MPEI student Dmitriy Chesnokov has successfully completed his education at the summer school of Harbin Polytechnic Institute and has shared his impressions of life and study in China.
China is one of the strongest world powers at the moment.
PRC is ranking first in the domains of population number, electricity production, production export and many others. The story of this country is one of the most ancient. Glorious temples and huge buildings take us to the times of Chinese Emperors. Harbin is one of the main industry centres in China. It can be compared to Chelyabinsk in terms of plants, but it is 10 times larger in terms of population.
Right after the arrival we were guided to the hotel, to the 2-person room with bath, air conditioner and TV, then we took our bearings upstairs. As soon as we had done this, we were sent to the opening ceremony. Our tutor told us about lifestyle and social issues, special moments of China. The city itself is similar to Moscow, there are aquaparks, museums, local ‘’Arbat’’ street, grand supermarkets and lots of sightseeing places: temples, palaces, parks, historical objects and even a monument for Russian soldiers that had been helping to free the city during the war.
Apart from architectural sites, there are natural areas at Harbin. One-hour ride from the city there is the Maoershan mountain that you can visit for a little fee.
n Summer School the teachers gave us phonetics and understanding of several dozen phrases in Chinese, as well as organized many sightseeing tours and lectures of culture, technology and life in China. Despite the multitude of events, we had enough time to go for a walk in Harbin or visit Beijing on the weekend.
It is worth mentioning specially the food at the Institute – there was completely everything. The local canteen here is divided in three buildings that are each for national Chinese, European and Eastern cuisines. During the whole time of staying at the Institute we never tried one and the same dish more than twice, every day it is a new taste. However, this paradise is within reach only inside the Institute. Outside the Institute the prices are 5-6 times higher.
One should also mention sport activities. There is a lot training grounds at the institute campus, starting from the football pitch to the tennis court. The equipment can easily be rented or you can always buy a ball or a racket.
The Harbin architecture is quite controversial, one can find a small temple or museum. That marks Chinese respect for traditions. An experience of the historical vast buildings of Forbidden Town is unbelievable.
In the evening Harbin transforms in a completely different town, there are vivid colours of neon signs, lampposts that illuminate the streets and the quays. The market is starting its nightlife, shops are offering huge variety of delicacies and goods, restaraunts are waiting for guests, but even in this noise and flare you can always find a tiny quiet street.
During my time at Harbin I managed to meet many different people. Apart from Russians from all corners of the country, among guests of Harbin were a couple of Canada, USA, Mongolia, Spain and Cuba citizens. One can imagine language barrier? We were speaking English freely. Chinese friends and guides were there for all our problems and were really helpful. Especially I would like to thank the MPEI International Department for organization and support.
