After a long two weeks of studying in preparation for my second exam within my intensive Chinese language track and the exam finally behind me, our program decided to take us out of the city center into the suburbs for a day of exploration in Yellow Dragon Village. The village is built in a Chinese architectural style reminiscent of dynasties long ago with arching roofs adorned with ornamental animals, clay roof tiles, and wooden trim along every facet of a building’s interior. At the entrance of the village is a roaring fountain that dumps water into a quaint stream that flows through man-made canals along the village’s main street until it empties into the river along the village’s side. This trip offered me and my classmates a getaway from the stressful inner sanctum of the classroom by walking the quiet streets of a small village, shopping among its venders, taking pictures and videos, and, overall, basking in the beauty of another day in China.
