Day two of the China trip consisted of a visit to the National Palace Museum in Taiwan and a four-hour flight to Beijing.
We started off the day at 6:30 a.m. with a breakfast buffet at the hotel, which included many foods like mantou (steamed bread), toast with different spreads, and traditional soft rice with various toppings. Afterwards, we checked out of our hotel, and headed for the National Palace Museum.
As we arrived to the museum, we were greeted with a grand traditional Chinese archway and sun beaming on us. Luckily, the museum had strong AC! Following our tour guide Robbie, we were guided through every gallery, from Chinese inkstones to the famous jade bok choy (Chinese cabbage). Some highlights of the museum were a bronze Stupa (Chinese tower), Chinese furniture and carvings, the porcelain dish with no imperfections, and various Chinese pottery. With the historical background from Robbie, we learned the Buddhist influence on Chinese art, technological advancements that varied through dynasties, and the Chinese lifestyle. After the tour, we had 30 minutes to roam freely; most of us chose to go to the gift shop. Some students bought merchandise of the famous jade bok choy in Lego or keychain form while others bought chopsticks in a Chinese knife container.
After a short bus ride, we quickly arrived at the airport and said goodbye to our tour guide. It wasn’t too crowded, and we were able to move through the lines fairly quickly. After getting through security efficiently, we had some time to walk around and browse the shops and cafes. The airport was really modern and unique as each of the terminal gates had a theme. Our terminal was ocean themed with ocean wallpaper and an interactive surfboard that many of us tried. While walking around, we also found many other free interactive things. For example, we found a wall where you could take a picture and it would show your face on the wall as a mermaid or other ocean-themed object. As well as exploring the airport, many of us also bought drinks, such as Starbucks, and some food. The Starbucks menu was relatively similar to the menu back in the States, although it had some additional drinks and pastries special to Taiwan. Some kids got layered crepe cake, matcha bread, and croissant sandwiches from Starbucks.
The flight was around four hours. There was a little bit of turbulence, but otherwise the flight went well. We enjoyed playing games on the screens, the meal provided (which included ice cream), watching movies, and talking with friends.
When we landed in Beijing, it was around 7:45 p.m. After making it through customs, we met our new tour guide, Jerry, and took a bus to our hotel.
The hotel is very big with many floors and has many shops inside it — it’s almost like a department store on the ground floor! We ate dinner once we arrived. Many people enjoyed burgers, sandwiches, or salads.
After dinner, we went back to our rooms to get some much-needed rest before we explore more of Beijing tomorrow!
