Day 1: Yuan Ren, YC ’08
Beijing, Wednesday, May 16

Although it was just another regular long flight home for me, the rest of the delegation did not enjoy their thirteen hours on the plane. The entertainment system that everyone was counting on to kill time was down; the food was difficult to swallow; and the rough landing just made those greasy noodles all come back out. Traveling all the way to the other side of the world was definitely not an easy job.

After getting our luggage, we were divided into three groups and boarded buses that each had a sign saying “State Guests.” What surprised us more was the police car that was assigned by the Chinese Government to escort us. We later found out this was only the beginning of our high-profile trip.

As we drove into the city, the rapid urban development, the prosperity of economic activities and the juxtaposition of ancient architecture and modern cityscape excited the delegation. Everybody was busy taking pictures and listening to our guide. I was constantly being challenged by questions ranging from pollution to the current education system, China’ foreign policy to people’s everyday life. These questions forced me to see China from an outsider’s perspective in a much more objective way.

Even with the police escort, there was not much we could do in Beijing’s traffic. After a long drive, we finally arrived at our destination, Beijing Hotel. President Levin, accompanied by different Chinese media, was already there to greet us. Entering the hotel, we saw the first of many huge banners we would encounter throughout the trip, “Welcome Yale 100 to China.”

After a brief interview with South China Morning Post and a quick shower, I came back to lobby in suit and tie. Most people had already gathered here in their best presence, because we were going to meet President Hu Jintao and it is considered the highest honor in China. Decorated with red carpet, marble columns and golden railings, the Great Hall of People amazed us again with its grandeur and magnificence. It was indeed very hard to believe that the design and construction only took nine months.

With a round of applause, President Hu entered the room. He kindly shook hands with people in the front row. I was lucky or short enough to be one of them. It was definitely an unforgettable moment for me. I have never even imagined being this close to my own president, the person who leads a country of 1.2 billion people, maintaining the social stability while sustaining a double-digit economic growth. President Hu used three Chinese proverbs for his welcome speech: “Isn’t it joyful to see friends from afar?” “Heroes always come from young people.” And “Seeing is believing.” These wisdoms of two thousand years old best described the purpose of this trip: to build the everlasting friendship between U.S. and China.

Dinner took place in the Macau Banquet Hall in the Great Hall of People. Obviously the Chinese chefs adjusted their menu to meet the westerners’ taste. Our food ended up being those Americanized Chinese food we would find in Ivy Noodle, except much more lavish. One of the dishes was abalone. Many people thought it was some kind of mushroom and just swallowed it. They regretted so much for not tasting it more carefully when they found out what that was.

Yale students who were studying in the Yale-PKU program joined us for dinner, and they were eager to share their experiences with us and to catch up with the stories happening at Yale. We talked for a long time, only with occasional interrupts by journalists and photographers. The next day, a picture of Marisa Reisman, who is enrolled in PKU, me and other Yale students talking and laughing hit the international section of China Youth Daily, titled “Cordial Interaction between Visiting American Students and Local Chinese Student.” It is so interesting that in fact Marisa studies in Beijing and I was visiting China from the U.S. We did not want to correct them, since it is such a beautiful mistake: the educational exchange between U.S. and China is so close that people can no longer tell who the Chinese student is and who the American one is.