Day Two

Day 2 of Week 2 Blog Post (Azaria Thompson - Liberal Arts)

April 26th, 2026

After a long train journey, we arrived in the city of Wuhan, which has a population of 13 million, larger than any American city. Tall skyscrapers stretch for miles, and the city lights dance across the streets. This bustling environment is unlike anything we have experienced so far on this trip.

After leaving our hotel this morning, we arrived at the largest lake in Wuhan. The lake is surrounded by a beautiful walking path that we explored, with some of the tallest buildings I’ve ever seen towering nearby. Along the path, many people were cycling, sightseeing, and running. Our group walked together, taking pictures and soaking in the scenery. In addition to the lake, there were many plants and temples to admire. We even saw a hot air balloon floating over the city. The whole group got some fresh air and great exercise before our other events for the day.

Large green stone wall carved with gold Chinese characters, with a group of people looking on and one person in front holding a small red flag.

Traditional Chinese gate with twin pagoda-style towers atop a stone archway, with people walking in the plaza below on a sunny day.

Museum panel with technical drawings of an ancient structure, an ornate bronze vessel with dragon-shaped handles, and a ceramic jar.

Before heading to our next location, we stopped at a family-style restaurant for lunch and enjoyed dozens of dishes together from shrimp, pork, and chicken to fish, vegetables, soup, and just about everything you could imagine. We laughed and enjoyed our meal as we re-energized for the next stop.

We then boarded our bus and headed to the Hubei Provincial Museum, where we learned about the history of Marquis Yi of Zeng, a famous Chinese noble. We visited the main attraction, his tomb. In this exhibit, we saw many of the items he was buried with, all from over 2,000 years ago, including numerous musical instruments and finely crafted works. Most of the pieces were signed and incredibly well preserved. This noble loved music and was buried not only with his favorite instruments but also with many of his musicians.

As an archaeology major, a few things really stood out to me. First was his collection of bells, which were massive and meticulously crafted, spanning multiple octaves. Another was an early form of an ice chest used for refrigeration. These artifacts stood out because they were not only beautiful but also demonstrated China’s technological advancements during that time period.

Large bronze structure with intricate engraved geometric patterns, displayed in a museum, with a person's arm holding a phone in the foreground.

Rows of large bronze bells suspended on a red wooden frame in a museum gallery with a mirrored ceiling.

Bronze sculpture with numerous curved antler-like branches on a round base with ring handles, displayed in a museum case.

Large ancient jar with banded geometric patterns and two side handles, displayed on a pedestal amid a museum crowd.

After leaving the museum, we went straight to a luxury shopping district. The area was extensive, with shops ranging from souvenirs to high-end designer stores. As we walked along, we picked up gifts for our families and added new pieces to our own collections. The market followed one long, winding road lined with stores, each featuring eye-catching displays, statues, and large logos, making it feel like a truly luxurious experience.

For dinner, we ate at KFC in the shopping district, where we tried some of the unique menu items offered in China. We especially enjoyed comparing the food to what we have back in the U.S. After dinner, we returned to the hotel to rest. Some students went out to explore the nearby market, but I decided to turn in and reflect on the day.

We all had an amazing time and can’t wait to continue exploring and see what else China has in store for us!

Overall looking back on today we really did a lot. My highlight of the day was the museum. I really found this to be an unforgettable experience not only for my academic per suit but also because I experienced the most culture shock. In the museum there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. The crowds were back to back and very uncomfortable from what I’m used to. Every single one of our group members was surrounded by Chinese students asking us for pictures because they are not used to foreigners. Each student probably took at least 20 different photos with these kids and it was definitely tiring for all of us. On a personal level this felt really different for me, although I found it quite flattering behavior like this is seen as almost unacceptable to us. As Americans even if we bump shoulders or accidentally make eye contact with someone it can be seen as disrespectful. But here in China it’s viewed as normal to be shoulder to shoulder and touching strangers. In America we have something called a “3 feet bubble” in which we feel is our own personal space. I saw a lot of my team feeling very very anxious, and while I don’t have a problem with crowds I did have a problem with being interrupted over and over. As we tried to listen to the tour, the sound of the roaring crowd drowned them out. I still gained a lot of valuable knowledge and experience, but it was the biggest cultural shock I’ve experienced the entire time.

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