Written by Kara Eng (University of Texas at Austin), Student Correspondent for CET Beijing, Fall 2026
中文桌子
For most students, the weekend starts as soon as school lets out. But at CET Beijing, we begin every Friday with 中文桌子 (zhōngwén zhuōzi)– Chinese Table– a unique opportunity where the CET students get to spend lunchtime every week with our Chinese teachers. Each week, one of us is tasked with calling and reserving a table (or two!) beforehand–all in Chinese! And because Chinese meals are typically family-style, each person from our group gets a chance to order a dish of our choice. It’s a testament to our Chinese reading and speaking skills in real-world scenarios!
Of course, being in Beijing calls for feasting on the obligatory Peking Duck. And what better way than to share that together during 中文桌子! What makes 中文桌子 special is being able to talk amongst ourselves with our Chinese teachers outside of our usual classroom settings. This opens up doors for us to converse on topics ranging from what we love about our hometowns, our interests in future Chinese cultural explorations, what growing up in the city of Harbin or Guangzhou was like for our teachers, to even cracking jokes at the dining table! With China’s social culture centered heavily around food and mealtimes, I always feel as if I’m an honored guest who’s accepted a warm invitation.
Captions: (Left image) A delectable selection of Chinese dishes that each student ordered during 中文桌子. We ordered braised pork belly, steamed seafood stew, Peking Duck, dumplings, and shrimp with rice noodles in a clay pot. (Right Image) 中文桌子 with our classmates and teachers! This is my classmates and I trying Peking Duck in Beijing for the first time.
Not only does 中文桌子 blend the livelihood of dining on delectable Chinese flavors and cultural elements with enjoyable, lighthearted conversations, but it also builds our confidence when practicing Chinese, no matter our speaking abilities.
Trust me, it may sound a bit scary and nerve-wracking at first, because it was for me. But once you reflect on your main goal and continually strive for it–which is to become fluent and connect with others in the native tongue for me–your confidence grows! By putting yourself out there and practicing more and more, your Chinese proficiency will increase tremendously in just a short span of time!
北京市规划展览管
Now a big reason why I chose to pursue CET Beijing’s program is because as a Chinese-American, I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of what modern Chinese culture is like while comparing it to Chinese-American culture.
As an American, the proud history of the United States only boasts 250 years, while China’s ancient history spans over 5 dynasties–spanning nearly five thousand years! Such vast historical richness called for a visit to the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall (北京市规划展览管), which has been an invaluable part of CET’s cultural and historical excursions during our time here! During one of our class times, our teachers taught a little crash course providing insight into the rich history and dynastic traditions behind the architectural designs and central city planning.
As someone who prioritizes experiential learning and with eagerness to expand my cultural lens, unearthing this country’s rich historical roots and digging deeper into my heritage as an American-born Chinese is especially important. Even if you aren’t a super into-history-and-the-arts fanatic, gaining insight of the historical background is still worth diving deeper into to better understand how different traditions, perspectives, and sociocultural norms have remained or changed throughout history, ultimately impacting modern China and its relations with the world today.
前门
The moment I set foot into Qianmen Street (前门–qiánmén), I stepped back in time. 前门is a famous pedestrian street located in Beijing’s central axis, With a plethora of charming hutongs, narrow alleyways, hustling vendors, local businesses, and a colorful array of captivating sights and wonders, I must say–I’ve never really seen anything quite like it. What was even better being in 前门 was when my classmates and I got the chance to talk to one of the local restaurant owners and hear about their family history.
As part of our lunch stop, my lovely roommate brought us to a quaint hole-in-the-wall barbeque spot. There, the 阿姨 of the restaurant welcomed us in, ushered us round a tiny table, and served us homemade sour plum tea (酸梅汤). As she grilled the meat for us, bouncing to-and-fro the other tables, we practiced conversing in Chinese while she shared about her century-old family-run business. What a joy it’s been being able to connect with the locals and dive deeper into the experiential excursions here at CET Beijing!
Captions: (Left Image) Dining in for lunch at the hole-in-the-wall. The 阿姨 cooks the freshly grilled meat for us on the hot stone! (Right Image) Stepping back in time as we walk through the hutongs! Each street is filled with vendors, snack and gift shops, and local businesses.
It’s already been more than three weeks since my time here. Yet, there’s still so much I’ve yet to explore, I feel as if I’ve barely scratched the surface that all China has to offer. I can’t wait to share more about the progress of my Chinese fluency, the meaningful relationships I’ve established, and of all the other stories told and interactions made with the local people here in Beijing!
Stay tuned!