Our fourteen hour flight to Beijing landed four days ago. Life since then has been everything we never could have imagined…
DAY ONE – Wednesday, May 19
Our company visits began with CITIC (China International Trust and Investment Company). CITIC is a state-owned entity with 418 branches in China, Hong Kong, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with total assets valued in excess of $70 billion US. We had a panel presentation and discussion from several Vice-Presidents, CEOs, and Chairmen within the company and its subsidiaries.
Lehman Brown, an international accounting firm with over 300 partners in 100 countries, was actually just a few floors up the elevator in the same building. They hosted us for lunch at the Capital Club, an exclusive “member’s only” establishment on the 50th floor. With a wall half-filled with windows, the view of the city was phenomenal. When we finally stopped taking pictures, Russell Brown, a managing partner of the firm, delivered a presentation concerning the positives and negatives of operating in China and their ability to sustain the current growth numbers.
We spent the rest of our night sampling a very interesting selection of dumplings at a local restaurant and enjoying an acrobatic troupe performance.
DAY TWO – Thursday, May 20
Our itinerary for Thursday was shifted a bit to accommodate one of the company’s we planned to visit. Consequently, we had an entire day of sightseeing! The morning was filled with pictures in the center of Tiananmen Square and a few hours of meandering about the Forbidden City. Our tour guide Yalin, or “Amanda,” narrated our walk via headsets and gave us a better understanding through her perspective as a resident of China and Beijing.
After a quick lunch, we all headed an hour out of the city to visit the Great Wall. Aside from the size, the biggest surprise was the sheer steepness of the climb. Multiple students said they couldn’t imagine anyone being crazy enough to try to invade China because it literally seemed to be an impossible task on foot. Many of us made it to the top of the small section we visited and bought commemorative plaques to celebrate our climb to 25,000 feet.
DAY THREE – Friday, May 21
A short bus ride to the United States Embassy in Beijing started our day. When we arrived, a line of approximately 100 Chinese citizens were waiting in line for VISAs outside. Inside the staff was in the middle of preparing for a visit from six Cabinet members, among other important leaders, so our meeting was brief but informative. Much of the conversation revolved around RMB Chinese currency issues and civil disruption around the globe.
Our afternoon visit consisted of a tour through the Lenovo showroom. It showcases the company’s story, computing products, and latest designs in a contemporary, interactive format. We took turns playing virtual basketball next to a cardboard cut-out of Yao Ming and holding the torch that Lenovo designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The visit was definitely one of the highlights in Beijing, and most of us consider it our favorite company visit so far.
Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped at Olympic Village for a few pictures and then went to a market for a few hours. Markets in China are completely different from anything we experience in the States. As soon as you walk in the doors, you’re consumeD by seven floors of name brand knock-offs and vendors on a mission to sell. Some yell, and others will grab your arm. Very few spoke much English, but they all spoke numbers. Bargaining and haggling are expected out of every customer at every booth.
For example, a pair of fake RayBans started out at 180RMB (approx. $27US). Though that is a great deal compared to the real American price, you have to remember they’re not real. With the haggling help of a Lipscomb alum who is now teaching English in China, I was able to get 4 pairs for 120RMB (approx. $18US or $4.50US each). Others also bought a carry-on hardshell luggage case for 150RMB (approx. $22US), five real pearl necklaces for 335RMB (approx. $10US each), a fake Dolce and Gabana patent red leather bag for $250RMB (approx. $37US), and a knock-off North Face two-layer winter jacket for 160RMB (approx. $24US). Experiencing the market was one of the most memorable afternoons of my life.
DAY FOUR – Saturday, May 22
We woke up early and took the bus to an orphanage called the House of Hope about an hour outside of Beijing. With China’s one child policy, many parents will have a child who is not “perfect,” and they simply orphan them in order to have another chance at having their one “perfect” baby. Some of those orphaned children are lucky enough to end up at the House of Hope. They receive care in the form of medicines, minor surgeries, etc. that allows them to lead normal lives and be adopted into loving families all over the world. We played with the children and took pictures, but our other reason for going was to deliver suitcases of medical supplies that are not easily accessible in mainland China. Many of the suitcases consisted of Baby Tylenol, diapers, wipes, casting for clubbed feet, and sleeping outfits.
Later that morning we jumped right in to traffic as we biked through the Hutong. Only videos can truly depict how insane our journey was. Traffic laws in China are more accurately described as guidelines. It wasn’t uncommon to see four rows of traffic in three lanes and cars passing on the sidewalks when they felt the urge. We didn’t stay on major roads very long, but tiny backroads also posed challenges with other bikers, motorized scooters, bike taxis, and pedestrians. The horn-honking and bell-ringing hardly stopped for more than a few seconds. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far, and I’m glad I survived to tell about it.
On our last night in Beijing, a few of us ventured out into the street market. Unlike the indoor markets, it consists only of food, and I considered practically all of the “food” inedible. Snake, starfish, eel, scorpion, and many unidentifiable creatures were prepared various ways and ready for purchase. Some Lipscomb students ate silkworms. I opted for Chex Mix in my room.
All this only covers a little over half of the things we’ve done because we’ve done so much exploring on our own in the evenings, but in short we have visited four major international companies, roamed Tiananmen Square, experienced the Forbidden City, climbed the Great Wall, played with orphaned children, biked the streets of the Hutong, bartered in markets, and eaten as the locals do. When in China…