Temples, planes and chopsticks
By Samuel Phillips, MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, 2024
I love going abroad to adventurous places, so when this exchange program came up, and engineering was included, I just had to go!
Not only did we learn about Chinese cultural heritage and significant festivals, but also about how passionate the Chinese are about achieving excellence in all their aerospace engineering pursuits. We learned about the COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd) C939 and C929 projects, (competing with Airbus A350 and Boeing 777) and how they are working with several universities including NUAA (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Aerospace), to design every aspect of the aircraft, using their own engineers. We got to see how they structure the assemblies of these aircraft and manage the whole build process. We were even shown around the production line for the C919 aircraft.
COMAC are also working closely with NUAA to train up a new generation of pilots. One of my top highlights was visiting their training facility and trying the flight simulator – it was like flying a real plane!
Whilst working with international students in my group, I learnt how to use the Dassault Systèmes software: CATIA, (a commonly used software within engineering manufacturing). I learned how to design several parts of a radish knife and then bring them together in an assembly where I could apply movement restrictions. This allowed us to use the assembly to test how the model would work in real life. In engineering, this is a key skill for ensuring that parts such as the components of a gearbox or a suspension system, all fit correctly and won’t foul during the range of motion or movement, without having to make a prototype in real life, (which saves on both cost and time).
One of the first places we visited was the Confucious Temple, it was fascinating to see the many murals and candles dotted around the inner courtyards and the temple. Afterwards we ate Zongzi – a glutinous sticky rice dumpling, wrapped in bamboo leaves. We also learned about the Festival of Pure Brightness and the Double Seventh and Ninth Festivals, just to name a few.
There was a wide range of other cultural activities we got to partake in such as Chinese calligraphy, Tea Arts and playing traditional Chinese music on the Guzheng. These were interspersed with trips to the Imperial Exam Museum and Tours of Yangzhou and Shanghai.
Each evening, our hosts, took us into the city and we got to experience the local food and soak up the atmosphere. My favourite was a dish called Niurou Tang – which was minced beef, ginger, and spring onions, encased with pastry, then fried – so that they’re soft on top and crispy on the bottom. By the end of the trip, I was even managing to eat it with chopsticks!
China is a place where everything is larger than you can possibly imagine, where the food (if you want it to), just keeps on coming, where they dream big to achieve perfection and where, in everything, (be it construction, engineering or just everyday life) – they always strive to be as efficient as possible!
It was a trip of a lifetime, where I got to know and work with engineering students from around the world. I’ve probably gained a few kilos from all the delicious noodles, pork and beef I’ve eaten but this experience will stick with me for a long time. It has inspired me to set my ambitions higher – but maybe not as high as the mountain of food I ate!
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