Saturday, March 31, 2012

Day 3, March 31st

March 31st began at 5:15 AM for the students as we checked out from the Peninsula Hotel in Beijing. We grabbed our five star boxed breakfasts and headed to the train station with our fearless leader Julia Potter. It was interesting to note the beauty of the train station as it was built in 2008, and was yet another structure for the world to see for the Olympic Games in Beijing. As we traveled south on the bullet train at speeds over 300 km, we saw China’s “country side” accompanied with clusters of high rise buildings in the background. In the Li & Fung presentation later in the day, it was noted that one of their challenges within the company is a labor shortage in the big cities. The fresh construction we saw passing through the countryside on the bullet train further supports the growth that is occurring outside the metropolitan cities. On our way to the Li & Fung Shanghai Campus, our tour guide Mac shared that Shanghai is the “New York in China” and their Financial Center is coincidentally referred to as Manhattan.


Upon arrival at the Li & Fung Shanghai Campus, a Cantonese style lunch was served recognizing the Fung brothers’ Cantonese heritage. After lunch, we heard from Joseph Huo, the General Manager of Finance and Accounting for LF. Mr. Huo highlighted the challenges that LF is facing in the sourcing world. First, the concern of cost of labor and materials will continue. They are also concerned with labor shifts in Southern China and the coastal cities. This shift is from an increased demand for white collar workers. Factories are moving inland as supported from what we saw in the countryside of China on the bullet train. There is also a concern of power shortages in Chinese factories. The students witnessed this energy consciousness after dinner tonight when the light show of Shanghai skyline was shut off after 8:30 PM.

After Joseph Huo’s presentation, we were introduced to part of Kohl’s exclusive merchant team at the LF office. Their dedication to Kohl’s and their quality standards was clearly evident. They really strive to interpret each product to fit the quality and price standard that the Kohl’s customer expects. After the LF Kohl’s team presentation, the students toured the campus and product showrooms.



Due to Shanghai traffic, the students had the opportunity to see the vibrant, sensory overload city with countless photos of gleaming and unique skyscrapers. The young, fashion forward citizens were very easy to spot throughout the city.

The day ended with an absolutely lovely meal at the posh “M on the Bund” overlooking the Yangtze River and Shanghai skyline. Just when we thought the day could not get any better, we entered the Langham Hotel. This was all made possible through Kohl’s. Thank you for an incredible welcome to Shanghai.

Day 2, March 30th

Today we went to some very historic places in Beijing. Our first spot was Tiananmen Square. Our tour guide, Julia, pointed out many visitors from rural areas of the country who have been waiting their whole
lives to visit because it is considered a "place of celebration and happiness,” contrary to the beliefs of many Americans. We then proceeded to the entrance of the Forbidden City where we took a group picture with Chairman Mao’s portrait in the background.

The Forbidden City was incredible and much bigger than we could have ever imagined. Each courtyard, garden, and living corridor was more intricately designed and painstakingly restored than the next. It seemed to go on forever, as we learned about the dynastic emperors of China, and all the hard work that went into creating this amazing place. It was truly astounding.

After our traditional Chinese lunch, we took a rickshaw ride through the Hutong district, which is a historic residential area of the city. We were also lucky to see a courtyard home and the family that lives there. This ride truly immersed us in Chinese culture, as we were caught in traffic jams with entertaining drivers and street noise in the background.

Our next activity was the Temple of Heaven, where Emperors used to pray for good harvest. It was a beautiful sight and we all enjoyed the circular "Echo Wall,” where one could clap and we could hear the echo three times.

We then went to dinner and the Pearl Market, where we did some great bargaining and bought gifts for our friends and family. Each purchase was an experience, as we haggled prices down and rejoiced in our successes in obtaining “the best price possible.”

Our last stop of the day was an Acrobats Show, where the President of Kazakhstan was also in attendance. It was spectacular, especially the finale which featured six motorcycle riders looping around in a spherical metal cage. Each time one of them joined, they would yell "Hai!" and the audience would react in fright. Something all of us will never forget.

Overall, we are as exhausted as we've ever been in our lives, but we could not have asked for a better reason to be. Thank you so much to Kohl's and Li&Fung for allowing us to experience this incredible journey. We have formed great friendships and learned so much about this amazing country.

Day 1, March 29th

We excitedly arrived in Beijing!


Our first day started out great with climbing The Great Wall. However, it took us a while to actually
get there because the traffic was so heavy. Our guide, Julia Potter (named after Julia Roberts and Harry Potter) told us that many traffic laws changed after the Olympics. To allow for the flow of traffic from the 2008 Olympics, the government made rules regulating the times people could drive. The laws have stayed in tact even after the Olympics.

Once we arrived to the Great Wall we took the gondola up to our starting point. Then we started climbing and climbing and climbing. We were fortunate enough to be climbing a portion of the wall that had less tourists, and we almost had the place to ourselves. It was originally built in the Chin Dynasty to link all the already established walls from the surrounding towns. Over 1 million people were involved in the production, gathering trees and soil to construct the monstrosity.

After this deteriorated, the Han Dynasty ordered to rebuild it. This is when the wall reached its peak of 10000 km long. Then the Ming dynasty ordered another renovation and changed the wall to pure brick to protect from enemies. To this day, only five sections remain standing from the original wall, and we were lucky enough to be standing on one of them!

After the Great Wall, we visited the Summer Palace, home of the notorious Empress known as the "Dragon Lady". The enormous estate bragged multiple temples, a private man-made lake, and acre upon acre of trees and greenery. The pathway through the grounds were adorned with hand painted artwork, each original pieces.


In order to fund the building of the palace, the Dragon Lady ordered all of the military funding to be used on it, which inevitably caused China to lose the war against Japan. Her nickname was thus acquired from her blatant selfishness and disregard for the Chinese people.



 Since her reign, several improvements have been made, including bathrooms for tourists. It is here that we first witnessed the official star- rankings of bathrooms, this one being deemed a "four-star" restroom. We beg to differ.

After the Summer Palace, we were lucky enough to squeeze in time to shop at the Silk Market. This market was once outdoors and drew quite a crowd, but due to fire hazards, it has been relocated to an indoor facility. It is 5 stories high, with each floor selling a different department. Julia, our tour guide, taught us how to bargain with vendors to get a fair price. Many vendors will play mind games with customers, but we learned that we should start low and meet in the middle. It was a really eye opening experience, since it is so different from our shopping mall experience. Wish we could bargain for our clothes and accessories at home!

All in all, our first day in Beijing was action packed and very memorable. On top of learning so
much about the culture, we also got first hand experience shopping like a true native.

We cannot thank Kohl's and Li & Fung enough to allow us to be a part of all of these culturally enriching experiences, and we look forward to what is in store for us in the days to come.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Arrived in Beijing

We have arrived safely in Beijing!  Looking forward to a great experience in China!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Hotel Features & Amenities


The Peninsula Hotel
·         Fitness Center
·         Indoor Pool
·         Dual Voltage (110V/220V) and multiple format electrical adaptor power sockets
·         Coffee maker
·         In-room safe
·         Hairdryer

The Langham Xintiandi Shanghai
·         Fitness Center
·         Indoor Pool
·         Iron/ironing board
·         Espresso Machine
·         Electronic Safe
·         Heated Floors

Harbour Plaza Metropolis
·         Fitness Center
·         Outdoor Pool
·         220 Voltage
·         Coffee maker

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Checked and Carry-On Luggage Requirements


Luggage Information
·        United International Travel: One 50lb (23 kg) bag
o   1 carry on and one personal item
·        In country: One 44lb (20kg) bag
o   1 carry on item TOTAL