My study-abroad presentation will compare the past and present of Chinese historical sites, pop culture, and cities to explain their cultural impact and how my perceptions changed after visiting China. With this, I want to provide an authentic version of China that disregards Western media's degrading narratives about its cultural values and political system. In reality, China has an intriguing cultural heritage and welcoming nature that doesn't receive recognition due to political tensions between the United States and China. With this trip, I learned that understanding Chinese culture means taking the opportunity to experience their cuisine, language, and customs to appreciate their culture and history. I urge other students to take study-abroad trips because it will change their worldview based on experiencing different cultural views that teach them to be accepting and conscious of other cultures.
The Great Wall embodies China as the 13,171-mile-long structure represents imperialism, architectural innovation, and nationalism. Over the centuries, the Great Wall has reflected the views of the early communist regime and emperors who used the wall to repel outsiders and prioritize national affairs. After the Cultural Revolution, China reopened its borders to allow tourists to visit the Great Wall with its architectural design that protected China from invaders. When visiting the Great Wall, I recognized its importance to China because it symbolized China's separation from outside influences to a national icon that invites diverse cultures and tourists to visit China.
The tourism industry promotes traditional architecture and clothing to satisfy tourists wanting to experience ancient China. With the Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao led a campaign that dismissed traditions and launched political attacks to strengthen communism in China. As a result, China has experienced a heritage revival that intrigues scholars who speculate whether it's a tourist facade or a cultural resurrection. In Luoyang, we dressed in garments that immersed us in Chinese culture as locals wore traditional clothing, and the streets felt ancient. The locals didn't mind us wearing this attire because they appreciated that we wanted to immerse ourselves in Chinese culture. Overall, this revival of Chinese heritage isn't a tourist facade because since the government relaxed its control over traditional expression, it's allowed people to rediscover their cultural identity.
The city of Shanghai delivers financial services, urban development, and economic resources that contribute to China's growing economy. Before Shanghai was a thriving urban center, it was a fishing village that developed after the First Opium War when the British brought foreign investment and trade routes. The Bund, a mile of waterfront properties that includes Western-styled architecture on hotels, banks, and legation buildings, shows how colonial authorities controlled politics, finances, and trade resources. While in Shanghai, we saw that the city maintained its Western influence from colonial times based on how city officials built Western-styled skyscrapers, amusement attractions, and department stores to attract foreign companies and tourists. Despite Shanghai's Western influences, its combination of Chinese and European influences connects China to the outside world through tourism and economic contributions.
The Beijing Olympic Park informed me about China's investment in the worldwide community by having buildings that integrated Eastern and Western elements to celebrate cultural integration and international cooperation. After reading and visiting Chinese historical sites, pop culture, and cities, the country has shown an openness to Western architecture and concepts while maintaining its distinctive cultural identity. I admire China's cultural integration because it uses various economic systems, technologies, and policies to address national topics about environmental, transportation, and overpopulation issues. On this trip, I also learned how to adapt to other cultures because refusing to acknowledge different cultural views provides a closed-minded and unfortunate experience. I want to thank Indiana University, Professor Chen Lin, Professor Yin, and my classmates for offering an immersive and memorable travel experience to China. Xie Xie.