Author: Sophia Bruozas | Major: International Business | Semester: January Intercession 2025

Touring the National Palace Museum

I am so grateful for the opportunity to study abroad in Taipei, Taiwan this January 2025 Intersession. It was the best place I visited. I always dreamed of visiting an Asian country and researched Taiwan for over a year. I love learning Mandarin, and I wanted to be able to speak it with local people and show my respect for their culture. Taiwan’s traditions, scenery, and history intrigued me, but not many people understand Taiwan. I wanted to go somewhere that people do not travel to often, so I could bring back knowledge and encourage people to visit. I found a class through CIEE called Art, Culture, and Identity in Taiwan that contributed to my Mandarin Chinese minor. When I got there, I realized that the main aspect of our class was visiting places that served as a reminder of Taiwan’s history. We visited the National Palace Museum, the historic town of Jioufen, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines, Dihua Old Street, and more beautiful places. From class discussions, interactions with locals, and museum exhibitions, I learned about the values and evolution of the Taiwanese people.  Blended with traditional Chinese, Aboriginal, Japanese, and Western culture, Taiwan was a very welcoming place with plentiful opportunities for students, people seeking a professional career, and families. One trip that stood out to me was visiting the Atayal tribe in Yulan. We were able to learn about their village and participate in dances with them. We learned how to make mochi, rice and pork wrapped in bamboo, shot at targets with a bow and arrow, and had a traditional Taiwanese lunch. The Atayal tribe’s desire to preserve their traditions and land was evident from their dedication to everything they do on a daily basis.  From this visit, I felt inspired to visit other parts of Taiwan and understand the culture there. I took a high-speed rail to the other side of the country in one hour to a beautiful city called Kaohsiung. I visited the largest port in Taiwan that serves as a container port for Europe, Asia, and the United State. This was such an impactful experience for me as a supply chain student. It was amazing to see how organized, clean, and efficient the port was. Kaohsiung was a beautiful and relaxed city, and I cannot wait to return and visit their beaches, temples, and the Shoushan National Park. Another trip that stood out to me was our class trip to Jioufen and Shifen. Jioufen is a historic seaside mountain town that originally was a gold mining town during the Qing Dynasty. Many people would recognize this town from Spirited Away. It was even more beautiful than the film. Nestled in between all the staircases were various tea houses, tourist shops, cozy restaurants, and lookouts. After exploring that town, we traveled to Shifen to release sky lanterns. People travel from all over the world to write their wishes onto the sky lanterns and release them into the sky. As people were setting off their wishes, a train came by through the town that is called the “lucky train” that people can board and ride or take pictures with. Overall, the most surprising aspect of my trip was the cleanliness, kindness, and peacefulness of Taiwan. Taipei was safe and enriching, and I cannot wait to return to Taiwan and explore more cities. Being able to learn about Chinese and Taiwanese culture firsthand and speak the language with locals was an experience I would not trade for the world.  I am incredibly thankful for my professors, the Honors College, CIEE, and my study abroad advisor for helping me organize this trip.