University of Michigan International Center

Who does not like the smell of mulled wine, gingersnaps, Lebkuchen or roasted nuts when walking around town before Christmas? Christmas markets, which originated in Germany over 500 years ago, are nowadays present in cities all over the world. Although most of the famous markets are located in European cities, the US has a few great Christmas markets too! If you have a little time before the holidays, you should definitely check one out! Big cities on the east coast like Washington, New York or Philadelphia are famous for their Christmas markets that last throughout the whole December. If you don’t want to travel that far, Chicago and Cincinnati offer great Christmas markets too. Right here in Michigan, you can find Christmas markets in Detroit, Frankenmuth and Holland. Even Ann Arbor has its own Christmas market called KindleFest every year on the first Friday of December. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy some mulled wine and delicious sweets this Christmas season! Ann Arbor ...

China is a multi-national country which has a long history of over 5,000 years. Thanks to the good protection of its ancient streets, people nowadays still have the chance to catch a glimpse of the lifestyles from ancient times. Moreover, to present the huge difference between historical lifestyles and modern lifestyles of China, some typical modern pedestrian streets will also be introduced. Barkhor Street in Lhasa Barkhor Street is located in Lhasa, Tibet. It has a history of more than 1,300 years. Since Jokhang Temple was built, the temple quickly attracted thousands of Buddhist pilgrims. And many of them passed through the path where Barkhor Street was used to be. This is the origin of Barkhor Street, which is also known as the ‘sacred road’ among Tibetan people. Nowadays, Barkhor Street consists of 35 streets with traditional Tibetan buildings standing on both sides. Tourists can have a close encounter with traditional Tibetan clothes, Thangka (a Tibetan religiou...