Straw hats are very common in Hangzhou 
The Chinese also still rely on traditional ways to earn a living 
Or just by any way possible 
Ordering food in Chinese schools and office canteens are very similar 
at Alibaba! 
With added security at Alibaba 
The stores in China also celebrate Chinese holidays that we consider minor in Singapore 
Category: Innovation & Enterprise
Yiwu International Trade Market- a place with everything, and anything.
Group A went to Yiwu on the fourth day in Hangzhou while Group B visited Yiwu on the second day in Hangzhou.
Yiwu International Trade Market is a huge area which sells wholesale goods – from toys, to camping equipment… they have it all!
This is the map of Yiwu International Trade Market with five districts of goods! We were really afraid of getting lost, but thankfully there was an app which served as a guide for us.
One of the very interesting items we found was this educational robot! It can even sing karaoke with you!
We then headed back to school for the Yiwu challenge – where groups would pitch an item (bought in Yiwu) to the teachers! It was very hilarious and fun, as the groups were very creative in their pitch.
Alibaba Headquarters Visit
By: Tan Li En, Acosta Andreana Cain
On our second day in Hangzhou, Group A went to Alibaba to attend a course and also learn more about Alibaba’s history.
We were first greeted by Rebecca, who introduced the overview of the Alibaba group to us, helping us all be more familiar with Alibaba’s business models, and values. Next, we had another speaker teaching us in-depth about Alibaba’s business and how they operate.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic is also the first overseas institute to attend this course!
We were also given 30RMB coupons to have lunch at Alibaba’s cafeteria! It was a fun experience as we queued for food alongside employees and got overwhelmed with the many choices we had. The food there was amazing, we definitely had a very satisfying lunch.
After lunch, we got to tour around Alibaba’s offices and got to try out the quirky ‘challenges’ they have around! We also got to see their company T-Shirts and prizes for workers who stayed in their company for more than a year (up to 10 years!)
After touring around, we went back to continue listening to their business model. After the previous speaker finished his sharing, the next speaker came and told us more about the events Alibaba have annually and what are the benefits of working in Alibaba. All of them have something in common – Being extremely passionate about their work. We really respect how driven they are, contributing to Alibaba’s success.
Entrepreneur Forum
Photographs by Violet, Text content by Li En
After the Ctrip & Volkswagen visit, we headed back to Shanghai University for an Entrepreneur’s Forum, with Ms Hazel being the moderator. The four panelists are all Singaporeans who are currently working in China. They shared with us their background, how they ended up working in China, and their real experiences. No sugar coating, this is exactly what we needed to hear to understand the real situation. The forum was really meaningful and we were all very engrossed.
After the forum, there was a Q&A session which four of the students excitedly posed relevant questions to the speakers.
After the Q&A session, our students rushed to the front to meet the four entrepreneurs to further clarify their doubts and network. It shows how impactful the four speakers were, and how our students were compelled to find out more. Luckily, we got to split up into four smaller groups, so we can ask the individual speakers ask even more questions.
A Visit To Volkswagen
Co-author: Gareth Wong Tjun Hoy
While Group A visited Ctrip, Group B paid a visit to Volkswagen!
We saw this banner in Volkswagen. This is Volkswagen’s own unique value proposition.
Besides their value proposition, there were mottos as well.
We rode a buggy to navigate around Volkswagen, which was a really fun experience.
A Trip To Ctrip
By Acosta Andreana Cain, Tan Li En
On the fourth day of the trip, Group A visited Ctrip’s Headquarters while Group B visited Volkswagen.
Since we were in Group A, we got the opportunity to visit Ctrip, which is a one-stop travel services company. We got to understand more about their business model and what they have achieved.
When we reached, we were all in awe as the place looked really futuristic and their area was huge as well.
Afterwards, we were then led to a room where it shows live data of the customer’s locations when booking via Ctrip. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed inside. It was still a cool experience nevertheless.
We ended our Ctrip visit quite interestingly – They have this application whereby when you upload your picture onto it, a poem will be generated based on the picture you have submitted. The system will roughly know where and when the picture is taken. Our students and teachers had a blast sending many photos – scenic photos we have taken the day before, group photos with friends, and unglamorous photos of their friends sleeping on bus!
Back in Shanghai University, students from Group A did a sharing on their takeaways from the Ctrip visit.
7Dragon 2019 