Exploring China Through Food, Dance, and Art!

Students were busy this week exploring China and Chinese culture from multiple aspects. 

Up first, they hosted a Chinese Cuisine Collaboration were everyone prepared a Chinese dish with their host family and then brought it to school. With 23 provinces and 5 autonomous regions, Chinese cuisine varies greatly and there are hundreds of dishes to choose from. Divided into 6 groups, the battle began. They created menus, plated the food oh-so-beautifully, and really brought out all of the sales tactics. The goal was to get the most votes for best food from the international college students and CIEE staff. Being that there was more food than a single person could taste, competition was fierce to get the judges to taste your food! Some groups sang and danced to get the judges over to their table. The victorious group enjoyed an ice cream reward :) 

For the second activity of the week, students enjoyed learning about different types of Chinese traditional dances which included “Park dancing" (广场舞) which is an exercise routine performed to music in public squares, parks, and plazas, and is popular especially among middle-aged and retired women，"Eight-section brocade" (八段锦) which is a traditional eight-part sequence of qigong exercises, and traditional Chinese dancing which is both beautiful and elegant and what most may think of when they think of dance in China! 

Last (but not least!), students had the opportunity to craft and customize their own bamboo wind chimes (竹风铃). There is a long history of bamboo and wind chimes in China (separately) so they received a lesson on both and how they were able to integrate the two to make beautiful pieces of art!

See more pictures below!