The magnificent Taiyuan young doctors journey.
This is an automatically translated post by LLM. The original post is in Chinese. If you find any translation errors, please leave a comment to help me improve the translation. Thanks!
24th May 28th - 31st, 24th, I participated in the Youth Doctor Taiyuan Tour with Guoguo. Overall, the trip to Taiyuan gave me the biggest surprise.
Arrival in Taiyuan & Opening Ceremony
This Taiyuan tour was organized by the Taiyuan Municipal Government, with 2048 Ph.D. scholars from various places participating. This was my first time in Taiyuan, and to be honest, I hadn't paid much attention to this city before, nor did I have any plans to visit or work here. For me, this trip to Taiyuan provided an opportunity to get to know this city.
On the evening of the 28th, we arrived in Taiyuan and were taken to the hotel by a special car. The organizers prepared a gift bag with some snacks, event culture shirts, Shanxi travel guides, and... a bottle of health vinegar.
To be honest, the taste of this health vinegar was very... vinegary. When you drink it, you can taste the unique aroma of vinegar, but it's really too sour.
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At night, Guoguo and I walked along the Fen River near the hotel, and on the bridge, we saw a welcome message projected onto the theater on the opposite bank. In addition, many buildings along the river were displaying related slogans on their screens. This made me feel like the whole city was welcoming us. This feeling quickly brought us closer to the city and made us feel very comfortable.
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The next morning after breakfast, we set off at 7:40 for the
Shanxi Xiahe International Conference Center to attend the
opening ceremony. To be honest, getting up so early is really
difficult for a Ph.D.
There were many snacks prepared outside the venue, which suited the academic gourmands' taste very well^_^
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The mayor presided over the opening ceremony, and speeches were given
by the governor, the secretary of the municipal party committee, the
mayor, and the minister of the municipal party committee organization
department. After the opening ceremony, there were roadshow activities
in various halls. However, Guoguo and I wandered around the halls
eating snacks.
Visiting Universities & Research Institutes
After the opening ceremony, the afternoon was dedicated to visiting activities. We chose the route of visiting universities and research institutes, specifically the Institute of Coal Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Taiyuan University of Technology.
First was the Institute of Coal Chemistry. To be honest, this was not
very relevant to my field, so I took a quick look to understand. The
carbon fibers and various catalysts they produced, such as
T800 and T1000, looked impressive.
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This is a pilot-scale equipment for testing, and after verification on this, the next step would be production. Research institutes are ahead of universities in terms of technology transfer.
After a quick visit to the Institute of Coal Chemistry, we took a car to Taiyuan University of Technology. Upon arrival, Guoguo went straight to the library for an online meeting (typical Ph.D. life).
I must say, the library at Taiyuan University of Technology is really well-built, much better than the library at a certain unnamed top university in the northwest. I suggest that the top university in the northwest learn from Taiyuan University of Technology in this aspect.
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Finally, here are some of the faculty benefits at Taiyuan University of Technology for those who are interested:
Jinci & Tianmen Mountain
The itinerary for the next morning was to visit Jinci and the Tianmen
Mountain Grottoes, and we had to wake up even earlier, meeting at 7:20.
This was really difficult for me QAQ
I must say, the Tianmen Mountain Grottoes are quite impressive, built into the mountains with exquisite carvings. Despite the ravages of time, they still appear magnificent and spectacular.
However, the despicable looters took away most of the Buddha statues over a hundred years ago, and now there are hardly any intact statues left. Ugh.
After coming down from Tianlong Mountain, we headed to Jinci.
Jinci has three wonders: ancient cypress trees, colored sculptures, and the Nanyao Spring. The ancient cypress trees have survived for over three thousand years, the colored sculptures have remained vivid since the Song Dynasty, and the Nanyao Spring flows continuously.
There are three treasures: the Hall of the Holy Mother, the Fish Pond Flying Beam, and the Offering Hall. For me, the most impressive and favorite is the Hall of the Holy Mother. The grand hall houses the statue of Yi Jiang, the daughter of Jiang Ziya, and the wife of King Wu of Zhou.
The dragon sculptures on each pillar outside the Hall of the Holy Mother are quite unique, especially the dragon making a peace sign. Originally with four claws, two were lost over the years, giving it the appearance of a peace sign.
The carvings on the roof of the main hall are also exquisite, showcasing the artistic skills and craftsmanship of our ancestors. With the development of society and my own age, I can increasingly appreciate the brilliance, continuity, and diversity of our ancient civilization. I remember in middle school, the phrase "Chinese civilization has a long history and is profound" was just a summary in history textbooks, a test point. But here, this phrase is manifested in time and space.
Upon entering the Hall of the Holy Mother, there are statues of Yi Jiang and her maids inside the vast hall, which has no columns, providing a good spatial setting for the statues. Once again, I couldn't help but marvel at the craftsmanship of the ancients.
At Jinci, we also encountered some children who came to play, dressed in unique styles of clothing from different eras, including modern, Republican, and some Hanfu styles that I couldn't recognize. For them, the brilliance of Chinese civilization is gradually integrating into their lives, and the inheritance of ancient culture and its fusion with modern culture will undoubtedly provide answers that we cannot predict.
Outside the hall, there are some other clay sculptures, which look familiar. Later, I learned from others that this was the filming location for the part of Benbo in the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West." I can only say that I was so focused on the Monkey King as a child that I missed out on the beautiful women, sets, and historical sites in the show 😂
Bell Tower Street & Ancient County Town
Bell Tower Street is a popular street in Taiyuan centered around the bell tower, offering a mix of tourism, leisure, entertainment, and dining experiences. Upon entering, the bell tower also welcomed us, which was really surprising.
The commercial screens at the intersection were also displaying welcome messages for the Ph.D. scholars.
The sea buckthorn juice was delicious, said to lower blood lipids, bringing some comfort to my not-so-healthy body.
There isn't much to say about Bell Tower Street, so I'll end this
part with a very satisfying night view of the bell tower that I took.
The Mate40 Pro is still leading the way.
Compared to Bell Tower Street, the overall impression of the ancient county town in Taiyuan is better. Built around the city wall of the county, it is laid out with four main streets running north, south, east, and west, lined with shops, performance venues, and attractions on both sides of the four main streets. For me, as someone from Shaanxi, this layout is very familiar, almost like a miniature version of Xi'an's city area. However, unlike Xi'an's city area, there are no motor vehicles crisscrossing everywhere, no hurried pedestrians, and no tall buildings that compromise the city's landscape. Instead, there is a unified architectural style and an immersive experience for visitors.
I wonder if it should be pronounced KFC or CKF.
The ancient county yamen, where the Ph.D. job fair was held, is quite spacious. If ancient county yamens were really of this standard, then being a county magistrate would indeed be quite comfortable.
Just saying, Ph.D. scholars are not idle during their trips (Guoguo and I also had various meetings and code reviews).
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The drum tower and Confucius Temple in the ancient county town, where photography is not allowed inside the Confucius Temple, so here's an image of the entrance.
There is also a stone exhibition hall in the ancient county town, showcasing various stones and exquisite crafts made from them.
Why does the phoenix crown look so much better than the crown?
The stone-made Manchu Han Imperial Feast is truly lifelike.
This large piece of turquoise could enchant the entire body with enchantments!
The natural copper ore looks quite beautiful.
Before leaving, we tried the local specialties of aged vinegar, sea buckthorn, and baijiu ice cream. The aged vinegar ice cream was unexpectedly delicious. It retained the rich aroma and gentle acidity of the vinegar, combined with the texture of ice cream, making it a delightful treat.
After enjoying the ice cream, Guoguo and I left the ancient county town of Taiyuan and returned to the hotel by car. This marked the end of the Youth Doctor Taiyuan Tour. Although it was short, it left me with many thoughts, prompting me to write this conclusion to share my reflections.
Conclusion
The biggest impression I had during my trip to Taiyuan this time was surprise. Surprised by the hospitality, surprised by the city's development, surprised by its cultural heritage, and surprised by its talent policies. It is evident that the Taiyuan municipal government places great emphasis on attracting talent. This is reflected not only in financial investments but also in the meticulous planning of the entire event. Accurate scheduling of activities, thoughtful welcome messages designed with different styles but all showing careful consideration, and the excellent organizers and staff selected from various units all demonstrate the level of importance Taiyuan attaches to this event.
Now, let me share my impressions of Taiyuan as a city. Just as it is promoted, Taiyuan is a livable city with distinct four seasons and pleasant weather, making it a fitting description. The city's infrastructure and commercial areas are relatively well-developed. However, a prominent issue is the lack of people. Whether due to weekdays or other reasons, the flow of people in malls, commercial streets, and ancient towns is quite low. In 2022, Taiyuan's secondary industry accounted for 44.2%, while the tertiary industry accounted for 54.9%1. Among these, the tourism operating income was only 337 million yuan2, indicating significant room for growth.
Lastly, I would like to offer a small suggestion to the Taiyuan municipal government. From the perspective of an out-of-town visitor, Taiyuan's cultural and creative products are scarce. Cultural and creative products with Shanxi characteristics mainly focus on noodles, vinegar, and coal, which are modern items. Without the activities of this trip to Taiyuan, I wouldn't have considered Taiyuan as a destination in the current circumstances. However, upon visiting, I discovered that Taiyuan's cultural and tourism resources are rich, with sites like Jinci, Tianlongshan Grottoes, Qiao's Grand Courtyard, and the ancient county town all having unique cultural characteristics. Yet, when I wanted to bring souvenirs back for my friends, I found very few cultural and creative products available. Less than 20% of the products in cultural and creative stores feature Shanxi characteristics, with the rest being national accessories or products from other provinces and cities. In the end, I brought back two decent-looking coal keychains. While I wanted to convey Taiyuan's historical background to my friends when I returned home, it seemed challenging without physical objects. Honestly, I didn't want to give coal or vinegar-related souvenirs, as this would reinforce stereotypes about Shanxi. As a consumer, my choices were rather limited.
In my opinion, the future development of cities is not just about economic competition, talent attraction, but also about cultural and image competition. With the transformation of our country's economic structure and the changing demands of the people, there will inevitably be changes in the choice of places to live. More and more people are choosing to leave Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, either returning to their hometowns, seeking beautiful landscapes, or traveling around the country. In the new era, as Chinese people have more diverse choices due to economic development, why can't our vast and resource-rich land meet the needs of these hardworking individuals? Taiyuan has a pleasant climate, well-developed infrastructure, dedicated individuals, rich historical and cultural resources, and good resource endowments. All of these need to be promoted through various channels to let more people hear Taiyuan's voice, understand its past, present, and future. This not only attracts more people to Taiyuan but also offers another lifestyle choice for the people of our country.
References
Economic Operation of Taiyuan City in 2022 - Taiyuan Municipal Bureau of Statistics Website (taiyuan.gov.cn)↩︎
Economic Operation of Taiyuan City in 2022 - Taiyuan Municipal Bureau of Statistics Website (taiyuan.gov.cn)↩︎