By Lauren Hutchinson
The Chengdu Scientific Exploration and World Heritage Programme has been one of the most unreal and rewarding experiences of my life, with many highlights. One that stands out to me is being able to visit and experience so many parts of Chengdu and the wider area in such a short amount of time. Experiences such as visiting the Dujiangyan irrigation system, bamboo weaving in Chongzhou, and classical lion dance performances is not something most tourists would get the chance to do. A personal favourite was also visiting the Chengdu Panda Research Base, since the conservation work there ties into my studies, and I’d never seen giant pandas in real life before.
A challenge I faced was a pretty prominent language barrier and some miscommunications along the way. Ordering food, asking for directions, or just figuring out signage sometimes turned into a bit of a guessing game. This got easier over time with a mix of Google Translate and a lot of hand gestures. Luckily for us, most of the daytime tours had an English guide.
This exchange has allowed me to grow substantially, both personally and professionally, in such a short span of time. Personally, my worldview has been broadened. I’ve tried new, delicious food, been immersed in a culture that’s thousands of years old, seen a huge amount of history firsthand, and met locals with lives pretty different from mine. Forming friendships with other attendees from various countries was also part of the learning experience. Being around so many different cultures, traditions, perspectives, and languages has helped me change the way I view a lot of things.
I learnt a great deal visiting a range of scientific facilities, and was able to compare what I’ve learnt in New Zealand through my degree with what’s currently happening in China. As I study Earth and Environmental Science, Chengdu University of Technology’s State Key Laboratory of Geology was particularly interesting. I learnt how their research into the Sichuan Basin has helped them develop an early warning system for landslides and earthquakes, which protects hundreds of thousands of people. The Tianqi Lithium Museum also taught me more about lithium as an element, and how it’s used to create green energy solutions. Seeing the parallels and differences between science happening in China and New Zealand was really interesting. The university lectures added to this by connecting what we saw on our activities with Chinese culture and history, tying current technology back to its historical context.
I expect this experience will affect my future in a few ways. Firstly, through the connections formed with other attendees. People came from a range of academic backgrounds, which opens up opportunities for cross-subject collaboration and bringing different perspectives into future research. It also means more chances to travel and meet up again down the line. Secondly, this experience reaffirmed my interest in my studies and motivated me to look into current Chinese research in relevant fields, since they’re leading in areas I wasn’t really aware of before. Finally, this trip showed me what an innovative, friendly country China is, and I’d like to go back at some point and explore more of Chengdu and the wider area.
Overall, the programme gave me a much broader perspective, both academically and personally, and pushed me outside my comfort zone in the best way. I came home with new knowledge, new friendships, new food inspo, and a strong desire to keep exploring unfamiliar places and opportunities.
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