行在中国 Me&China | 听国际生聊寒假见闻 My Winter Break Tours in China

来自GCM项目2022级的Esther Christy在寒假期间和同学们一起组队游览了上海、苏州、重庆等极具特色的城市。大家都是第一次来到中国，实地游览的真实体验与此前的文化“刻板印象”相碰撞，让同学们更加生动立体地了解中国、认识中国，也进一步感受了中国的魅力。一起来听听Esther是怎么说的吧！

Esther Christy from Batch 22 of the GCM program chose to spend winter break with her classmates exploring cities such as Shanghai, Suzhou, and Chongqing. As the field trips' experiences clashed with stereotypes, they also gained a better understanding of China. Let's hear what Esther said about the tours!

上海 Shanghai bustling, bright, motivating, and lively!

By the end of the holiday, I can assure you every ZIBSer has made it to Shanghai. I made mine before New Year and it really made me say "So this is the 'China Instagram' has been showing me". It is just as stunning. Shanghai Tower, The Bund, Xintiandi, and the Yu Garden explain to me why Shanghai has made it to become China’s entertainment engine. It is bustling, bright, motivating, and lively. Nightlife in Shanghai was definitely on a whole other level and wild. When my friends fly back to their hometowns, Shanghai will definitely be the highlight to answer the “How is China?” question.

相信经过这个寒假，各位ZIBSer都去过上海了吧！我是在元旦节前夕来到上海，这座城市确实像网上看到的那样令人惊叹！上海中心大厦、外滩、新天地、豫园……无一不向我诠释着她作为娱乐之都的神奇魅力。这里的繁华、闪耀和勃勃生机都令人着迷。特别是上海的夜生活，更是令人大开眼界。相信回到家乡后，上海绝对是我们分享中国印象时的一大亮点！

苏州 Suzhou nature, gardens, and the waterfront!

If you love nature, gardens, and the waterfront, Suzhou will definitely be your town. I spent the days of the Chinese New Year in Suzhou. Chinese New Year has always been a one-day holiday in Indonesia, whereas here, finding a restaurant we could eat at was a legit hassle, thankfully we booked a restaurant in advance. The only places we could visit are historical roads; you’d have to squeeze yourself into the crowd to walk. A handful of itineraries remain unchecked, and I promise another visit to Suzhou.

如果你喜爱自然景观、中式园林还有水乡风光，苏州绝对是首选！今年我在苏州度过了春节。在印度尼西亚，春节假期通常只有一天。而在这里，想在春节期间找到一家有空位的餐厅太难了！幸好我们有提前预订。在苏州，我们参观了一些历史悠久的街道。由于过年人流拥挤，所以还有几处没有打卡——相信我一定会再来的！

重庆 Chongqing magical and unbelievable!

Whenever I googled "Must Visit Cities in China", the city of Chongqing always made it to Google’s top results, so it's time to see it for myself. Let me tell you, it was magical and unbelievable—definitely underrated. I’d describe it as the second Shanghai. Thanks to my Chongqing friend, who curated the wholesome places we visited during the busy holidays. Both of these pictures were taken in Hongya Cave; it’s jaw-dropping, and I guarantee you’ll thank me if you ever visit. In every direction you turn, there are going to be gorgeous lights and tall buildings; the expense of having to fly there is for sure worth it.

每当我在网上搜索“中国必游城市”，重庆总是位居前列。所以，是时候亲自看看了！不得不说，这座城市真的不可思议——我甚至觉得大家低估了它的魅力。这里堪称上海第二！非常感谢我的重庆朋友，在繁忙的假期为我们策划了一场难忘之旅。上面的两张照片都拍摄于洪崖洞，这里绝对会让你惊艳——强烈推荐各位去重庆！相信去过之后你会感谢我的。华丽的灯光、高耸的楼宇……每一步都充满了绝妙景色。我敢说，重庆的浏览体验绝对值回机票！

Taste of China save your efforts and delay your diet!

Moving on to the taste of China, for the love of Tanghulus, foods are either so sweet and inviting or very savory and mouthwatering like Mala and Shao Pi. I can safely confirm China is one step ahead when it comes to flavors. Save your efforts and delay your diet if you plan to come to China because I have never heard of any of my friends losing weight. Every city is cultivated with its own unique foods; a part of your soul would feel incomplete without trying them. The dishes are just so flavorful that I know I’ll have to adjust my tongue when coming back to my hometown. Adventuring in and experiencing China answers my question of why every country has a Chinatown.

Tanghulus & 

Mala and Shao Pi

说到对中国味道的热爱，无论是甜蜜可口的糖葫芦，还是鲜香诱人的麻辣苕皮，在美食领域中国绝对No.1！如果你打算来中国，那就暂时放弃节食吧——我的朋友没有一位减肥成功。中国的每个城市都有着自己独特的风味；不去试试的话绝对是损失。享受了这么多美味，恐怕回到故乡后，我不得不重新适应家乡口味了。不过，也正是这样的体验让我明白了为什么每个国家都会有唐人街!

（中文内容翻译自英文）

Writer｜Esther Christy (GCM 2022)

Editor｜LI Songjiao

Managing Editor｜CHENQI Lisha 

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