Sarah Ajise & Marissa Yee

During our last morning in Beijing, we had to wake up early, check-out, enjoy our last Beijing breakfast buffet, and board our tour bus by 7am. Because of the rain in Beijing yesterday, the morning skies were clear and blue, giving us a nice send off. Our tour guide, Alex, was so kind to help us through security at the train station and see us board the train. Many thanks to Alex!

During the 2.5 hour train ride to Anyang, some students relaxed, slept, and enjoyed the scenery, while other students enjoyed a few rounds of Sushi Go, one of the card games Professor Sheehan brought along the trip.

We arrived in Anyang around noon and met our new tour guide for Anyang and Hebi, Johnson. On the way to lunch, many of us commented on the peculiarity of the apartment buildings here. Each block seems to have five or more identical apartment towers, with different building designs stretching for blocks on end. The tour bus took us to a restaurant for lunch, with some of the best dishes so far! Popular dishes included millet porridge, duck, steamed fish, handmade tofu, and Henan buns. We’re certainly hoping for more delicious food as we continue our time in Henan province.

Apartment buildings in Anyang

Emma, Wendy, and Eric at lunch in Anyang

After checking in, unpacking, and resting in the hotel, the entire group went to Wanda Plaza, one of the malls in Anyang. Brew Crew, Pop & Sicle team, and Team Tampon were all able to find their products in the supermarket. Makeup Moguls found their eye cream in stands outside of the supermarket. Hot pot team spent most of their time on the third floor of the mall which was dedicated entirely to restaurants.

Anyang Wanda Plaza

Dinner at the noodle shop in Anyang

After conducting research in our groups, we came together for a meal in one of the mall restaurants. During dinner, we’ve started saying our “rose”, “thorn”, and “bud” for the day – a happy and unhappy moment from the day, and something you’re looking forward to in the future. Many of our roses included being on a bullet train, enjoying the spacious Anyang hotel, and today’s lunch. Many were hopeful that Anyang would be a fun city to explore for the next few days. Post dinner, some students and Professor Sheehan decided to get foot massages. It looks like they had an excellent time!

Getting a massage in Anyang

Thank you for reading our blog post! We’re sad that our journey in Beijing has come to a close, but are certainly excited for what is to come in Anyang!