Toes in the Water

     This post is long over due, but you deserve to get introduced to Nanchang just as I did. In one of my first weeks here at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics (which seems like forever ago) we had a formal day of orientation. This included a presentation from some of the staff of the Overseas Education Office, as well as some lunch and a tour of a few areas of the city.

     In the orientation we came to find out that there are over 35 students in our program from all over the world, some of the countries represented include: USA, Mexico, Holland, Finland, South Korea, Spain, Czech Republic, and maybe a few others that I am leaving out. The best part about all of that is there are 8 guys.....
     The lunch was served buffet style at the hotel that they have here on campus (quality of the hotel yet to be known). We then got on a charter bus and headed into the city. There we walked up and down the river that splits downtown. We strolled through a river side park that included small exercise areas (awkwardly placed all over China) and monuments that gave tribute to some ancient Chinese history.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    The final part of Orientation was spent at the Teng Wang Pavilion, which I think is the most beautiful part of Nanchang. The Pavilion is a building and coinciding complex that once belonged to ancient royalty of China. The pavilion itself is a 7 or so story building full of ancient artifacts as well as gift shops on every level. It sits on the river and houses a huge courtyard that is home to a few other small buildings. This was one of the first major things I saw in Nanchang, and it is still one of my favorites.