Sorry everybody! I haven’t posted for a while, so I thought I would write an extra long update this time.
First off, I would like to talk about the various museums I have been to in Nanjing! Since the Flagship program understands that its students are very busy, they make a point to organize field trips to take us out and around the city. One of our first field trips was to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum.
It was quite a hike to get to the mausoleum, and there were a ridiculous amount of people there, but it was well worth the climb; the view of Nanjing was beyond incredible, and the whole city was in view ( I didn't get a good picture of it though).
In addition, around the mausoleum, there are many parks, and quite a few cute little shops. Personally, my favorite portion of the mausoleum were the extensive parks filled with various trees and ancient statues. If I have time, I hope to go to the mausoleum again. However, if I were to go, I would stay the entire day given that it is quite a ways away from the city.
Another field trip I took with the Flagship program was to the Nanjing Massacre Museum, in addition to another smaller museum, also relating to the massacre that occurred in Nanjing. Needless to say, this field trip was very necessary in order to better understand the history of Nanjing, and gave me a deep, solemn impression. Inside these museums, I learned that, between 1937-1938, Japanese soldiers came to mainland China and killed a total of 300,000 people. To put this in perspective, the Nanjing Massacre Museum scattered 300,000 pebbles throughout the museum, one to represent every life taken during the massacre. In result, the grounds around the museum were filled with pebbles.
Another museum that I went to with the Flagship program was the Nanjing City Museum. Within this museum, there are so many exhibits, and their content varies so widely, it is impossible to see it all in one go. However, my favorite exhibit had to be the one with dinosaur bones. There are also exhibits relating to ancient Chinese pottery, jade, Buddhism, clocks, technology, and much more.
So far, my most favorite museum that I have been to in Nanjing was not with the Flagship program. One day, my friends
and I decided to tour the Porcelain Tower Museum. Inside, there are numerous things to see, from ancient temples, artifacts, and pieces of art, all relating to Buddhism. Also, it does not take a great deal of time to make the trip out to this museum, unlike many other famous places in Nanjing. Also, there is a large porcelain tower right next to the museum, and there are some great views from the top!
Thank you all for reading! Questions and comments are always welcome.
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| Entrance to the mausoleum |
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| Kissin' one if the creatures in the garden |
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| Melissa and I out on the town |
It was quite a hike to get to the mausoleum, and there were a ridiculous amount of people there, but it was well worth the climb; the view of Nanjing was beyond incredible, and the whole city was in view ( I didn't get a good picture of it though).
In addition, around the mausoleum, there are many parks, and quite a few cute little shops. Personally, my favorite portion of the mausoleum were the extensive parks filled with various trees and ancient statues. If I have time, I hope to go to the mausoleum again. However, if I were to go, I would stay the entire day given that it is quite a ways away from the city.
Another field trip I took with the Flagship program was to the Nanjing Massacre Museum, in addition to another smaller museum, also relating to the massacre that occurred in Nanjing. Needless to say, this field trip was very necessary in order to better understand the history of Nanjing, and gave me a deep, solemn impression. Inside these museums, I learned that, between 1937-1938, Japanese soldiers came to mainland China and killed a total of 300,000 people. To put this in perspective, the Nanjing Massacre Museum scattered 300,000 pebbles throughout the museum, one to represent every life taken during the massacre. In result, the grounds around the museum were filled with pebbles.
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| Jade Armor! |
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| The Porcelain Tower! |
So far, my most favorite museum that I have been to in Nanjing was not with the Flagship program. One day, my friends
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| Buddhist Statue |
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| Views from the tower |
Thank you all for reading! Questions and comments are always welcome.
Is the flagship program sponsored by China? What is it's purpose?
ReplyDeleteThe Flagship program is sponsored through the US Department of Defense. It’s main purpose is to encourage more people to speak Chinese and to work for US intellegance agancies, such as the CIA, NSA, among many other agencies. At the end of my time abroad, I will have to take a few language tests, and if I pass, I will be awarded with a US government certified certificate that confirms I speak Mandarin at a superior level. In addition, this government certificate grants me special privileges, for instance, I will more likely be considered for a government position above other applicants, and if I chose to take an exam to work for the government, I can skip out on certain tests that other participants must take. Lastly, in addition to Chinese Flagship, there are many other Flagship programs across the country for Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Wolof, in addition to many other languages.
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