Taiwan-China Visit & Study Tour

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Approximate Cost for 3 Weeks Tour: $2,100 (2 Weeks: $ 1900)

including

meals, hotel rooms, tours in Taiwan & China, tour guides, airline tickets, cruise trips

Each student received a $500 scholarship

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by Shyang Wang

A group of 17, including two faculty members, 8 students, and 7 community friends traveled to Taiwan and China following the PSU graduation on May 19, 2002. The trip was in conjunction with a three-hour course "HRD 810 Seminar-Study Tour in Taiwan & China." This tour was led by Dr. Tom Baldwin, Professor and Dean of Technology, Dr. Lee Christensen, Registrar, and arranged by Dr. John Chen, Professor and Assistant to the President.

This tour was an all-inclusive prepaid tour. Souvenir money was the only additional out-of-pocket expense we incurred. We had chances to try so many different delicious Chinese foods, and visited more beautiful places than we had expected. Plus, we enjoyed lodging in 3-star or better hotels in China.

During the trip, we went to many different places in mainland China and Taiwan. In mainland China, Quilin was our first stop. Quilin is famous for its natural scenery and history. We had a cruise tour on Li River in very comfortable cabin on the cruise ship.

Xi'An is a historical city, and people in China also call Xi'An the ancient capital. In Xi'An, we visited the world famous Terracotta Warriors. It was an unbelievable wonder which was created 2000 thousand years ago. We also visited the city hall, and the night market.

We spent five days in the capital city Beijing. We also visited many extraordinary places, such as the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Heaven Temple, Lu-go Bridge (where the Second World War started in China), and others. We went to even more places than you can imagine. For instance, we want to the zoo to see the grand pandas. It was quite a thrill.

During the 9 days in China, we had full a full schedule of activities everyday, and we all had an amazing experience. We all said that we want to go back to China again to visit.

The tours in Taiwan were also incredible. We visited several sister institutions in Taiwan, such as Fu-Jen Catholic University, Chung-Yung Christian University, China Institution of Technology, and others. We also made several short trips to different cities, such as Taipei, Tainan, Taichung and Hualian. We also went to the extraordinary Taluko National Park.

This tour ended with a remarkable cruise tour in Keelung Harbor, and we were the only guests on the cruise ship provided by Keelung Harbor Bureau. Plus, we were treated with a excellent Japanese cuisine in a gorgeous hotel near by Keelung Harbor.

We appreciated the hospitalities and arrangements provided by many of our gracious hosts. The people from our sister institutions, PSU alumni, and university friends in Taiwan, extended superb hospitality more than we could have ever expected. They always opened their hearts, families, and homes to us.

I strongly recommend that students take advantage of the many opportunities here at PSU to study abroad and travel. This three weeks Taiwan-China tour is an excellent example. The knowledge and experience we gained on this trip was valuable and unforgettable. Should another opportunity to travel abroad become available, I will definitely plan to go.

 

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Itinerary Schedule