It’s highly likely that you’ve heard of Jay Chou before—he’s the Taiwanese singer-songwriter behind hits such as “Cute Girl (Ke Ai Nu Ren),” “Simple Love (Jian Dan Ai),” and “Silence (An Jing).” If you haven’t heard the original songs, you may have seen YouTube covers by Mandarin and non-Mandarin speakers alike (our favorite: sisters Riney and Bam, who used Chou’s music to learn Chinese), or heard his catchy melodies while singing karaoke.

During my rebellious, early teen years, I rejected all affiliations to my ethnic culture. But between my sophomore and junior years of college, I was given an opportunity to get to know my cultural heritage a little better—by taking a trip to the motherland with my mother.

As the world’s largest and most populous continent, Asia has become a widely popular travel destination. Rich with history, culture, cuisine, languages, religion and people, it’s no wonder that when we think of Asia, we consider it as the entire other half of the world.

Spending four or five months exploring a foreign country is a rare opportunity, so it should be no surprise that many college students consider studying abroad before graduating and entering the workforce. Interestingly, only about one-tenth of college students choose to study abroad in Asia despite the professional benefits gained from getting to know Asian languages and culture. After all, China, Japan and other Asian countries are increasingly playing significant roles in international politics and the global economy.

Hong Kong, like many other Asian cities, has two sides: the bustling, ultra-modern city and the quieter backstreets with its temples and street vendors. The two official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English—a unique feature among Chinese provinces.
“Hong Kong has a lot of Western influence in every aspect—food, fashion and architecture,” said Natalie Ngai, a senior at Washington University in St. Louis. “There are English signs everywhere, and practically everyone can understand simple English. Compared to most other Asian cities, Hong Kong has prettier buildings and a much …

As the largest city in China and a center of Chinese commerce, Shanghai is understandably one of the most popular study abroad destinations in Asia. The city’s culture is dynamic and fast-paced. “Shanghai is where everything is happening—it’s especially great for finance, media and art students,” said Tina Qu, who grew up in Shanghai and returned to study abroad as a junior.
“Shanghai is a unique city in that it’s a collision of the new and the old,” said Valerie Guan, a finance and international business major at New York University. …

Tokyo is an eclectic mixture of Japanese culture, international business, technology and popular entertainment, all packaged in an energetic, forward-moving environment that never seems to slow down.
Melissa Pae Redwood, a political science major at Smith College and former Mochi writer, studied abroad in Tokyo during the spring semester of her junior year. She was first attracted to Japan because of her interest in the relationship between Japan and the U.S. after World War II. In addition, as a student at a small liberal arts college in Massachusetts, she wanted to …

Nagoya, the third largest city in Japan, contains 2.2 million inhabitants and is notable for its high air quality. The city is also well-known as the home of Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine and many art museums. It is located near Toyota’s headquarters, which account for much of the region’s prosperity.