a really big highlight of the trip for me. Everyone was really friendly and I enjoyed meeting new people and learning about things such as how the university system works over there, and how they live their daily life.

Another highlight of the experience was during our visit to Huangshi, where we were waiting to enter a restaurant beside a lake. A group of us waited on a bridge and admired the beautiful view. It felt very atmospheric: a man fishing using shucks of corn and there was a woman practising a traditional Chinese dance. It was a really cool and memorable experience

Experiencing a new culture

There were always groups of people dancing together in the street and doing other activities together in large groups. China is also a lot more advanced in terms of technology: everyone pays by using their phones and many people do not even carry money with them anymore. Every hotel that we stayed in had robots and many restaurants as well.

Challenges faced

For me personally the biggest challenge was the weather. The weather in China is a lot warmer than in Northern Ireland, and I was worried I would not cope with the hot temperatures. However, the weather was more bearable than I thought it was going to be, during the hottest parts of the day we were inside where there was air conditioning and I eventually got used to the warmer temperatures outside as well.

Before travelling I was worried about the food as I was not an overly adventurous eater. All the food I had was amazing and I tried a lot more adventurous food than I thought, the experience has definitely expanded my food palette and I am more open to trying new foods and flavours.

Making new friends

I found it a lot easier than I expected. Everyone that I went on the trip with and everyone that I met at Hubei Normal University were all very friendly and welcoming.

Advice

I would encourage other students to take the opportunity if they get the chance even if they feel a bit apprehensive or nervous about it. I would also encourage them to embrace all the new experiences and cultures that travelling and studying abroad has to offer and to not be afraid of trying new things.