Seeing China through young eyes

Winter deepens cultural roots

At the end of 2024, Jonah Tan took part in a camp program at Tsinghua University that combined academic study with travel. Looking back on the experience, Tan described the trip as "nothing short of amazing".

The program gave him a close look at academic life at one of China's top universities. At Tsinghua, he attended a dozen lectures on subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to psychology. He also had the chance to speak with senior Tsinghua students, who shared advice on future plans and academic paths — guidance that proved valuable to him.

The experience extended far beyond the classroom. Tan traveled to Northeast China and visited Changbai Mountain in Jilin province, where the winter scenery left a deep impression. In his video, the snowy landscape is paired with a poetic lyric: "After drinking from the Songhua River and witnessing the beauty of rime ice, I long for that dazzling world of pure white."

Tan also spent Christmas in Beijing, celebrating with local friends, a moment that made the trip feel even more personal.

As someone who is half-Chinese, he said the journey deepened his connection to Chinese culture "in ways he had never imagined".