屯溪老街

屯溪老街 - 4 stars

This was one of the few chances that we actually got to go shopping in China. Although we were only given around 1+ hour, which was not enough to fully explore the street, we had fun walking from shop to shop and buying souvenirs or other things, such as keychains and hats. There was a famous shop that sold 传统糕点, which we bought from. The 糕点 there was delicious. There was also a famous shop that sold 毛笔 and 砚, which I did not get to visit due to lack of time. I really enjoyed myself at this place, but I feel that we weren't given enough time here. If we were given more time here, I definitely would have given this place a higher rating. 

徽州古城

徽商大宅院, 棠樾牌坊群 & 徽州古城 - 3.5 stars

I got to experience the heritage of China through these cultural sites. The places were all well-preserved, and showed the culture of China. We enjoyed ourselves walking around the places and taking pictures of the interior of the houses or the scenery. However, I did not like the area tour guide of these places as she spoke way too fast and moved too fast. For example, before some of us reached a certain place, she would be done talking and would move on to the next place. Like this, we would not be able to fully learn from these sites. However, I felt that these places were very well preserved and we can learn a lot from them. 

Xidi and Hongcun

溪递and 宏村 Villages (4.5 stars)    

Xidi and Hongcun were the ancient villages we went to. Xidi and Hongcun were scenic, peaceful and quiet. Xidi had a large lake with hills behind in the background. There were ducks swimming around. The villagers were selling their hand made products and led a simple life. There was also a market selling the locals handmade products and I also bought some embroidery. We also went to a well preserved shop and we realised it sold a wide variety or items ranging from jewelry to rice

Meiling and iFlytek

Meiling and iFlytek 4 stars

After visiting Meiling and iFlytek, I realized how advanced China's technology was. iFlyTek developed a voice recognition technology. After we tested it out, it was highly accurate mad was able to translate the words we wanted it to. This makes life convenient for people. This technology also entered the vehicle market and cars including BMW also made use of this technology in their high end cars. For example, we tested out how the GPS taught us how to drive to Huangshan from the location we were in.  In my opinion, this shows China's ambition to be one the leading countries in this market. As for Meiling, after visiting the factory and it's gallery, we found out that Meiling fridges not only cater to Chinese but also overseas. Meiling factory was a large scaled production and This shows shows the significance of local companies to not only China's economy but also other countries' in my opinion, this was a very enriching experience 

Sanhe Guzhen

三河古镇 - 4 stars

I truly experienced the rich culture and heritage of China through the beautiful and well-preserved scenery as well as the exhibitions in the area. As I walked through the streets, I saw rows of shophouses selling all sorts of souvenirs, including fans, 九连环, hats, etc. The exhibits were really interesting and informative, and I learnt a lot from them. I experienced how the wealthier Chinese lived in the past, and I really enjoyed this place. However, it could've been better if we could enter the pagoda located there, as the view of the area would've been superb from the top. 

School immersion

School Immersion- 4.5 stars

The technologies used in the classroom are advanced. Smart board, teacher's desk with computer and air conditional are available in the classroom. However the classroom is a little overcrowded. 60 over students need to squeeze in one classroom. The lessons are interesting and there is a 10min break time after every 40min of lesson. The break allows my brain to rest after the lesson so that I can absorb more information in the next lesson. With the break, the lesson time also seems shorter and I would not be restless during the lessons.

High speed rail trip advisor

High Speed Rail (4 stars) 

We took the High Speed from Shanghai to Anhui and the duration was about 3 hours. The train had 7 cabins and the maximum speed of the rail was around 240 km/h. The service was good and there were a few stewardess pushing carts, selling some consumables to us. We passed many rice fields, lakes and houses. This represents the rapid development of China and the High Speed Rail improved the lives of people tremendously. It not only makes everything convenient for the, but also improves the Economy