During the summer of 2015 I spent seven weeks living and studying Chinese in Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province in southwestern China. At The Southwest University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) I took classes in Chinese language and grammar, and also a class focusing on the history and culture of China, specifically the Sichuan province (known for its pandas and spicy food). 

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I very much believe that in order to really learn and understand a foreign language, you have to also understand the culture and the people who speak it. In class the lessons included the history of the dynasties, the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, food and cooking methods, Chinese calligraphy and art, and a history and culture of some of the holidays that occurred during the seven weeks of the program. 

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In addition to these lessons in the classroom, there were also several cultural excursions that we took as a class within Sichuan province. These trips included visits to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the historical city of Luodai Ancient Town, we also visited Mount Qingcheng and the nearby ancient Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Within walking distance of the SWUFE campus we visited the Jinsha Archeological Site Museum. The final excursion was to the 70 foot tall Leshan Giant Buddha carved into the side of a mountain, and to Mount Emei, one of the four sacred Buddhist Mountains of China.