During the summer of 2007, Kent State University students traveled to Taiwan and South Korea to learn about these countries, meet people, and make new friends. The KSU students who went to Taiwan attended classes in Chinese language, Taiwanese history, Chinese culture, and went sightseeing in a wide range of historical and cultural sites. They also saw the latest fashions in department stores, traveled on scooters and subways, and met a LOT of wonderful people.

In South Korea, university level classes at Hanyang University were mixed in with trips to temples and historical sites that are over more than a millenium old, homestays with a Korean family, a visit to see and meet with South Korea's pop culture famous dance group B-Boys, tours of economic and industrial centers, and even a day at the beach at a "mud festival."

Are you interested in going to see these places yourself? Then contact Dennis Hart or Jim Tyner, co-coordinators of the Asian Studies Minor at Kent State University. Kent supports programs to travel and study in Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

You can learn more about these exciting study tours by reading what Kent students themselves had to say about their adventures. Below are some stories and pictures by Kent students during their summer study trips.

Kelly Fenn, a Kent State Univeristy student, learns to make Chinese dumplings by hand with her homestay family in Taiwan.	A Taiwanese monkey. (See the story directly below!)	The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial covers over 240,000 square meters.	Taipei 101 is the tallest building in Asia & a major landmark  of Taipei, Taiwan.
I have never seen anything like this in my whole entire life... It is absolutely breath taking. Surrounded by hills and jungle and trees with monkeys coming out everywhere it is easy for one to forget they are right above a massive city. You walk down an alley behind a department store and there is a sign that says 10,000 Buddha’s with an arrow pointing you to your left. You walk through the fencing and you get to a walkway that goes straight up and it is lined with thousands of Buddha’s. There are at least 400-500 steps to the top. When I was walking up the steps I was the only person around and a monkey came over the fence and was on the stairs in front of me. I have never been so close to a monkey in the wild before.  I then took some pictures of all my little monkey friends and walked down to the other part, where the big temple is located. It really just evokes a feeling of self peace within oneself." - Katie Rothacher, a Kent student at the 10,000 Buddhas Monastary in Taiwan.
The Shui-Li Snake Kiln Ceramics Cultural Park located in Nantou County, Taiwan.	Jill Holava and Tina on a scooter in Taipei, on their way to the SOGO Department store.	SOGO, a 19 story department store in Taiwan. (See the story directly below!)	Jill Holava and Tina again. This time at the Lugang Mazu Temple, one of the most beautiful temples in Taiwan.
After we parked our scooter... we walked towards SOGO.  As a fashion merchandising student, I was extremely interested in spending time inside this nineteen floor department store.  It was unlike any department store I had ever been in before.  Each floor was designated for a different market:  ladies’ shoes & young ladies fashion, cosmetics & accessories, international boutique, young ladies’ fashion, missy’s fashion, ladies’ fashion, men’s wear & accessories, jeans & casual wear, children’s wear, sports & casual wear, household appliances, home furnishings, toys & stationeries, import food, special event center & a beauty salon, international food court, restaurant, amusement & restaurant, and the cultural hall. Yes, we visited every floor.  Along the way we snacked on some of the best popcorn I’ve ever eaten and I picked up a few gifts for friends, family and I couldn’t forget myself.  It was definitely a fun-filled night.    -  Jill Holava, a Kent Student in Taipei.
Dina Musaelyan in the Taiwanese countryside.	An actor from a Taiwanese opera.	A statue of Buddha in Taiwan.	Dina Musaelyan with her home stay family.
Talya Bates, a Kent State University  student poses with a member of the  famous B-Boy dance team in Seoul, South Korea.	Traveling in Seoul was easy. Here is a picture of a subway car taken by a Kent student in Korea.	Talya Bates sits down with her home stay family, South Korea.	Students go on a field trip to a tunnel dug by North Korea.