Summer 2026 student experiences: Learning Chinese in Hsinchu

With support from APSI, Duke students are spending summer 2026 studying Chinese language and culture at NTHU in Hsinchu.

We asked them to share some stories about their experiences and will update this blog as new posts arrive:

July 6—Sabrina Chen

My class

I’m studying Chinese for 12 weeks at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU). I was placed into Intermediate 3, where there were students from all over the world. We solely spoke Chinese, and I did my best to express ideas in Chinese.

Our teacher was youthful and funny, always listening to our needs and wants. Always updating us on new slang, teaching us the differences in words used in China and Taiwan.

Language classes are held from 9:10 am to noon, with 10-minute breaks for every 50 minutes of class. Our class had many sections like learning stories, dialogues, and grammar structure from our textbooks.

Activities

The Chinese Language Center and Office of Global Affairs arranged several activities for us to learn about the history and culture of Taiwan.

We’ve paired with local high school students to explore Miaoli, the art of making lei cha (擂茶) and peanut mochi (麻糬). We’ve also celebrated Dragon Boat Festival by making sachets and eating zongzi (粽子). 

Beyond the classroom

On the weekends, the other students and I would take public transportation to go explore Taipei. The transportation is really convenient and easy to navigate. We’ve done things locally like visiting local vegetable markets in Hsinchu for fresh seasonal fruits. We’ve explored night markets and some restaurants(if not most) in the area.