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Four UW dancers and Harry the Husky took part in the UW’s events in China, courtesy of the Pac-12 Conference. Here in the second post about the group’s experiences, Annie Millspaugh and Julia Tran discuss the announcement of the Pac-12’s partnership with China’s Letv, as well as a traditional tea ceremony.

Annie Millspaugh, sophomore, Dana Point, CA

Before the start of this trip, I didn’t understand why we were playing our opening basketball game in China.  Our trip was sponsored by Alibaba and after attending their academic program at the Alibaba campus and the press conference with Pac-12 with Letv, I was able to gain a lot more insight on the importance behind this historic basketball game.  This game was not just about basketball; it was a chance for us to learn more about China and their culture, and for Alibaba to expand their organization internationally.

This game was live streamed on Letv in China and on the Pac-12 network in the U.S. Letv held a press conference with the Pac-12, and they announced all of the details behind their partnership, along with their plans to stream many more live Pac-12 sporting events in China.  The sporting events include basketball, football, and soccer games.  This game was the first live Pac-12 basketball game to be played and streamed in China.

During the press conference, Larry Scott spoke about Pac-12 and it’s tradition of being known as “The Conference of Champions.”  It led me to reflect on the many years of success and championships Pac-12 has had.  The Pac-12 includes some of most prestigious universities in the country and has won numerous NCAA championships throughout its history.  Hearing this speech made me very proud to help promote the Pac-12 and represent the University of Washington.

This new partnership is not just about the excitement and competition behind these games, it is about providing inspiration to Chinese students and sports participants.  I felt very honored to be a part of this inspiration and motivation for Chinese student athletes to continue fighting to reach their goals.  To know that you are an icon for success in the minds of many Chinese students and athletes felt very surreal and rewarding.  I really enjoyed getting to experience this amazing culture and learn more about the building of relationships between China and the U.S.  It gives me a lot of pride to be a part of such an amazing organization and knowing that there will be much more success to come.

 

Julia Tran, sophomore, Portland, OR

It’s hard to recall a more riveting moment on the sidelines than when Andrew Andrews shot that three-pointer that put the Huskies up 71-67 with only 3 minutes left on the clock. Cheering on our team, who was predicted to lose, as they won in a foreign country in front of our international fans was definitely a surreal experience.

Though cheering that game was unforgettable and definitely one of the greatest parts of our trip, some of the most memorable experiences I took away from this trip was also being immersed in China’s rich culture. One of my personal favorite experiences was witnessing a traditional tea ceremony in “Old Chinatown”—the traditional district of commerce surrounding Chenghuag Miao, the City God Temple of Shanghai. The tea ceremony took place atop a building that overlooked the traditional Chinese architecture that populated the area. Standing tall with sweeping gabled roofs that floated over traditionally colored red and gold bases, the buildings emanated majesty. It’s hard for this neighborhood not to leave a lasting impression even after you’ve left.

As an avid tea drinker, some of the best mornings are when my apartment-mates and I sit around the kitchen island drinking steaming cups of tea. But even so, I always saw tea as a soothing remedy to drink when it’s chilly or when I need to relax. In China however, drinking tea is largely a social event—an opportunity to get together and enjoy time spent with friends. Being exposed to a new culture and sampling the various types of tea with my coach and teammates was an exciting experience for all of us. There was an irreproducible warmth and enthusiasm in the atmosphere when smelling the different types of tea leaves, tasting them, and finding which brews we liked or didn’t like. After taking part in the tea ceremony it’s not hard to understand why tea is so commonly used for social gatherings; it’s amazing how something so simplistic can bring people closer together. Seeing the value of tea in Chinese communities and the parallelism of tea and companionship in their culture has those made those cold mornings drinking tea with my friends more cherished.

One of our personal favorites from the ceremony was the jasmine flower tea. This tea is especially used for tea shows, as a welcoming gesture to guests, and very common for gatherings with friends. This tea is interesting because it has an element of entertainment: the guests choose the closed jasmine blossom to use for the tea, which then blooms upon steeping in hot water and reveals a different flower with each blossom. Because of this, it is known as the “lucky draw tea.”

Furthermore, we learned that tea in China is not only used as an enjoyable drink, but also valued as a health promoter, and even as medical treatments. The most popular ones being: oolong tea, which is good for energy, body warmth, and weight loss (in Chinese culture it is even used to wash the dishes!), and green tea, China’s national tea, which is also referred to as “long life tea” for its antioxidants and its believed anti-radiation, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties. Medicinal teas are used for a wide array of things, including sore throats, detoxification, liver protection, and the cleansing of the lungs. In Chinese culture drinking these medicine teas three times a day for three months is considered a treatment.

A set of tea cups is used for tea ceremonies and sampling teas. The thin top piece is used to smell the tea’s fragrance, while its long structure holds the flavor of the tea longer. It can be rubbed against the face, hands, and eyes to give warmth to the drinker. The bottom piece is where the tea is sipped from.

It was such a grand experience feeling directly immersed in the Chinese culture. It was eye-opening to see the value of tea in China, and fascinating seeing how tea is emphasized and used differently in places compared with back at home. What I loved most is how tea represented well-being and community in China; the room was filled with positivity and eagerness to learn about Chinese traditions and try new things and flavors. It was unique witnessing how something like enjoying a communal pot of tea could cultivate such blissful feelings between people and unite our two cultures. It was a truly memorable experience that I’m glad I got to share with my teammates.

Four UW dancers and Harry the Husky took part in the University’s events in China, courtesy of the Pac-12 Conference. Here Jordan French and Becca Love share some of their experiences at Alibaba headquarters and Lingyin Temple, both in Hangzhou.

Jordan French, senior, Olympia, WA

As a political economy major, I knew my week-long journey to China with the Pac-12 would be extremely interesting and educational. However, I never could have dreamed of what would be presented to me as we stepped on the Alibaba campus the day before the largest e-commerce day in the world.

When thinking about huge online shopping days, we usually think of Cyber Monday—the Monday after Black Friday. However, the sales made annually on that day do not even begin to compare to the amount of sales made through Alibaba on Singles Day, even though the company does not actually directly produce anything (similar to Amazon or eBay).

Singles Day is a holiday that has essentially become the opposite of Valentines Day in China—a day to celebrate being single. This holiday originated in the 1990s and has quickly become widely recognized all over the country. When choosing a day for this holiday, it seemed obvious the date should contain a lot of “1”s to represent the singleness encompassed in the entire spirit of the holiday. Thus, Singles Day — and, eventually (after Alibaba decided to take advantage of the day in 2009) the largest e-commerce day in the world — lands on 11/11 of every year.  Although the holiday was not originally e-commerce focused, the idea of treating ones self became more and more relevant, therefore making the day one of the largest e-spending days in the world.

While listening to Alibaba co-founder Jane Jiang and Head of International Corporate Affairs Jim Wilkinson speak on behalf of their company, I could tell they were extremely prideful of what Alibaba does. They shared their experiences with the company and showed us how they have changed the world. As Americans, we think of online shopping as a luxury, but many people in rural Asia consider it an absolute necessity since the mobile age began. People often do not have the resources to drive all the way to a supermarket, and companies like Alibaba help them purchase their basic necessities, and even get them delivered within 72 hours anywhere in the world (only 24 hours in big Chinese cities).

Moreover, Alibaba changed the buying world by creating trust between buyers and sellers. Before Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, created Alipay, consumers were always skeptical of handing money over to a producer because the producer might just give them a fake item, or not send anything at all. Alipay created a middleman that keeps the money until the item is received and verified—promoting more trust and ultimately more e-commerce.  As of 2014, the average Alibaba customer buys 58 times a year, which proves that e-commerce at this scale is more than just a frivolous luxury, but rather a necessity for many people.

Overall, it was incredible to see how much impact one company could have on the world. Beyond the macro scope of things, it was amazing to see how much pride people took in being a part of the Alibaba Corporation. Employees were sleeping in tents at the headquarters before Singles Day this year just so they could get as much work done as possible, and everyone still seemed eager and excited for 11/11 to hit. The amount of dedication coming from Jack Ma throughout the years after starting Alibaba only two decades ago, has been passed down through the ranks of his employees, and it shows in the way they speak so highly of the company. I feel so incredibly lucky that I got the chance to hear about and witness first hand the type of work that goes into running a company like Alibaba, and the huge ways in which e-commerce has changed the world for the better.

 

Becca Love, freshman, Rancho Bernardo, CA

The Lingyin Temple, located in Hangzhou, is enclosed by picturesque forestry. This temple, also known as Temple of the Soul’s Retreat, is one of the largest and most visited Buddhist temples in China. Our wonderful guide, Cindy, began the tour by showing us one of the hills that surround the temple’s outskirts. This hill which is known as Feilai Peak, is covered in wooden Buddhist cave and rock carvings. As I was climbing up the hill, I was in awe at how incredibly detailed and unique each carving is. Feilai Peak’s tranquil and isolated environment created one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever witnessed and set the perfect tone for the rest of the tour.

After we explored Feilai Peak, Cindy gave each one of us incense that consisted of exactly three sticks, symbolizing abstinence from temptation, healing, and wealth. As a group, we lit our incense, faced the temple, and began the prayer ritual. Holding the incense with both hands high on our forehead, we bowed three times towards the temple, turned to the right, and repeated this pattern to the remaining three sides. The four sides represent a different prayer subject: good fortune, happiness, good health, and prosperity. After we finished praying, we placed our incense in a large, smoking, bathtub-like bucket. I immediately felt overwhelmed and caught myself grinning from ear to ear. When I saw my teammates and coach in the same fashion, I knew the peace and happiness I was experiencing was universal.

I walked away and onto the rest of the tour with a bittersweet feeling because I knew that partaking in that ritual in this special place was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, the rest of the temple continued to astonish me. Entering the main hall of the temple was surreal. Three huge, golden statues instantly grabbed my attention. The center statue, personifying Buddha as Shakyamuni, is the largest wooden statue in China. Watching people kneel and pray towards this statue was so powerful. This hall greatly differs from the last hall we entered, which houses 500 Arhats. Each Arhat is distinctive in various features, but the main focus of the hall points towards the four Bodhisattva statues at the center. These select statues represent great wisdom, great practice, great compassion, and realization of great vow. Everything throughout the entire temple is exceptionally ornate. It was difficult to peel my eyes away and leave the beautiful city of Hangzhou.

I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to see and engage in the culture at the Lingyin Temple. I will never forget this journey.

 

The capstone to the UW’s week of events in China was a gathering of alumni from across Asia following the Huskies’ 77-71 victory over Texas in the Pac-12 China Game.

The raucous crowd cheered the players, Coach Romar and President Cauce, took pictures with members of the UW Cheer & Dance squad, and met friends and fellow Huskies from more than a half dozen chapters around the region.

What does innovation look like? At Disney Research China it looks like a modest, four-story historic building in Shanghai’s Xuhui District. Fellow UW Innovation Summit speakers Adina Mangubat, Ben Waters and I were invited inside for a tour to find out why such an unassuming place from the outside is on the frontier of building sciences.

Disney Research China is a part of Disney’s global network of labs and the only one dedicated primarily to research of the built environment. Their vision is to develop scientific and engineering knowledge of the natural synergies in urban infrastructure. They are using the $5.5 billion dollar construction of the Shanghai Disneyland Resort as a testbed for cutting-edge construction and environmental engineering technologies and processes. Their hope is to apply the lessons learned there to reduce the environmental impact of Disney’s construction and operations around the globe.

They started with the building that houses their own research facility. Cheryl Chi, who holds her Ph.D. degree from Stanford University, gave us a tour of the 4,500 square foot facility. To renovate the building, the team started with a laser scan of the building that helped generate a digital, 3-D rendering of the existing structure. They then used Building Information Modeling, or BIM, a sophisticated computer-aided design tool, to coordinate the design and construction of the structural and building systems, and interior fit-out. Through the use of BIM and integrated system design, the design team was able to squeeze the mechanical system into one-third of the typical ceiling space to optimize the use of the limited floor-to-ceiling height. BIM is the key research topic for several lab members including Chi and Helen Chen, who both received their degrees at Stanford, one of the world’s leading experts in these systems.

The result is a building that rivals the smartest buildings in the world. It includes an integrated building management system (IBMS) that optimizes energy and water consumption with comfort of the people inside the building. The system analyzes real-time data in close to 400 sensors that monitor 13 metrics, including temperature, humidity, daylight and air quality, and then makes necessary adjustments for efficiency and comfort. Solar panels on the roof supplement the power for the buildings’ electrical outlets. Inside, the design leaves mechanical systems exposed, allowing visitors (like us) to marvel at the ducts, pipes and conduits running throughout the building, a choice that Chi said was rare in China but is seen as a cool urban design aesthetic in the west.

One of the key projects for the Disney Research China lab is designing new ways to measure and plan for efficient district-scale infrastructure to support sustainable cities. In addition to using such sensor data and analysis on a building-by-building case, they are working on using data from entire district of buildings to quantify relationships between design features and performance of urban infrastructure systems. Their findings could have implications for how cities rethink the delivery of water and energy to neighborhoods and could improve the health of urban ecosystems.

We were there in part to exchange ideas about the direction of “engineering project organization,” a type of work that both Chi and Chen do and that we do in the lab that I co-direct  with Carrie Sturts Dossick in the UW Department of Construction Management. The goal for both of our labs is to improve the engineering outcomes of high-performance projects by improving how people collaborate on hard problems. In that sense, innovation often looks like multidisciplinary labs like Disney’s, where teams of people with different types training work together to create the future — one design decision at a time.

Gina Neff is an associate professor of communication; Adina Mangubat is CEO of Spiral Genetics and a 2009 graduate; and Ben Waters is a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering and CEO of Wibotic Inc.

 

The penultimate day of the UW’s week of events in China featured the University’s inaugural Innovation Summit, preceded by a gathering of alumni leaders from around Asia.

The summit featured the work of four UW innovators — faculty members Gina Neff and Shwetak Patel, Ph.D. candidate Ben Waters and 2009 graduate Adina Mangubat — followed by Q&A sessions moderated by Vice Provost for Innovation Vikram Jandhyala and Shanghai Dragon TV’s Yuan Ming.

The summit also included keynote speeches by Ralph Haupter, CEO of Microsoft’s Greater China Region and Wang Jian, co-founder and president of BGI, as well as remarks by President Ana Mari Cauce, Jiande Chen, CEO of IMAX China Ltd., and Chris Gregoire, CEO of Challenge Seattle and former governor of Washington.

In the morning, alumni leaders from around the region gathered for updates on the UW in a range of areas, from student recruitment to research. Seven alumni chapter presidents were honored by Cauce for their service to the UW.

The week concludes Saturday with the Pac-12 China Game (7 p.m. Friday Seattle time) and an all-Asia alumni and friends reception.

Summit Gallery