Prior to beginning a graduate degree at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, Kate Murray was a Manager of Entrepreneur Selection & Growth at Endeavor, Detroit, a global nonprofit that supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets worldwide. Kate enjoys working in the world of economic development, but her one true love will always be the fascinating relationship between the United States and China.
Kate learned her first Chinese words at age ten from a “Big Bird in China” song. Since then, she spent ten years studying Mandarin in the classroom and one semester living in Beijing during her junior year of college. She dug further into U.S.-China relations during her senior year, researching and writing a thesis titled Bashful or Brash: An Examination of the Chinese Response to the Pivot.
Today, Kate tries to keep up with her Mandarin as much as possible, and to use her understanding of Chinese language, culture, and politics to help the entrepreneurs that she works with.
Kate is a proud Boston College Eagle with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Chinese.
Prior to beginning a graduate degree at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, Kate Murray was a Manager of Entrepreneur Selection & Growth at Endeavor, Detroit, a global nonprofit that supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets worldwide. Kate enjoys working in the world of economic development, but her one true love will always be the fascinating relationship between the United States and China.
Kate learned her first Chinese words at age ten from a “Big Bird in China” song. Since then, she spent ten years studying Mandarin in the classroom and one semester living in Beijing during her junior year of college. She dug further into U.S.-China relations during her senior year, researching and writing a thesis titled Bashful or Brash: An Examination of the Chinese Response to the Pivot.
Today, Kate tries to keep up with her Mandarin as much as possible, and to use her understanding of Chinese language, culture, and politics to help the entrepreneurs that she works with.
Kate is a proud Boston College Eagle with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Chinese.
Beijing
Lotus PondBeijing's gardens are beautiful | Tiananmen SquareChinese tourists flock to the heart of Beijing |
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Forbidden City | Lucky charms |
Flag raising ceremonyEvery dawn in Tiananmen Square people gather in their hundreds for the flag-raising ceremony | Chinese chessLeisure time for the brains trust |
Dawn in BeijingLooking towards the Gate of Heavenly Peace | Beijing BlueSome days, the weather and the sky in Beijing is stunning |
Great Wall of ChinaStanding on the Great Wall is something for everyone's bucket list | Noodle StoreThe hutongs have great finds, here a small but excellent noodle restaurant |
Keeping fitThe Temple of Heaven Park draws in the locals for exercise | Chuan - shasliksLove the Beijing meat skewers! |
Beijing Roast DuckYES! |
Beijing can be hard to describe, although that hasn't stopped people from trying!
For the thousands of years of its existence even until today, visitors have represented this massive city in books, paintings, movies, songs and postcards. At various times in its history it has been the imperial capital and one of the world's most powerful and largest cities, and at other times it has been eclipsed by other Chinese cities, like Nanjing or Hangzhou, and threatened by its northern neighbours. This ebb and flow is inscribed in the city's architecture, monuments and particular customs.
In addition to the must-see sites like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven, other favourite places to go include the hutongs with their small shops and artisanal boutiques, the craft bars and restauratns and the little parks and corners where the locals play chess or cards or simply hang out with friends.
For an amazingly vast city, Beijing has so many places where one can relax and ponder, and simply immerse oneself in the delights of modern China. It is a favourite destination on Sino-Immersions tours.