Hello and welcome to South China! My name is Ryan, but my Chinese name is Hong Aiyang. In China, a person's last name actually comes first because family is so important to Chinese culture. So you can call me Aiyang, because it is the closest Chinese name to Ryan.
I am originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, but I have spent many years traveling. After graduating from Michigan State University, I worked for four years as a professional musician, traveling the world and playing drums in a band. Eventually, I completed graduate school at the University of Michigan in Public Policy and Chinese Studies, and now, thanks to Fulbright, I am finally fulfilling my dream of living in China!
Before coming here, I worked in Washington D.C. for the United States Trade Representative. Years of studying Chinese in college and in graduate school created so many opportunities for me to do very exciting work on important topics that are changing our world.
I now live in Guangzhou (sounds like gwahng-joe) China. Over 20 million people live in this city, which is almost twice the size of New York City! I also often go to Shenzhen (Shen-Jen) for my research, which only takes 40 minutes by train, but has another 20 million people.
While I am here, I am mostly studying how Chinese people use technology to help feed the poor, improve the environment, and provide opportunities for better education. I look forward to bringing you to China with me!
