Former and current Riordan juniors, Sebastian Black and Miles Poon, attended the Mandarin Language Program at National Chang Jung University over the summer.

The students spent nearly five weeks in Taiwan where they experienced courses in the Chinese language. The classes they took were Mandarin speaking classes, as well as basic subjects also taught in America.

This trip was an opportunity for the students to encounter their peers not just at Riordan, but from all over the world.

Throughout students free time, they took courses such as brush painting, which is a native painting of China. This was interesting as paintings throughout China’s history were brush paintings on scrolls.

Students also had the opportunity to taste the many wonders of Taiwanese foods and the many sights that the beautiful city has to offer. For travel, they either walked, drove, or rode the Taiwan Speed Rail, zooming at high speeds of over 200 mph.

The students were able to keep in contact with their parents along with their with an app called “LINE.” The students uploaded photos of their art, foods, as well as all of the unique places and sights they got to see around Taiwan. Mandarin teacher, YinShan Yang, who organized this trip, said, “I think this is a great opportunity for our students to learn, and I hope many more students in the future can do this.”