OELP Daily Reflections

   

 
 

OELP Daily Reflection

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

Day 5:

Day 6:

Day 7:

- Jessie (2)

CID Reflection with daily reflections

Keefe

Even though the trip to China was merely 7 Days, it has definitely increased my knowledge of it and i have learnt not only about the history and culture of China but also life skills. Before the trip, i thought that ShangHai would have old Chinese buildings but on day 1, we went to the Bund and the european style skyscrapers shocked me.We later learnt that it was due to foreign aggression in the past. The tour guide told us about the history of China and we learnt alot like for example China had gone through lots of wars and developed alot to get this far. From this i finally know what the idiom" Rome wasn't build in a day" means. I should not fly without even learning how to walk. Everything has to be learnt and hard work is needed to be successful.

After our dinner at night time, we visited the Bund again but this time we took the boat that went around it. The night view was amazing but the wind was chilly. While we were going around the Bund, we saw that the skycrapers all had lights and advertisements on them. Some buildings still had laser show and the colour of their lights seem to be planned beforehand. From this, i can tell that the government puts tourism before anything else. The government is more concerned about economical growth than cultural heritage.While in Yangzhou, there wasn't any skyscrapers and there were only few lightings at the Grand Canal at night The people there has a slow paced and relaxed life. They are more concerned about the cultural heritage of Yang Zhou than their economical growth. For example, Shanghai has a airport while YangZhou doesn't. The government of China puts more attention on Shanghai and focuses on earning money from tourism while preserving the culture of China in other areas. In Yangzhou, the people are keen on preserving the cultural of it for example, we went to the block printing museum and interviewed the people working there. They said that they are doing the job so that the culture will not vanish and so to preserve the culture. Even though the pay is less, they still do it so as to preserve the culture of China. Another example is the paper cutting museum that promotes Yangzhou's paper cutting. Yangzhou still has lots of things that they do to preserve their own culture and from this i think Singapore should learn from them. We should put in more effort to preserve our own culture. For example, Singapore can build more museums about our culture like for example there is already the Peranankan Museum. We can also build themed restaurants like the Lushi restaurant which will attract tourists.

For example,  on Day 2, we visitied Hai Di Lao for lunch. When our bus reached the restaurant, there were already two waitresses waiting there to lead us into their restaurant. Furthermore, they provided spectacles cloth for people with spectacles and apologised for trivial matters like forgetting to refill a cup. Their waitresses are all thoughtful and friendly, leaving a good impression after we leave and making us want to return again. This taught me that no only the quality of food decides the reputation of a restaurant or even a small hawker center, but also the attitude of the waiters. With the customers as priority, the restaurant has been successful and from this i learnt that i have to serve people with passion and care when i am serving or leading people. I feel that Singapore waiters should also learn from their attitude and not serve customers with a glum face. With an attitude like this, Singapore restaurants will build up more reputation and will become more famous.

On the 4th day, we went to 杨大附中中学. We learnt from the students that they end school everyday at 6pm and come to school at the same time as us. They have more homework than us and some students even come back to school on weekends.  During classes, they all sit up straight and pay attention even though they have longer curriculum hours. After seeing their hectic school life, i now think that Singapore's education system is quite relaxed and slow-paced unlike in Yangzhou. However, we should learn from their attitude and be more hardworking. Their school doesn't have ccas and i feel lucky that our school has them. CCAs not only helps the person learn about knowledge or train but also build his or her character. I feel that Ccas are important as they help relieve stress and helps the student to relax.

Last but not least, Singapore is facing a threat as many countries are developing even faster than us. For example, in the past, Changi Airport was the top airport in the world but many countries are already catching up . Not only that, Singapore is such a small country , if we don't start improving, we will soon be replaced and forgotten. I feel that Singapore should learn from other countries like for example, people in Yangzhou take the effort to promote their culture and i think Singapore should do it too. The government should start building more museums to promote chinese culture or themed restaurants like lushi mansion. We should also work on what we are famous for like our medical facilities. This will not make Singapore useless and will make Singapore a better place.

OELP Reflections (finally)

From this OELP trip to Yangzhou, China, I have learned to be more aware of the values and beliefs from China. These values and beliefs are, in my opinion, indeed different from the ones we have in Singapore. The economical and developmental growth and the education system in China also differ from those in Singapore in several aspects.

The education system of China is very different from the education system in Singapore. Apart from the fact that the lessons in China are almost always taught in Chinese, the school hours are also quite different. I used to think Singapore’s education system was tiring, as there were days, i.e. CCA days and days of special events, that I found were too long, and as such, I found Singapore’s education system to be flawed. However, compared to the system in China, I now find Singapore’s education system and hours to be laid-back. Compared to the school in Yangzhou, China, where the students have a full day of lessons until 6pm, with little rest, every weekday without fail, we in Singapore are only made to stay back that late for two days while we are released relatively early on other days.

In this trip, I visited Shanghai and Yangzhou, two cities in China with a long history and rich culture. I feel that these two cities in China have been very successful in preserving and promoting their culture. By modernizing some of these areas, while still keeping the “essence” of cultural history and tradition, Shanghai and Yangzhou have made places of historical value into tourist attractions as well. I also like how the Lushi Old Mansion in Yangzhou is a place with rich cultural heritage which tells us how Chinese mansions were like at that time, as well as a restaurant within the mansion that also serves traditional food like Yangzhou fried rice. The restaurant with reference to a theme is an interesting concept and I believe Singapore has the potential to adopt that concept.

I also learned more about the economical and developmental growth of China. During the trip to Volkswagen, I could see why China had a high rate of economical and developmental growth. The versatile ideas of car models, the quick and efficient production of cars, the intricate mechanism of the factory, and the amount of innovation that goes into each model of car has contributed to the success of Volkswagen over the years.

As for the differences in the values and beliefs of China and Singapore, one can see some obvious differences. One example can be seen in Shanghai’s 海底捞, a restaurant where customer service has played a huge role in its success. The staffs of the restaurant are extremely helpful and friendly towards their customers and treat them with respect, approaching the customers involuntarily, should the need ever arise, even if customers don’t specifically call the staffs for help at any given time. I also notice a huge difference between the values and beliefs of the two countries during the bullet train ride. The locals in China show consideration for others by lining up in preparation to board the train. They also allow passengers to alight before entering. However, in Singapore, people usually push in a rush to get in before others, no doubt thanks to the “kiasu” attitude that Singaporeans tend to adapt. Singapore has much to learn from China in terms of good values and beliefs.

Overall, I have learned a lot about China during this OELP trip. Not just about China’s history, but also about its present, its economical and developmental growth, its education system, and the people’s values and beliefs. I wonder if Singapore will ever adopt any of these good values and beliefs, or methods of promoting Singapore’s cultural history.

Ian Lim (26) 2G OELP Reflections

Group 5 Presentation Critique

Their presentation is loud and clear. There is interaction with audience and eye contact. A few of the members stutter and hesitate during the presentation. Most of them keep looking at the script as well. Transition between group members are relatively smooth and team efficiency is quite good as they are clear on which slide to stop on and do not jump slides. Both points of view of the theme is differentiated clearly. A lot of facts are provided to back up their point. One of the group members speak a little too quickly.

Group 4 Presentation Critique

They have more eye contact with audience and used placards. Presentation was quite loud and clear. They did not have much hand gestures. Good point is that their transition from one member to the other is clear and smooth. But their team efficiency has room for improvement as they keep getting their slides mixed up. They provided souvenirs and items from the trip to give visual examples. A few of the members stutter quite a bit and break into laughter from nerves. They did not relate back to the theme. 

Group 3 Presentation Critique

Group 3 presentation was very detailed and provided statistics as evidence. But a few of their group members did not have a good posture and leaned against the whiteboard. Eye contact is quite often overall in this group. One good point is that they provided a lot of visual information which shows that they came prepared with research to back up their point. A few of the members spoke quite softly as well. Good points about their presentation is that they linked back to their theme and gave concrete evidence for their points. However, the things they presented were not related to the oelp trip.

Group 2 Presentation Critque

Group 2 presentation was quite detailed and they kept linking back to their theme, which was good. However, some of them did not make much eye contact and some spoke too softly. The collages were also quite messy and confusing, although they are indeed colorful and vibrant. Some of their font color did not complement the background and hence, makes it difficult to read the words on the slide. But an extremely good point is that they kept their theme in mind and linked back after every point. Their content presented is highly relevant to the theme.

Group 1 Presentation Crtique

I like their presentation because it is very detailed. However, they should include more slides as they spend too much time on one slide while giving a big chunk of information. I like their video at the end as it refreshes my memory of the trip and makes me feel nostalgic. They make eye contact as well and some hand gestures. They should take more notice of the time as well because they almost over timed. Overall, it was a pretty good presentation. 

Reflection

  I was not able to go for the OELP trip together with my classmates but I still enjoyed myself in school, along with my other classmate who did not go for the trip as well. I made new friends and learnt new skills such as calligraphy. 

  On the first day, my classmate and I were feeling a little lonely because our class left earlier than others so we were the only ones who do not have a class. Everyone was asking us why we did not go and it made us feel quite disappointed and sad. But we had each other's company so it was not as bad as I thought it would be. 

  The following Monday, most of the classes have gone for the trip and those who did not go formed a class and we followed the year one's schedule as we learnt what they were learning. Mrs Teo also announced in the morning that Oliver, a senior of ours, had passed on. I was really heartbroken when I heard about his story but at the same time, I was very inspired by his determination and positive attitude towards life. He taught us to cherish our lives and loved ones and I salute him for being so brave. Rest in peace. 

  We also learnt paper-cutting and had a talk from our alumni. His talk was really interesting and fun. All of us were really focused on the talk and we even created a new song about RV based on the school song together. We also learnt more about Chinese calligraphy. We learnt how to draw and write using the brush and ink. 

  On Wednesday, we went on a learning journey to a Chinese museum and we joined 1G. Since we were their seniors, the teachers expected us to be their leader and take care of them. It was a bit overwhelming because we were just year ones last year and it was my first time being in charged of such a large group of people. At first, I was not sure if they would listen to us because we were only older by 1 year but they were really co-operative and friendly towards us and they also listened and respected us as their seniors. I was really grateful for that. I did not go to school during Thursday and Friday for the camp because I had to go to Malaysia. 

  So that was my last week of the semester. Even though I'm sure my classmates enjoyed themselves far more in Yangzhou, I still enjoyed myself a lot with great company over here in school. I was disappointed and regretted for not being able to go on the trip with them, but I'm sure there would still be many more chances to come to be able to bond with my class. 

- Chuah Hui Qing(06) 2G 

Personal Reflection

This trip to China has certainly increased my knowledge of China and made me more aware of the values and beliefs of the people of China. In Shanghai, we visited the Huang Pu Jiang. On one side of the river, there were traditional European buildings while on the other side, there were modern skyscrapers. It amazes me that two completely different types of buildings are separated by just a river. Both types of buildings exist so close yet so far from each other. It was as if the river connected both the past and present Shanghai together. I then learnt that inside the traditional western buildings, it was actually modern. This led me to think of how China could improve yet preserve their culture at the same time. Normally, the government would remove old buildings and architecture to make way for newer and modern buildings, but China managed to preserve the old buildings and improve at the same time. They kept the exterior of the buildings and changed the interior.

I also learnt that ancient China treasures beauty and art. When we visited the Slender West Lake, I noticed that all the rowers of the boats are females. There was not a single male rowing the boat. I found out that it is because females look more graceful and elegant when rowing the boats compared the men. This led me to infer that China focuses more on beauty and the arts compared to efficiency and strength. Then we visited the Block Printing Museum and I found out that block printing is a diminishing job. Many people do not have the patience to carve out all the different words as it is too troublesome and time-consuming. Also, people nowadays do not know how to appreciate the arts. Presently, people are all turning to technology to type out words instead of using the traditional methods. Although technology is definitely more convenient and faster, the traditional methods have a certain beauty to them that makes us look in awe and wonder once the masterpiece is done.

I used to be quite proud of Singapore, but after visiting China, my pride for Singapore lessened. Singapore has so much to learn from China. One example is preserving the culture. In Singapore, many cultural and heritage sites are removed for modernization. Singapore should have done the same as China. The government should retain the exterior of the building and change the interior. It is killing two birds with one stone as Singapore can not only keep its culture but also improve at the same time. Another example is the manners and behaviour. When we visited Hai Di Lao, I was very surprised at the staffs’ hospitality. The ushered us to our seats and did almost everything for us. They rushed to pour water for us, gave the girls hair ties to tie their hair, gave those wearing spectacles a cloth to clean their glasses and many more. They sincerely did their job and smiled while doing so. But in Singapore, the waiters and waitresses rarely smiled when serving customers. They always seem to do their job half-heartedly and would only help the customers when they are requested to do so. When I saw how proactive and polite the China staff were, it made me embarrassed of Singapore’s Customer Service. Although it is a bit unnerving to be served without asking to be, I hope that Singapore can learn from China to be more helpful and sincere when doing their job.

Jessie (2)

RV Trip Advisor-Day 7

The Transportation System: Bullet Train

The bullet train entering the station.

Allowed to bring drinks onto the train.

The bullet train has an average speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) or higher. By that measure, China has the world's longest high-speed rail with over 11,028 km (6,852 mi) of track in service as of December 2013, including the world's longest line, the 2,298 km (1,428 mi) Beijing-Guangzhou High-speed Railway. In the train, the interior looks like the one in an airplane an the seats are rotatable so that you can face your friends behind you. You are also allowed to bring food and drinks on the train. Day 7 was the day we were due for Singapore. To travel from Yangzhou to Shanghai, we took a bullet train. We found out that food was actually allowed on board these bullet trains and immediately we thought the train would be dirty, but, it turned out to be the exact opposite. The train was clean, everyone was seated down, no one was standing up, and there were even convenience stores on the train itself.

We were surprised at the behavior of the passengers on the bullet train. Compared to Singapore, it was a slightly nicer change of pace. The passengers were orderly on the bullet train and they didn't make much noise, and it was a peaceful train ride. This was an interesting experince and it helped us learn more about the outdoor behavior of the people of China.

Rating: 5/5

RV Trip Advisor-Day 6

Former Residence of Zhu Ziqing (朱自清)

A statue of the renowned Chinese poet and essayist, Zhu Ziqing.

The house is mostly filled with his writings and creations. It is relatively small and stuffy with nothing much to see. The house also depicts the old furniture from long ago. 

Rating: 3/5

Geyuan Garden 个园

Entrance to Geyuan.

Bamboos in Geyuan.

Geyuan is named from the bamboos growing in it. The name derives by separating the Chinese character for bamboo (竹), making it look like the word 个. The Geyuan Garden is open to the public, throughout the four seasons. Spring is demonstrated with a picture of bamboo and rock. Summer is represented by the steel-grey Taihu Stone, a popular tourist attraction. Autumn is depicted by Huangshan stone, and winter by Xuan stone.

Rating: 4/5

Daming Temple 大明寺

Pagoda in the temple.

Danming Temple is a temple at the middle peak of Shugang Mountain, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. This temple is known for a famous monk, Jianzhen, who studied the sutras and initiated people into monkhood here in the first year of the Tianbao reign of the Tang Dynasty (742 C.E.) before he left for Japan.

Rating: 3.5/5

Industrial Visit: Volkswagen

Front counter desk in the factory.

Layout of the factory.

Shanghai Volkswagen is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Anting, China and a joint venture between Volkswagen Group and SAIC Motor. It was founded in 1984 and produces cars under the Volkswagen and Škoda marques. Here, we toured the factory and viewed how the cars were made and the processes they had to go through before being put up on the market for sale. We went to the Volkswagen Shanghai Factory in Yangzhou to have a tour of how it works. First we watched a video about the history of Volkswagen.  Then we got on a car and it took us through a tour of the inside of the Volkswagen factory. The manufacturing of a car in the factory, I realized that the process is complicated and thorough. Overall, it was an interesting experience, learning about the Volkswagen Factory.

Rating: 5/5

Chinese Paper-cutting Museum

A paper cutting masterpiece depicting a dragon and a phoenix.

A paper cutting masterpiece depicting a tiger.

Chinese Paper-cutting Museum, located at the rear of Wang’s Residence, is the only themed museum focusing on Chinese paper-cutting. It is divided into four parts. The first is the Paper-cutting Exhibition Hall for different schools in China, while the second shows Yangzhou’s paper-cutting and its representative master. The third part is Art Exchange Hall where some ceremonies and other paper-cutting related activities are held. The fourth is a place where you can enjoy masters’ performance on paper-cutting. We had the experience of using the special Yangzhou scissors to cut zodiacs by ourselves. The workers also stood beside us and guided us. This experience was rare. We experience the art of traditional paper cutting, using a paper and a scissors to slowly cut out intricate, complex and complicated - but nonetheless beautiful - patterns. We were given one scissors and some paper each, and we had to cut out patterns of animals from the Chinese Zodiac. It was difficult to keep our patience, considering the rate of cutting is slow and we were making the occasional mistake, but the end result was still good. This experience taught us a lot about traditional Chinese culture and how patient they were, and that paper cutting is truly no easy task. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

Rating: 3.5/5

Personal Reflection

 Even though the trip to China was merely 7 Days, it has definitely increased my knowledge of it and i have learnt not only about the history and culture of China but also life skills. Before the trip, i thought that ShangHai would have old Chinese buildings but on day 1, we went to the Bund and the european style skyscrapers shocked me.We later learnt that it was due to foreign aggression in the past. The tour guide told us about the history of China and we learnt alot like for example China had gone through lots of wars and developed alot to get this far. From this i finally know what the idiom" Rome wasn't build in a day" means. I should not fly without even learning how to walk. Everything has to be learnt and hard work is needed to be successful.


After our dinner at night time, we visited the Bund again but this time we took the boat that went around it. The night view was amazing but the wind was chilly. While we were going around the Bund, we saw that the skycrapers all had lights and advertisements on them. Some buildings still had laser show and the colour of their lights seem to be planned beforehand. From this, i can tell that the government puts tourism before anything else. The government is more concerned about economical growth than cultural heritage.While in Yangzhou, there wasn't any skyscrapers and there were only few lightings at the Grand Canal at night The people there has a slow paced and relaxed life. They are more concerned about the cultural heritage of Yang Zhou than their economical growth. For example, Shanghai has a airport while YangZhou doesn't. The government of China puts more attention on Shanghai and focuses on earning money from tourism while preserving the culture of China in other areas. In Yangzhou, the people are keen on preserving the cultural of it for example, we went to the block printing museum and interviewed the people working there. They said that they are doing the job so that the culture will not vanish and so to preserve the culture. Even though the pay is less, they still do it so as to preserve the culture of China. Another example is the paper cutting museum that promotes Yangzhou's paper cutting. Yangzhou still has lots of things that they do to preserve their own culture and from this i think Singapore should learn from them. We should put in more effort to preserve our own culture. For example, Singapore can build more museums about our culture like for example there is already the Peranankan Museum. We can also build themed restaurants like the Lushi restaurant which will attract tourists.


For example,  on Day 2, we visitied Hai Di Lao for lunch. When our bus reached the restaurant, there were already two waitresses waiting there to lead us into their restaurant. Furthermore, they provided spectacles cloth for people with spectacles and apologised for trivial matters like forgetting to refill a cup. Their waitresses are all thoughtful and friendly, leaving a good impression after we leave and making us want to return again. This taught me that no only the quality of food decides the reputation of a restaurant or even a small hawker center, but also the attitude of the waiters. With the customers as priority, the restaurant has been successful and from this i learnt that i have to serve people with passion and care when i am serving or leading people. I feel that Singapore waiters should also learn from their attitude and not serve customers with a glum face. With an attitude like this, Singapore restaurants will build up more reputation and will become more famous.

On the 4th day, we went to 杨大附中中学. We learnt from the students that they end school everyday at 6pm and come to school at the same time as us. They have more homework than us and some students even come back to school on weekends.  During classes, they all sit up straight and pay attention even though they have longer curriculum hours. After seeing their hectic school life, i now think that Singapore's education system is quite relaxed and slow-paced unlike in Yangzhou. However, we should learn from their attitude and be more hardworking. Their school doesn't have ccas and i feel lucky that our school has them. CCAs not only helps the person learn about knowledge or train but also build his or her character. I feel that Ccas are important as they help relieve stress and helps the student to relax.

Last but not least, Singapore is facing a threat as many countries are developing even faster than us. For example, in the past, Changi Airport was the top airport in the world but many countries are catching up already. Not only that, Singapore is such a small country , if we don't start improving, we will soon be replaced and forgotten. I feel that Singapore should learn from other countries like for example, people in Yangzhou take the effort to promote their culture and i think Singapore should do it too. The government should start building more museums to promote chinese culture or themed restaurants like lushi mansion. We should also work on what we are famous for like our medical facilities. This will not make Singapore useless and will make Singapore a better place.

-Keefe(25)

RV Trip Advisor-Day 4 and 5

扬大附中东部分校初中学部

School grounds

The environment there was pretty good except for the disturbing smell from the toilet. The school is clean and after interacting with the students, we realised that we are really fortunate to be given this kind of education in Singapore. The students there are really enthusiastic in class and are all paying close attention to the teacher. We should also do that as well and not take Singapore's education for granted. We attended lessons with the students in the school and even wrapped rice dumplings to prepare for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival. We enjoyed ourselves in the school and wished to have spent more days in that school so we could interact more with our buddies. We also learn about China's education system compared to Singapore's.

Rating: 3.5/5

Lushi Old Mansion 晚清盐商豪宅卢氏老宅

Entrance to Lushi Old Mansion

Dinner time!

An old painting hanged on a wall to decorate the room

Layout of room

This mansion was built by a wealthy salt merchant called Lu Shao Xu in the past. It is now operating as a themed restaurant. We ate our dinner there. You get to see old Chinese architecture and the rich culture of Yangzhou there. The food is delectable and you also get to savour the famous Yangzhou fried rice. I recommend this place.

Rating: 4/5

Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal 北京杭州大运河

Crowded with people along the Grand Canal

On the boat

Passed by one of the bridges

Another bridge

We then visited the Grand Canal. The area had lively old people doing exercises and they seemed carefree, unlike people in Singapore. We sat in a traditional Chinese boat and toured the Grand Canal. There were many bridges along the way and the streets were decorated with colourful lightings which looked really nice since it was in the night. The boat has a tour guide who talks about the history of the Grand Canal. Not only do you get the night view but also learn about China's history!

Rating: 5/5

RV Trip Advisor-Day 3

冶春茶社

Dim sum in small steamer baskets

Menu of the food in 冶春茶社

Exterior of 冶春茶社

This was the place where we ate our first Yangzhou breakfast. We were shocked by the amount of food we had on the table. It was literally lunch, except there were more buns and dim sum. Later on, we found out that Yangzhou people have a heavier breakfast because they only eat two meals a day. Also, there was one interesting food which caught my attention. It was the huge soup bun. The soup bun was on a plate and a straw came with it. Because it was so huge, we had to use the straw to poke into the bun and drink the soup first before eating. There were many other buns and dishes that were delicious. Some of us could not finish all the food on our table. We had a really full breakfast for our first morning in Yangzhou. This experience was a good one because we rarely ate such a full breakfast and enjoyed the delicacies in Yangzhou.

Rating: 4/5

Slender West Lake 瘦西湖 (船游24桥 机动船)

Entrance of Slender West Lake

Picture of the lake with a pavilion

Enjoying the boat ride along Slender West Lake

The Slender West Lake is a man-made lake. It is similar to Hangzhou's lake which is bigger and a natural lake. Yangzhou is known for the women's beauty. I recall the tour guide saying it is named 瘦西湖 is because the lake is narrow and is beautiful like one of China's four ancient beauties named 西施. We took the boat along the lake and stopped at 24桥 where we got off the boat and walked around. There were many stories about the things in Slender West Lake which made us learn life lessons from it. The Slender West Lake is a good place for relaxation. Breathing in the fresh morning air helps has a soothing effect to our lungs. Not only can you relax, but you can also learn more about Yangzhou's literature and culture. This is the best place for a morning stroll. Only negative point is that there were quite a lot of people there.

Rating: 3.5/5

Dong Quan Men 东圈门历史街

Entrance of Dong Quan Men

Street of Dong Quan Men

One of the shops selling Yangzhou's famous three knives

Vehicles, such as motorcycles, were seen roaming around the cultural street

An ancient well spotted at Dong Quan Men

A narrow alley that can only have one person walking through the path at a time

Dong Quan Men is an ancient street hidden in a secluded area. This street dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasty. This place was once homes to wealthy salt merchants. Now, only some of the houses are occupied while others are sealed and can only be seen from the outside. There are some shops selling items such as Yangzhou's three knives. As we walked further in, there were lesser people. As we reached the end of the street, there was a very narrow alley. We had the experience of walking through this very narrow alley which was quite fun as it was probably a one-in-a-lifetime experience since not many narrow alleys are around now. We heard many stories from the tour guide about the houses, the people, interesting things, like a well. It was a nice walk along the cultural street as we got to see the old houses and the culture being preserved.

Rating: 3/5

China Block Printing Museum 中国雕版印刷博物馆 & Yangzhou Museum 扬州博物馆

Size of China Block Printing Museum

Entrance to Yangzhou block painting exhibit

Procedures for block printing

A piece of block printing work by one of the workers

There are many exhibits in Yangzhou Museum but the tour guide only showed us the blocking printing exhibit because as we heard from him, block printing is a culture of China so there is a need to preserve the history of block printing. He introduced the history of block printing to us and we even had a chance to watch people carve out the wood on a block and print the words on paper. I was amazed by the amount of time they had to carve out the block. I found out that if they write one wrong word, they have to redo the whole thing which requires large amount of time and patience. After that, we got to roam around the museum and visit other exhibits. If you want to find out more about China's block printing culture, you can come to the blocking printing museum and even watch the workers do it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Dong Guan Jie 东关历史文化街

Entrance to Dong Guan Jie

Traditional shop in Dong Guan Jie

A modern café in Dong Guan Jie

Walking down the street of Dong Guan Jie

Dong Guan Jie is a old cultural street. There are many shops that sell traditional handicrafts and small items that are exquisite and handmade. The items sold there are cheaper than stuffs sold outside. There are many diminishing occupation which can be found in Dong Guan Jie too, such as the sugar art. We were given time to shop at Dong Guan Jie and I bought quite a lot of things because the designs are unique and the price is cheap. The shopping experience in Dong Guan Jie was one of the best times in Yangzhou because we got to walk around with our friends and shop together. The things sold in Dong Guan Jie were special too because we could hardly find any of those cultural items outside. It is highly recommendable to come to Dong Guan Jie for shopping cheap and unique items and witness the diminishing trades.

Rating: 5/5

老字号谢馥春的千秋粉黛表演

Introduction of 馥园 where the performance was held at

Before the performance started

Design on the wall

Design on the wall

The 千秋粉黛 performance is to showcase the beauty of the women in Yangzhou after applying 谢馥春 makeup so customers can buy their products. This is one of the ways 谢馥春 attracts customers. During the performance, the women were dressed in traditional costumes and performed. One of them asked two people from our class to volunteer to go up and try to speak Yangzhou dialect. Others sang dialect songs or played instruments like 琵琶 and 竖琴. I noticed that our class almost took up the whole place and only a few more people were watching. I learn that 谢馥春 was once very popular in China but it's business got taken over by other more modern companies because 谢馥春 sells traditional makeup which lesser people are using now. The performance was quite boring since we did not know how to appreciate the music.

Rating: 2.5/5