SPRINGDALE — Thoughts of standing on Chinese soil, seeing The Great Wall and visiting other historical and educational sites in Beijing, Xian or Shanghai overwhelmed Kyndal Atkinson.
“I teared up on the plane,” the 14-year-old freshman said as she recalled her excitement about traveling to China with about 100 students and chaperones from Springdale, Fayetteville and Rogers.
Her bedroom is decorated in an Asian theme and her bucket list included a visit to The Great Wall.
Fast Facts
Great Wall
The Great Wall of China is considered one of the great wonders of the world. It winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus from the east to the west. It’s about 5,500 miles long and took about 2,000 years to build from the Warring States Period, 476 B.C. to 221 B.C., to the Ming Dynasty, 1368 to 1644.
Source: travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall
Kevin Thiessen, a science teacher at Central Junior High School in Springdale, organized the trip for young people to learn about and experience the Chinese culture. The trip was more than a year in the planning stage. Participants were responsible to pay their way on the trip.
About one-third of the group was parents and chaperones and the rest were eighth through 11th graders.
The students spent spring break visiting the three Chinese cities.
Matthew Cunningham, 14 and in the eighth grade, said he enjoyed visiting a school where the students knew some English. The students had access to computers, he said.
Kenny Arredondo, 14 and a freshman, said the academics appeared to be more advanced. School days are longer and the students wear uniforms. The school was the equivalent of a middle and high school for middle-income or lower-income students.
Another eye-opening experience for the students was visiting with Chinese families in their homes and eating a traditional Chinese meal.
The students ate with chopsticks, rode in rickshaws, visited a silk factory, used a different method of plumbing and learned about the importance of rice in the diet.
They saw more Kentucky Fried Chicken stores than other U.S. fast food franchises and saw a Walmart and a Sam’s Club in Beijing. One student said she was chased by a street vendor trying to get her to buy a paper hat.
Chinese students, especially, wanted to practice their English skills with the Arkansans and some students learned how to say “Hello” and “How are you?” in Chinese.
Students agreed standing in a snowstorm on The Great Wall was one of the highlights of the trip.
“It was breathtaking,” said Hannah Harris, 15 and in the ninth grade.
Cunningham, who celebrated his birthday while on the trip, said he was impressed by its size.
“They didn’t take down any mountain to build it,” he said.
“I always thought China would be interesting,” Harris said. “This was a perfect opportunity.”