Photos taken by Yunhan Liu (Yale University), Student Correspondent for CET Beijing, Summer 2026
I had no idea what my first week of study abroad would be like, but what I’ve learned from this past week is the value in saying yes and being spontaneous! Even with orientation and classes, we were able to find time in the afternoons to explore the neighboring areas of Beijing. The location of Capital Normal University (CNU) is super convenient, making last-minute adventures extremely doable. Come along with me as I review what my first week has been like!
Dorm
Since I’ve been here for a couple days now, I’ve gotten a routine down. Every morning, I wake up to this view, and I get up to open the windows! Across from my room, I can see the academic building that we have classes, office hours, and study sessions in.
At first, I didn’t know that there was a passageway that connected our dorm building with the academic building, and it took me about ten minutes to get to class from my tenth-floor dorm room. Thankfully, I discovered the passageway—lessening my journey to around two minutes! I’m not an early bird by any means, but the large windows make it easier to wake up in the morning with the light shining in.
Beijing Central Television Tower (also known as the CCTV Tower)
A short bike ride away from CNU is the CCTV Tower. The tower officially opened to the public in 1994 and was one of the tallest structures in Asia for a while. Staring up at the tower, I was in awe of how tall it was in-person. I’m glad that I’ll be able to see this tower almost every day for the next two months!
Yuyuantan Park (玉渊潭公园)
A short walk away from the CCTV Tower is Yuyuantan park, an ecological haven within the bustling city. Here, we saw young ducklings in the water, wild cats napping in the shade, and lots of biodiversity! I was particularly drawn to all the park signs reminding everyone to do their duty in protecting our environment. I’m excited to see more of Beijing’s environmental activism in the next two months!
Pedaling Away in a Thousand-Year-Old River
A short subway ride away from CNU is Beihai Park. We originally wandered there by accident and went in without any knowledge of the park. We only spent around two hours in the park (one of which was spent on a boat), but we later learned that the park has many different attractions within it, from a pagoda to a delicate and quiet garden. I recommend spending at least half a day there!
Being Vegetarian at CNU
While I am not personally vegetarian, many of my closest friends are, and I have been helping them navigate the student cafeteria options here at CNU. There are a lot of vegetarian dishes, from vegetables to all kinds of stewed tofu and soups. Pictured here are a tofu stew and a plate of vegetables over rice!
Spending my First Ever Holiday in China
Duanwujie, or dragon boat festival, is a national holiday dating back to the warring states period in ancient China. The story goes that Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet, jumped into the river after seeing his country undergo severe problems. The local people rowed boats out into the water and threw rice wrapped in leaves so that the fish would eat the food instead of his body.
Thus, today we eat 粽子 during 端午节 and watch dragon boat racing. This was my first time ever watching a dragon boat race. The crew moved their paddles in perfect harmony with each other.