Thayer Seniors Enjoy Trip to Boston’s Chinatown

Nine seniors from Thayer Academy’s Mandarin Chinese program traveled to Boston recently where they enjoyed a “graduation trip” to the historic and vibrant neighborhood of Chinatown. 

Upper School Mandarin Chinese Faculty Nai-I Finney and Upper School Interim World Languages Department Head Marc Rando chaperoned the April 14 trip, which included a tour of Chinatown led by the Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC). The tour focused on the history of a neighborhood which has been an Asian American cultural hub for more than 150 years. 

After the tour, students and chaperones enjoyed lunch at Zhi Wei Cafe, a Lanzhou-style noodle restaurant. With their remaining free time, students explored the area and searched for Chinese characters — those learned in the classroom — adorning various buildings, shops, and signs. 

Students said they enjoyed their field trip to Chinatown and learned a great deal about the culture as well as the day-to-day lives of neighborhood residents. One student enjoyed hearing Mandarin used in everyday conversation while another appreciated the Chinatown Gate, a gift to the city from Taiwan, and its Chinese Guardian Lions (also known as foo dogs, one male and one female). Students learned about both the stereotypes and restrictions placed upon the Chinese community during the neighborhood’s founding in the late 1800s but also marveled at how connected today’s neighborhood is to the city.