MIM China Study Trip 2026: From AI Innovation to Ancestral Roots

Coming to China was surreal. I’m Taiwanese American. My family immigrated twice: my grandparents from China to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War and a second time to the U.S. when my parents were seven and 13 years.

I speak Mandarin, but have never visited China. So, coming to China, especially Beijing, was particularly meaningful since my late grandfather grew up in Beijing.

Everything was a cultural shock. Navigating the city was a challenge in itself, and I often found myself getting lost in the urban intensity of both Shanghai and Beijing. However, the daily mini-trips with Professor Rose Luo provided some structure.

We touched down the day before our official study trip started, walking along The Bund before taking a DiDi to explore the Jade Buddha Temple. I was shocked by the sheer size and density of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street on a Monday afternoon. It felt a bit like Times Square.

We began our trip by visiting The Multiverse, an AI immersive experience with various unique storyline options, run by an EMBA alumnus. Following, we went to an industrial park to visit CTP, Consumer To Parking, a specialised smart parking platform and technology-driven operator. Both companies illustrated the significance of AI in two vastly different industries, while Professor Luo debriefed us with an insightful lecture as I munched on a bunch of those small green fruits.

Day two we spent the first half attending GEIA Asia 2026, a large-scale conference highlighting intelligence and humanoid robotics innovations. I got mistaken for being Filipina at a booth until I finally said: “我会将中文“（I can speak Chinese), which made the lady practically jump with surprise. We still chat on WeChat. Afterwards, we took the high-speed rail to Beijing, and I honestly found myself getting a bit emotional at the thought of visiting the place where my grandfather spent his childhood.

Our first mini trip in Beijing took us to Brave Furniture, where we listened to the CEO speak about how the company offers popular designs at a fraction of overseas prices, as we took every chance to try out all the different couches. Tsinghua University’s campus was truly amazing. We spent most of our time at the X-lab, the university incubator, and were given a lecture on the history and current growth levels of China. Some of us continued to stay to tour while others, including myself, took a brief detour to visit the massive National Stadium or Bird’s Nest. For dinner, I waited two hours with a group to try the infamous Peking Duck, and fortunately, it was very worth the wait.

Our last two days included a trip to Jingwa Centre, short for Beijing Jingwa Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Centre. It was very cool to see how they were growing different crops, and I think this was my favourite company to visit (and it wasn’t only because of the free produce). Our detour to Silk Street taught us the ancient art of haggling for clothes and souvenirs. 

Finally, we concluded our study trip with a visit to the Forbidden City. I had never seen a place so massive. I can try to describe it, but it’s definitely one of those places where you have to visit for yourself. I think we spent 2.5 hours there before leaving with bags of merchandise to catch our flight.

Overall, this trip was super packed but extremely fulfilling, and I had a wonderful time learning from Professor Luo and her energetic mobile lectures.  

I can also tell my parents that I finally saw 爷爷’s hometown :)