Business China Youth Chapter members get a chance to be immersed in Beijing and be motivated to learn more about the Chinese culture
Last year Business China held the inaugural “Beijing Winter Trip” and 20 members of the Business China Youth Chapter (BCYC) members had an up-close and personal account with China in the cold winter. This year, BCYC took up the responsibility of organizing the “China Learning Journey” again, and introduced more elements from different facets to add depth to the trip. Through this learning journey, the youths had a chance to be immersed in Beijing’s unique environment, and be motivated to learn more about Chinese culture and the development of contemporary China.
This was the first time Business China tried to engage Polytechnic students for the China Learning Journey. Of the 19 Youth Chapter members, 4 were students from polytechnics while the rest were undergraduates. Although these youths were from different background, different institutions and major in different subjects, they are a group of like-minded youth who were very interested about China and Chinese culture.
By immersing themselves in Beijing, they would be able to gain better insights on China as well as an invaluable experience which cannot be obtained from books.
Through visits to Chinese and Singapore enterprises in Beijing and Tianjin, and interactions with Singaporeans who were based in China, the Youth Chapter members gained insights on the challenges faced by entrepreneurs when setting up companies in China and the strategies adopted to overcome the difficulties. From forums held with the China’s undergrads, they understand more about China’s educational system and forge new friendships with local students, which may prove to be useful to them in the future.
On 10th December, the Youth Chapter members embarked on the 9-day “China Learning Journey”. Cold wind welcomed the youths at the Beijing International Airport, but that did not drown their enthusiasm as they looked forward to the first activity of the trip.
Visits to local universities and interaction with local students
An important component of the trip was to let the Youth Chapter members interact with local students so they could establish contacts with them. To achieve this, a forum was held together with the students of University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). Discussing on the topic “Prevalent culture and the effects of social media on Contemporary China”, the youths shared their views on the difference between using Twitter / Facebook vs the Chinese equivalent which was “Sina Weibo” and “Renren wang”. Though they had just met, the youths acted like old friends and the forum was filled with laughter and much joy. In conclusion, the youths realised that they actually had similar topics of interest and loved to post comments on trivial things around them. At the end of the forum, the youths exchanged contact details, which marked the start of new friendships.
UIBE undergraduate Hong Liang was excited about this opportunity to interact with Singaporean youths. He said,” After speaking to the Youth Chapter members, I realised Singapore and Beijing students have similar views on social media. The session also made me changed my views about other issues, and I really hope to visit Singapore soon.”
For some Youth Chapter members, this was their first trip to China. Undergraduate from NTU’s Chinese Studies, Yeo Minghui was one of the few who used to think that China was a country full of restrictions, and China’s youth were a suppressed group. However, these preconceptions were proven wrong after exchanging words with local students. Minghui realised there was freedom of speech in China after all, and the youths also enjoyed posting comments on trivial matters on social media, just like Singaporean youths.
Another highlight of the UIBE tour, was visiting The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies. The Youth Chapter members were excited to see the collection of precious historical artifacts displayed in the library, for example Ming Dynasty scroll paintings, wedding plates used by the Ming Dynasty Emperor, the first book on China that was published in Europe and a wide collection of Chinese and English books about China. Director of The Beijing Center, Mr Roberto M. Ribeiro gave a brief history on how the West learned of China, which captivates the youths’ interest.
Besides UIBE, the Youth Chapter also held a sharing session with students of Tsinghua University. Thanks to Youth Chapter member Lynn Ong who was currently an exchange student at Tsinghua University, she arranged for guest speakers Ahn Seunghae, Korean founder of LetYo.com, China’s first and largest group buying search provider and Vanessa Tan, a Singaporean based in China and currently a manager at XingCloud to share their experience on starting a company and working in China.
The Youth Chapter also had a chance to interact with Singaporean youths who chose to continue their university education in China. Having been through the 2 different educational systems, these students felt that as compared to Singapore, China’s system was more harsh and competitive. As such, China’s students also tend to be more competitive and were not afraid to make mistakes. Adopting the same attitude in life, they would strive very hard to meet their goals. This fighting spirit was something Singapore students should learn, as most Singaporeans would prefer to stay in their comfort zone.
Sharing sessions with Singaporeans based in China
One of the objectives of the “China Learning Journey” was to let Youth Chapter members gain better insights on China through interactions with Singaporeans based in China. For this trip, the youths had a fruitful sharing session with Business China Young Achiever Award recipient, Ms Han Yong Hong, Lianhe Zaobao Beijing Chief Correspondent and Ms Tan Siok Siok, a filmmaker and entrepreneur who founded Niurenku. The two speakers reminded the youths that China is a land of opportunities, and urged them to be courageous to take on the challenge if they were given a chance.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic Chinese Media and Communication student, Melody Chan was impressed with the speakers’ presentation, “I realized that media and entrepreneurship is inseparable. New media has rose to become a new channel for the people to voice their opinions, so many companies have started to use new media as a marketing tool to communicate with their consumers, and I believe this will be the new trend.”
Another sharing session was hosted by Singcham and conducted in a more relaxed atmosphere. The youths networked with Singaporeans based in China over dinner, and listened to stories of their experiences in China. Mr Ng Guan Leng, Secretary General of SingCham, Mr Chin Phei Chen, Chief Corporate Officer of CapitaLand (China) Investment Co. Ltd, Mr Andrew Loo, Marketing Director of Beijing Huadu Group and Dr Abhilash Sarma, Senior Project Manager of DynEd China were among the guests who shared their wealth of experiences generously with the Youth Chapter members.
Youth Chapter member Jason Su, an undergraduate from NUS Business School enjoyed the session a lot. He had always loved befriending people in different professions, so this was a great opportunity for him to network and get “insider” stories related to China, which serves as a good guide for the youths.
Visits to Chinese and Singaporean Companies
Another focal point of the learning journey was visits to China and Singapore companies in Beijing and Tianjin, to let the youths have a general grasp of the companies’ role in the fast-growing China.
Most of the Youth Chapter members were impressed with the visit to CapitaLand China. Chief Corporate Officer of CapitaLand (China) Investment Co. Ltd, Mr Chin Phei Chen made arrangements for the youths to visit their premium showflats in the heart of Beijing, and patiently answered the inquisitive members’ queries on investments, real estate management, business strategies in various cities. Some of the youths felt that CapitaLand had successfully transferred Singapore’s model of administration and real estate management to China, thereby strengthening the economic linkages between Singapore and China.
Final year accounting student from Singapore Management University, Eunice Yeo had a different view. She was particularly interested in Beijing Huateng Model Rice Milling Co. Ltd, as it only had 30 over staff in the company but was able to produce more than 20,000 tons of premium rice grain annually. From the companies’ visits, she understood that good management and effective work flow was of great importance to all companies. She was also able to make comparison to the management of China and Singapore companies and extract the best from the two.
A glance at China’s historical heritage and modern culture
To know the country’s heritage, one needs to explore its historical sites.
In recent times, watching the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square had become a tourist attraction. Every morning, 365 days a year, a large crowd would gather at Tiananmen Square to salute and pay respect to the rising of China’s national flag. Youth Chapter members witnessed the solidarity and patriotism of the Chinese natives at the flag-raising ceremony.
And the Great Wall of China was definitely a site which you could not miss when you were in China. The youths successfully ascended “Ju Yong Guan”, and the scenery was breath-taking. What could be more exciting than a birthday celebration at the Great Wall? The Youth Chapter held a surprise “Great Wall Birthday Party” for one of the members Colleen Yap. It was definitely an extraordinary experience for the Youth Chapter members, to sing birthday song and share birthday cakes at a high altitude.
Besides visiting the historical sites, the Youth Chapter also leave their footprints at the Beijing Olympic Park, where the infamous “Bird’s Nest” Beijing National Stadium and “Water Cube” Beijing National Aquatics Center were located. Kite-flying and chasing around, the Youth Chapter members could not hold back their playful characteristics anymore.
The Youth Chapter also visited Beijing’s popular 798 Arts District to appreciate China’s contemporary arts and culture. The district was full of surprises, with displays of sculptures along the streets, art galleries, graffiti and interesting architecture.
9 days of the “China Learning Journey” was an invaluable experience for the Youth Chapter, and they brought back more than photos and memories of the trip. The first-hand information from the guest speakers and Singaporeans based in China, the visits to companies and the new friendships forged with the locals, these are prized intangibles that will benefit them now if not in future.
Currently pursuing her diploma in Ngee Ann Polytechnic Chinese Media and Communication, Peh Li Ping would use “Experiment” to summarise her experience for this trip. “This is my first trip to China, so every activity is an exposure for me and I am receiving first-hand information all the time. I am putting myself in “Beijing Experimental Lab” and analyzing whatever I’ve seen, heard and experience in this “Experiment”, to feel and appreciate China.”
On the other hand, National University Business Administration student, Neow Ting Feng said it was great to have this chance to be immersed in Beijing. “The harsh environment forces you to take initiative and be more positive, and it trains your adaptability. This befits the objective of the trip, which was to allow the Youth Chapter gain insight of China from a broader perspective.”
The Business China Youth Chapter “China Learning Journey” would not have been possible without the support from Chinese Hanban and UBIE. Business China hope to continue organizing this event to benefit youths who are enthusiastic about China.
Click here to view Business China Youth Chapter “China Learning Journey” highlight video.