At just 8 years old, Julia Ashbaugh has already traveled to China and back and experienced many staples of traditional Chinese culture.

Julia, a third-grader at Greywolf Elementary School, visited several historical Chinese sites, ate a variety of local cuisine, tried on a traditional Chinese gown, participated in a traditional tea ceremony and more.

She traveled to China with her brother James Ashbaugh, 12, a Sequim Middle School student, and mother Angela-Luna Ashbaugh, to visit her father Stuart Ashbaugh, who teaches physics at the Academy of Innovation and Excellence, a high school and learning center in Suzhou that helps prepare students to attend American universities.

Stuart has been a substitute teacher in Sequim School District in the past but looked for other teaching opportunities and found the international program in Suzhou, which the family thought would be a unique experience.

Julia and her family traveled to many different towns, such as Tongli, a water town with more than 1,000 years of history, including bridges, houses and temples.

Her favorite part of the trip, she says, was making new friends and visiting her father.

She also enjoyed visiting a silk worm factory and museum, seeing the small “Hobbit holes” or circular doors and architecture in China and eating Dim sum.

Julia said the most unusual cuisine she tried eating was turtle, which she says, “tasted like chicken.” For the majority of the trip, Angela said Julia enjoyed eating rice and noodles.

James said some of his favorite aspects of the trip included trying the different kinds of food and seeing a variety of Chinese architecture and scenery.

Angela noted that Julia was stopped many times in China by residents and tourists who wanted to take photos with her because of the rarity of her red hair and fair skin. She said Julia was especially popular when she tried on the traditional Chinese gown.

“Natural red hair is an extreme rarity (in China) and in most areas non-existent,” Angela said. “Julia (was) asked on many occasions to pose in a photo with other young girls and women.”

While Julia was in China, she learned some Chinese and can count to three, say “hello” and “thank you.”

Angela said it has been hard for the family to be apart from Stuart but it was nice to have the family visit him over Spring Break.

“We were ready for that visit,” she said.