Hangzhou
Monday, we packed and loaded the bus but had one more stop before leaving Shanghai. Bryan arranged for us to visit ZS Consulting, Shanghai office. This firm works with companies, specifically pharmaceutical companies, to understand the Chinese health care and marketing system. Our host, Patrick, gave a wonderful overview of how the PRC (People’s Republic of China) doctors and hospitals work and what the proposed reform of this system might look like. Thanks, Bryan, for setting this up. Your friends at ZS said to tell you “Nî hao”.
We arrived in Hangzhou late afternoon Monday. We were greeted by George, the coordinator of International Studies, and were assigned our rooms in the international dorm. We also learned that we had a “special dining room” for the next three days. It’s China’s way of “quarantining” us until we have been in the country for seven days. After supper we took a walk to Trust Mart – that’s Walmart to us – and stocked up on soaps, toilet paper, bottled water, and other supplies.
Our routine for the next two weeks will be classes in the morning taught by various professors form Zhejiang University. The afternoons will vary between educational tours or exploring on our own. Wednesday several of us took the city bus to West Lake. This is the focal point of Hangzhou, which refers to itself as the most beautiful city in China. I have to agree at this time. For a city of 6 million, it is at the foot of the hill country and has a tropical feel with much more green space they what we saw in Shanghai. - Kathy
