Architecture and Urban Design

China is a country of opportunities

Linda was the first Polimi Architecture student to participate to a mobility program at Xi’an Jiaotong University.

It’s been three years now since my first significant experience away from home: in China, a country that allowed me to experience a new reality.
In 2019 I had the chance to live 6 months in Xi’an for a short mobility program with Xi’an Jiaotong University. The first impact with a culture and mentality so different from ours was not as easy as I had imagined. At first, the language barrier, the completely different cuisine and lifestyle made me question my decision.

The first few days in Xi’an were a bit challenging. The hotel where I was staying for the first nights didn’t find my reservation; without the possibility of using google maps I had trouble getting around town, and it was not easy to open a bank account without knowing a word of Chinese. However, luckily, I met some Chinese people who helped me; like a lady who offered me a taxi ride while I was helplessly carrying all my luggage by hand, or a boy I met in a restaurant who translated all the menu from Chinese to English for me.

One week to adapt to the new life, two weeks to fall in-love with this country: just the time to forget all my worries and decide to enjoy this experience to the fullest, taking advantage of every opportunity. At that time, I would have never imagined that I would enjoy it so much.
I’m not saying that everything went smoothly during the following months… There were quite a few challenges along the way. Managing classes wasn’t an easy task. I was the first Polimi Architecture student at XJTU and I was the only international student in an all-Chinese class: very often classes started in English and ended in Chinese.
I had to adapt to a new teaching method, another way of attending “studios” and of team working. But all these difficulties allowed me to get in the game, to grow and know myself better.
I learned a lot from my Chinese schoolmates and at the same time they learned from me. During one workshop, my group and I won the first prize in a competition in which were involved students from 9 different Chinese universities.

During my free time I seized the opportunity to travel a lot: I discovered the beauties of China, aware of the fact that I wouldn’t have had the same chance once I got back to Italy. I climbed the sacred mountain of Xi’an to be able to see the sunrise from the top: it was such an unforgettable experience! I saw the pandas in Chengdu. I walked on the glass walkway of the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai at a height of 340m, and I had the chance to admire the landscape of Tibet.

During this trip, in which I felt like part of a big “global family”, I grew up because every person I met and every experience I had enriched my personality, making me more confident and opened to new experiences.
After returning to Italy, I completed my Master discussing my thesis dissertation and soon after that came a job offer to work in China. It was a great opportunity that I definitely did not miss.
Three years have passed, and I still get excited when I talk about my experience in China.