OVERALL INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION
How has this trip increased my knowledge of China
I've always thought that Shanghai(China) will be a place where there is absolutely no western buildings there. However, on the second day, Mr Huang brought us to the Bund which extended for 1.5 km on the shore of the Huangpu river. There is a total of 52 tall buildings of various heights over the river along the western side of the bund. As you can see, China does not only consists old Chinese architecture, it also has some modern western elements. The Bund area is considered by many in Shanghai to be a root to the past and an ancient treasure to be preserved. During the concession time many foreigners, especially the British, built up bank headquarters in art deco, rococo, and baroque styles, importing a wide catalogue of examples of western architecture. In fact in Singapore, there are museums and places with western elements so I feel that they are about the same. Thus, from this trip to the bund, I have increased my knowledge of the view of the architecture of Shanghai (China) -- it not only has ancient Chinese architecture style, there are also modern western elements in it.
Secondly, our tour guide Mr Huang, no matter how tired he was, he never fails to introduce about the place we are going to. On the fifth day, we went to Zhejiang University and from there, I learn that now, the Chinese in China are trying to change the 'made in China' to 'design in China' , implying of their innovative skills. This trip has significantly taught me a lot. Back in Singapore, we always see some souvenirs which have a 'made in China' sign at the back, so I thought that the Chinese of China would want to increase the production of these signs. Never have I thought that they are trying to change this phenomenon! From this, I felt that China is a country that not only cares about the old and ancient cultures, but always wants innovative. This has greatly change my view and increase my knowledge of China.
Lastly, from the trip to Wenmiao road, the prices of the goods are relatively cheap and we can also bargain the prices. However, does the lower prices necessary mean a lower cost of living in China? In the bus, Mr Huang shared with us that the cost of living in China is no cheap. For example, the price per square meter to buy an apartment in city centre costs S$9720 (48,600.00 ¥). It's very expensive! While in Hangzhou, it is equally as expensive -- price per square meter to buy an apartment in city centre is S$7700 (38,500.00 ¥) . Mr Huang even said that, a lot of people worked for their whole life, and can't even afford a toilet! My dream of buying a big house in China just crushed... Actually, in Singapore, it is even more expensive that one couldn't even afford half a toilet. It is S$17 709! I think that for the rest of my life, my main goal is to earn money. I am proud to be a Singaporean, even though the price of living in Singapore is very high, it signifies how Singapore has progressed through these years, like China.
From this trip, this has certainly increased my knowledge of China. Once a fishing village too, but now has grown to a 'money country'. I have seen its rapid growth and development.
What did the Chinese did to preserve and promote their culture? What can Singapore learn from China?
In this trip, we, the 2J'ollybeans went to various places and saw a lot of their rich Chinese cultures which really captures our attentions. At that time, I wondered, how is the Chinese able to preserve their old heritage and promote their cultures? As the time passes by and modernisation takes place, many of the old are replaced by the new. The new things are there to provide better living standards for the people, with functions which the old does not possess. A lot of countries have already been 'modernized', but how did China preserve her heritage and promote their cultures? Well, many Chinese there have been in love with their old buildings, and will not allow the government to demolish their homes. As we sat on the bus and scanned through the windows, there are a lot of run-down buildings. However, instead of being disgusted, I was truly mesmerized about how China looks like. Although not much modernization, I, as a tourists, can deeply feel the rich histories and cultures of China that cannot be removed. We went to Qibao Ancient town, and the admission is free for all. As its name given, this is really a place with rich cultures. Its formation can be traced back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, to the Northern Song Dynasty. The name comes from the local temple, "Qibao Temple".Today, Qibao is a tourist attraction, in the area known as Qibao Old Street by the Puhui River with traditional Chinese architecture and a number of attractions, including museums and street food. The aisle is very narrow and people might get lost in the crowds. As we walked though the crowds, we were packed like sardines. There are a lot of foreigners (besides us). I even hear that someone announcing in the speaker about a missing child. You can see how many people are attracted to it. The admission is free and I saw the goods they sold-- they reminded me about cultures of China. This tourist attraction, attracts tourists here to feel that rich Chinese cultures and buy goods that reminds them of China's history. I feel that Singapore can also learn from China. I agree that there are museums that introduce people of the Chinese cultures, but people are not attracted to museums even though it is free. I feel that Singapore should promote Chinatown more, even more than Sentosa or Universal Studios. Chinatown, an ancient shopping place, can indeed attract foreigners and promote our Chinese cultures.
PROPOSAL
Improvement to Singapore Education System
We went to Shanghai Nanyang High School on the third day of our trip. I felt quite ashamed to be late. As we went there, we were formed to our CID groups and our buddies came. They apologized for being late as they were released late. I was quite surprised that our buddies can speak English fluently. At the same time, I guess some of us also felt quite embarrassed. Our buddies can converse in Chinese fluently, and in their education system, they have to learn English. However, we, Chinese too, although can speak well in English, we don't usually converse in our mother tongue which is Chinese. In our multi-racial Singapore, we should be able to converse in both languages easily and fluently, but we didn't. Even the Chinese students, who speak Chinese very fluently, can even converse in English. As they were surprised that we can talk a little Chinese, I felt very ashamed of myself. Why? We are also Chinese! Besides, we are from an SAP school which Chinese is thought to be superb there! Thus, I feel that some improvements to our Singaporean education system is to recognize the Chinese language more. I heard that in O levels we don't need to sit for Chinese examination if we hit a certain grade. I feel that there should be some amendments to it. How can we not study Chinese? It's like we can stop studying maths and going for maths examination if we hit a certain grade. It's weird, isn't it?
My group went to a classroom where the students are currently having their English lesson. I was quite surprise that the teacher called the student to answer a question by their Christian name even though the students didn't have any. I guess their English teacher probably helped them think of a Christian name. I feel that this is a very good plan. The students will be immersed in the 'English environment', where not only the class is taught in English, but also their name identity. I feel that in Singapore, as we are all learning Malay as our third-language, probably our Malay teacher can give us a Malay name? I feel that this improvement will influence students to a great step in their foreign studies.
DURING THE TRIP
Day 1
We, 2Jollibeans, departed from Singapore to Shanghai. It was my first time boarding a plane without my parents but with my fellow classmates.
After approximately five hours of flight, we landed in 上海浦东国际机场。Although we arrived Shanghai an hour late, the tour guide, 黄导, patiently waited for us at the pick up area and explained some of their Chinese history and culture in the bus while on our way to our first dinner in Shanghai. He mentioned that we should always carry our bags in the front due to safety reasons such as preventing things from being stolen from our bags. When I looked out of the bus, I see many sky scrapers and city lights, showing how developed Shanghai is. Soon, we arrived at the restaurant where we will be having our first meal. We realized that we were the only ones in the restaurant. 黄导 explained to us that restaurants usually closed at 8pm. There was such a wide spread of food that our table could not finish it! I was scared that this would give the restaurant owners the impression that we Singaporeans like to waste food. Nevertheless, it was a scrumptious meal. Each table shouted out a unique "大家吃!" And we started eating. After filling our stomachs, we finally get to our hotel to have a short debrief, and wash up and rest. Most of my friends were homesick. Although I felt the same too, I did not show it in my face. For the first night, before I went upstairs, I sent my parents photos of what we did on the first day.
What I hope from this trip is to learn the culture and traditions of China. Also, we can learn life values such as independence and teamwork.
DAY 2
Today we went to the main places of interest in Shanghai. Firstly, we visited the temple of 城隍 and were told the story of his achievements by our tour guide. The Chenghuangmiao is a temple dedicated to the spirit of Jinshan, located within the old walled city of Shanghai. I learnt about rules in when you go to temples to worship. For example, when we enter them, we are supposed to enter by the side doors instead of the main one, and we have to go over the step in the entrance instead of stepping on it which I stepped at first. My friend, Amelia, said with a serious look on her face that we are not supposed to do that as it shows disrespect to the gods. Absolutely no camera with flash as it is said to capture the gods' souls into the cameras! We were given some time to wander about Chenghuangmiao. We were allowed to shop, not forgetting that we have to go in groups. I bought egg painting and name hidden poems from there as I think they were not found in Singapore. The shop owner did a poem right on the spot after I gave him my name! We had a great time following and bargaining prices with our top bargainer, Yiki. I had learnt the key to bargaining is to tell the vendor that you would not buy their goods after they reject the prices you offered. The vendors would then give in to you as they would not want to lose customers.
Following that, we went to the Bund. The Bund, extending for 1.5km on the shore of the Huangpu River, is an emblem of Shang Hai. There are 52 tall buildings of various heights tower over the river along the western side of the Bund, looking like a museum of modern world architecture. The view there was very breathtaking as we could see Shanghai's skyline, including the 'beer opener' building, which I learnt a lot about. I learnt that the original design was a circular 'hole' at the top of the building, but was replaced by this trapezium when the initial design looked too similar to the rising sun design of the Japanese flag and many Chinese protested. We took a lot of group photos there. Many people took jump shots too!
After that, we went to Book City. It was a seven storey high book store, with lots of books ranging from Chinese language to foreign language. I thought it was only a three or four storey building, and thus, I read slowly with my friend, Amelia. As I went up the escalator, I was amazed by the number of levels of the book store. Memories suddenly flowed back I to my mind. I went here before! The books were sold at a reasonably cheap price too.
Lastly, we went to Nanjing Road. We were also given some time to shop at Nanjing Road. However, we realised that the shops in Nanjing Road were not streetshops like those at Chenghuangmiao. Being the world's busiest shopping street, we spotted many well-known brands there such as such as Baleno, H&M etc. Therefore we did not buy a lot of things as they were all what we can buy in Singapore. This reflects Shanghai's high cost of living.
Day 3
We woke up earlier today and put on our uniforms, as today is the first day we will be visiting 上海南洋中学。Due to some students being late and a heavy traffic jam, we arrived late. The principal was scared that our bus might get lost, and even stood on the middle of the road to welcome us. Due to that, I think we all felt sorry. However, the principal and teachers were will very welcoming and hospitable to us. We were introduced to our buddies and were given a chance to interact with them. Then, the teacher there, 陆老师, with the aid of pictures and short videos, gave us a talk on the school and China's rapid development over the years. We had a "tallest-paper-tower" session. A physics teacher challenged us to use just an A4 sized paper to make the tallest tower that we could. My partner, Amelia and I tried our best to make our tallest tower but unfortunately it was unable to stand and kept on toppling. He then shared with us the secrets to making it. Haha, next time if I need to make one, I'll for sure be the champion. I learnt to think out the box teamwork is important. As Dragon's boat Festival is arriving, some of us learnt to make 香包 with the students there. However, as the room was too crowded with students, our buddy offered to show us around the school. We were able to look into their classrooms and study environment. I realised that it was quite run down and their facilities are very old. But to my surprise, the students in the classrooms are very focused regardless of their environment which amazed me.
For lunch, we headed to 海底捞。I have very high expectations of the restaurant due to how famous it is. The service was very good and the waiters and waitresses were very friendly. They even helped us to put our heavy bags on the sofa of another table which could be used to serve another customer! They might have lost a table of business because of us... We went to their toilet to have a change of clothes as wearing uniform is a bit too uncomfortable. To my surprise, they provided free toothbrush and toothpaste there! I enjoyed my meal there and felt that the service was great. It was the only meal which we ate everything on the plate!
After our meal, we took a quick walk through 文庙街。The houses there were very rundown and the people living there looked to be very poor. We then headed to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. I was amazed by the intricate and delicate model of Shanghai in the exhibition hall. The tour guide introduced us the history of how Shanghai modernized and urbanized. This visit to the exhibition tells me how fast Shang Hai is developing and I felt that as Singaporeans we cannot lose out to china or even feel superior even though we are a developed country. It also deepened my knowledge on the history of China. We were went to the supermarket where we could buy things and also observe the things in it. We realised something very different from Singapore which is rice and sugar are not sold in fix amounts but people can scoop and choose how much they want to buy. Mr Gay said that this was to cater to different family's needs. Snacks costed about the same as in Singapore, but the daily important food like rice and eggs are much cheaper.
DAY 4
This is the last day we're visiting our partnering school. After a bell rang, the students jogged from their classroom to the parade square neatly. At first, we were there to watch the daily morning workout the students had to do. We were fascinated at how they managed to run to their respective places promptly in an orderly manner. They quickly spaced themselves out and began their exercise. But then, after much encouragement from the teachers, we went to try out their exercise too. After performing our 立化情 to them, we attended an English lesson with the students in our CID groups. We realised that the students were very attentive and they answered the teacher's questions after being called without hesitation. They were given an English name to enhance the lesson to be in an all English communication. In Singapore, we could not help but used singlish in every lesson. We should learn from them.
After listening to the class, we went to Dreamworks with 陆老师。That place looks very 'technolised', and as soon as I stepped into the building, I immediately liked it. Do you know that Kungfu Panda movie was made there? They are doing on Kungfu Panda 3. I learnt that designing the panda required a few months, and even a basket required three days. A movie required about 3 long years to finish, and they secretly told us that next year, we will be able to eat Kungfu Panda 3 in cinema!
After that, we went to one of china top universities, the Fudan University. We waited for some time before our seniors studying in Fudan University arrived. She brought us around the school for a tour. She explained to us about the school's different facilities and buildings. Along the way we saw many bicycles parked outside every area we go. She said that Fudan doesn't provide shuttle bus services in the school campus. Thus, they have to use bicycle as their mode of transport. Our senior, Boon Kee told us that if we were ever to study there, we have to let our bicycle become rusty so that no one would steal. We also met a previous Dunman High top scholar senior. Our senior said that the library was open, but a lot of students will study in the air-conditioned library so even if you reached there by eight, it is crowded. From there, you can see how hardworking the students are. Fudan University's facilities are not very new and modern but Fudan is still able to maintain as one of the top universities in China. This indicates that the result of every student is not because of the facilities the school provided but the determination and effort put into their studies. The senior said that the students in Fudan University, especially those that are China citizens are all very hardworking. They can be seen studying once the classroom opens at 6 even when lessons start at 8. The seniors said that in order to not fall behind too much, they have to be extra hardworking than the china citizens. Thus, we have to start and discipline ourselves since young in order to prepare ourselves for the competition in future.
Day 5
This is our last day in Shanghai. We packed our luggage the night before and I can remember myself stuffing all my souvenirs into the bag. After the boys took our luggage up on the bus, we proceeded on a 3 hour bus journey towards Hang Zhou. Most of us slept during the journey, and some, unfortunately, was captured sleeping with their mouth open. Yeh! Another photo challenge completed! Once we reached Hang Zhou, we were asked to observe the roads on the bus. 黄导said that we will be able to spot many red coloured electric bikes on the roads as they are out for rent for free to the public for the first one hour. This is an eco-friendly mode of public transportation. With China developing rapidly, there are bound to be pollution. I think that this plan was ingenious. He also told us that Hang Zhou has instilled traffic rules so the traffic is not as messy as that in Shang Hai. I remembered what Ms Loh said ," 在上海，是人让车，而不是车让人".
We had our lunch before departing for Zhejiang University. We had the principal of Zhejiang University to deliver a speech about the university. I learnt that the school is trying to change the 'make in China' to 'designed in China', suggesting the innovative of China nowadays. I saw a lot of little things in Singapore here stating 'make in China', so it's hard to imagine what will happen if it changes to 'design is China'. He shared with us that he lived in Singapore before, and he would always see a few Rvians jogging before coming to school. That's how he came to like Rvians. Then we had a tour around the university on the bus. We were trying to take a photo challenge, of who took The University has many brand new facilities. For example, there were many running tracks and even a three storey high canteen! (Wonder if I will he able to eat in this canteen for a week, no even a day will make me satisfied!)
After leaving the university, we headed to Qinghefang Ancient Streets. We were given one hour to wander the streets by ourselves. The shops were like the ones in Chenghuangmiao but they were older. Afterwards, we had our dinner at a restaurant where we were able to taste Hang Zhou delicacies which is noodles. Unfortunately, I didn't have any noodles, as I was too full... :( After dinner we had big farewell to 黄导 as another tour guide will take over him for our tour in Hang Zhou. We were greatly thankful for his guidance these few days as we were able to gain a lot of knowledge about China through him. He is really patient and was able to put himself in our parents' shoes, as he always said," 我知道你们的家长很担心你们，所以大家一定要吃饱哦!" I can still remember when he tried to inculcate knowledge in the bus, many were asleep, showing disrespect to him..l I felt sorry for him. If we were him, how would we feel? From here, I learnt to respect others more.
DAY 6
Yes! Yes! We only need to wake up by 8am today! I remembered how the first time I woke up, thinking it was 8am but in reality, it was only 5:30am. (Can sleep more...) Well, it was so bright like in
Singapore, so I can't help but misunderstood...
Singapore, so I can't help but misunderstood...
Firstly we went to the Yuefei Mausoleum. The tour guide gave us a detailed explanation about the temple and lead us through the entire temple. The temple were full of Yuefei's contributions, handwritings, tomb and how he was framed and killed etc. He was extremely loyal to his country, and carved "精忠报国" by his mother. Imagine how painful it was. The tomb of his son and the tomb of his capable assistant was beside his tomb. What amazed me was that there are 4 statues kneeling down in front of the tomb of Yuefei. The tour guide told us that they were the ones who framed Yuefei. There was a sign above them that read "请勿吐痰". This shows that the Chinese really hated the 4 traitors. Previously, they must have spat on them to show the hatred and detest for them. The statues were even thrown into the West Lake before and later hauled and caged to prevent history from repeating itself.
We visited the West Lake and board a ferry to view the West Lake scenery. On the ferry, we were told that the West Lake is extremely muddy.There was once a guy fell into the lake and never resurfaced again. As the ferry moved on, we could see the Leifeng Pagoda. We were also able to see the Broken Bridge from the ferry. The Broken Bridge was not broken. It was just named 断桥 as there was a family named 断 that lived under the bridge last time. We visited the Leifeng Pagoda and had to climb a lot of stairs to reach the top. From the peak of fifth floor, I was amazed by the scenic view --mountains, and some little houses... We were given one hour to explore Leifeng Pagoda.
Next we went to another part of the Qinghefang Ancient Street to shop. After a haul, we had our dinner and set off to watch the long awaited show, “西湖之夜”。There were acrobatics and short skits with wonderful songs. My favorite one was the motorists riding their motorcycle into a small cage. Motorists went in one by one. You can imagine, with one minor mistake even during the practice, the whole team's lives could be in danger.
Day 7
Today is our last day in China. Time sure flys by quickly when we are having fun. We wore our class tee and rode the bus back to Shanghai after having breakfast in the hotel. On the way to Shanghai, we stopped by 七宝古镇, which is an ancient town. We were not allowed to walk around by ourselves as it was very crowded and we could get lost easily. Thus, the tour guide guided us around the town. It was extremely squeezy and we had to squeeze our way through to an old bridge. We were able to view the old architectures and trees from the bridge. As we are short of time, we could not cross over to the other side of the bridge.
After that, we left for Tianzifang. However, the items sold at Tianzifang are quite expensive. After shopping, we went to Shanghai Pudong Airport. We said goodbye to our Tour Guide and had our last group photo taken with the banner and checked in our luggages. After a short debrief from the teachers, we boarded the plane and departed for Singapore. I was sad to leave Shanghai as it had been a very fun and meaningful learning experience with my classmates and teachers. We are also very thankful for his guidance this 3 days in Hangzhou and Shanghai. We unwillingly boarded the plane back to Singapore. Although the trip has ended, I am certain that all of us have a lot of memories we had create and remember forever.
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