Each year on October 1st, China celebrates what is called The National Day of the People's Republic of China. The national holiday was declared after the founding of the PRC took place on October 1, 1949. While most only celebrate the holiday for that one day, it can lasts all of 7 days, a Golden week, with festivals, decorations, and concerts to keep people excited throughout the week. During this time, students are able to a break from their normal schedule of classes and can choose to either study or partake in vacations. Choosing the ladder, a few of us decided on a two part vacation with half of our time being spent in Kunming and the other in Chengdu. Kunming is the capital and largest city in the Yunnan Province (Southwest China). Called "The Spring City" for its amazing landscapes and blue skies, the city is home to about 6.5 million people. We were excited to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai to relax and take in the calm that is Kunming. While in Kunming, we got the opportunity to check out cool museums, listen to the harmonious chants of the monks, eat at amazing family styled restaurants, as well as travel a little further out to wonder at its beautiful landmarks. We also got to stay at the Upland Youth Hostel, which had an in-house bar, restaurant, and a view that overlooked the city. Here are some of the pictures from our Kunming Adventure, including the Stone Forest, Red Lands, and the Yuantong Temple.
Jonathan Thibeaux
<p>Jonathan Thibeaux hails from Lafayette, LA and is a 5th year biology major at Morehouse College. A self-proclaimed "media enthusiast, writer, motivator, and certified dreamer,” he is working hard to catapult himself from a pre-medical past into the world of media and television. At Morehouse, he served as the Senior Co-Chair of the Campus Alliance for Student Activities, Co-Campus Based Leader for the Gates Millennium Scholar Group, Maroon Tiger Columnist, and Presidential Ambassador. Choosing to defer his degree for a year, he will be spending a year in Shanghai, China and Cape Town, South Africa for an immersive educational experience. Through his blog and affiliations he hopes to provide a safe and inspiring space for teenagers and adults to document and experience their lives, without the pressure to conform to social constructs. He hopes to one day work in Marketing as a television executive and possibly even becoming the talent of his own show. This fall he will be blogging for Shanghai, China.</p>
