Two years ago, Stella Chang, junior, got the opportunity to visit her mother’s hometown, Kunming China, and her grandparents.

Chang normally only communicates with her grandparents through Skype.

“I rarely get to see them other than Skype, so it was exciting to see them in person,” Chang said.

Kunming is a town in China known to have spring weather year round.

“In Kunming, I experienced the different customs and norms of the society through the outdoor farmers marketplace and the busy streets full of cars and people,” Chang said.

After spring some time in her mother’s hometown, Chang and her family traveled around China where they saw different historically important sites. One site Chang saw was the Great Wall.

“We went to Beijing to see the Great Wall, and that was really unique because it truly isn’t the same as looking at a picture of it. The view was unbelievable,” she said.

Another location Chang and her family visited was the Tienanmen Square. Tienanmen Square was home to student-led demonstrations in 1989 calling for more democracy in the country.

“Tienanmen Square is very important landmark in China. We walked through the square, and it was a lot larger than I expected. The whole tour added up to about nine miles,” Chang said.

Chang and her brother discovered more about their family and culture through this trip. They discovered new aspects about their family and history that they did not previously know.

“My brother and I learned so much more about our culture and our heritage through this trip,” Chang said.