Elon in China

Elon University and the Isabella Cannon Centre for International Studies offer wonderful opportunities for students to study abroad. The goals of these programs are to help create, cultivate, and sustain an atmosphere of international learning throughout the university. Our trip to China, January 5th through January 26th, 2009 was part of this program. The trip was led by Professor David Crowe and Professor Honglin Xiao as part of the winter term for 2009.





Section I: Pre-Departure Impressions / Introduction

Leaving for China is something I have been planning and anticipating since last spring when I learned that my application for Winter Term 2009 had been accepted. I felt like I won the lottery, as I knew the trip was popular and not everyone would be accepted. I am comfortable about going on the trip because one of my friends grew up in China and said that he would help me in any way he could. He was actually a member of the Chinese National Circus and traveled around the world. He promised that it would be the trip of my life and that even he had not visited some of the sights, especially Tibet. As an additional preparation method, I took the GST course on the history and culture of China in the fall of 2008, allowing me to feel at ease and excited about participating in this adventure.
Over the summer, I watched every show I could about China and read as much as possible about both the history of the country and the people. Because of the Olympics in Beijing and the intense media coverage on China, I feel like I am at least familiar with most things we will encounter on the trip. There were so many amazing programs about the culture of China that it makes me extremely excited about the opportunity to be able to travel to this county. In addition the GST class I took on China introduced me to a wide variety of cultural activities ranging from the Chinese Opera to preparing US versions of Chinese meals. .
Through this trip, I hope to gain a new perspective about a part of the world I know very little. I believe that by actually visiting China, I will better understand the people, culture, traditions and politics. In the coming decades, it appears China will play a critical role on the world stage and understanding as much as I can will help me in whatever endeavor I choose to pursue. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that my childhood dream of holding a panda has the potential to be realized on this trip.
There are several challenges that present themselves in a rather unsettling way in going to China. First, not knowing anyone of the Elon students who will be attending the trip makes me slightly anxious. Secondly, I am not known as a food connoisseur and my taste generally runs along the basics of meat and potatoes line. Vegetables are not my favorite and I generally opt for what I know I like without trying new things. Learning to be a more venturesome eater will be hard for me and I am somewhat concerned about what we will be eating. I’m looking forward to doing it as part of the group as there is somehow comfort in experimenting with a large number of others who are participating also. The final issue that concerns me is my sleep as I tend toward insomnia when I am in a new surrounding. Not sleeping well over a period of time always leads to my getting sick and feeling lousy. In that regard, one of my major goals on this trip is to get enough sleep to stay well although it may mean that I need to go to bed early if I begin to feel bad.
This is a total new experience for me as I have never been to an Asian country. I’ve also never flown 16 hours without stopping somewhere. The plane should be fine for a while, but I’ve accepted the fact that confinement for this long can’t be good.
Section II: Day by Day Account of China Activities
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January 5 - 6, 2009 / Depart -Arrive Beijing Novotel Peace Hotel
Tuesday

As with most all international trips, my journey begins on the plane, which in this case was the real introduction to the culture of China as witnessed by observing the people on my flight. My combined entertainment and cultural lessons were found on the plane through people watching. The mother and son seated next to me ate sunflower seeds throughout the entire trip and they spit the seeds into a large unfolded piece of newspaper. As the duty free cart passes through the aisle people were panic buying alcohol and cigarettes. You would have thought they were handing out free food to college students. It seems the Chinese people around me have no sense of personal space, which on a crowded plane makes for an uncomfortable environment.
I never sleep well on a plane and the worst part about the flight was I kept thinking the flight should be over and then looking at the screen and seeing that it is only half way over and there is another six hours to go. As I did not really understand the length of the flight, it was a major mistake for me not to eat before the flight because being tired and starving made the flight seem never-ending. I had reflected upon my apprehensions of taking the longest flight in my travel career in my initial pre-trip notes and now I was experiencing it in real life. Eventually, I must have fallen asleep but I woke up abruptly when my seat-mates crawled over me and began to get their belongings out of the overhead bin. I assumed we had landed but the truth was we were still at least a half an hour from our destination. Once we actually landed and were taxiing toward our gate, the Chinese people on the flight instantly stood up and began their attempt to prepare to depart the plane. Even as the flight attendants tried to insist that they remain seated, it was hopeless and the stampede to get off the flight surpassed anything that I have ever seen. As we finally approached the gate, I was so relieved that I began making mental notes about what I would do differently on the return flight, which included pre-flight eating and then taking some sleeping medication.
Even in my starving and sleep deprived stupor, I could not believe the size of the airport. It was incredible and it seemed like we walked miles in a single building. I learned later it was the international terminal and we probably did. I thought we were at the end but then we got on a train to the next building that seemed even bigger than the international terminal I was in awe. I was completely overwhelmed by the sheer vastness and magnitude of the airport and the operations.
My first impression of China was the airport because on the bus ride to the hotel I was totally asleep. Without a doubt, this was one of the most impressive and unforgettable airports I have ever seen. As soon as we arrived at the hotel and checked to make sure our belongings were put in the room, several of us went down to exchange our money. The money exchangers scrutinized our American bills so carefully that many of my 20 dollar bills were rejected and seemed to be worthless. They did not make the “flawless” cut and I hoped not all of China would be like this.
On our first night, I did actually join a group to go out to explore the main street near our hotel. Everyone was hungry and we had seen a Kentucky Fried Chicken and decided to go for the familiar comfort food. We had been told that KFC in China was a big deal so I thought it would be interesting to see what the Chinese had done to basic fried chicken. On the way there, we passed a gigantic mall and an enormous Christmas tree. I wanted to explore some of these places later but I was too tired to do anything but eat. It was good to have KFC as it grounded me in something familiar. More importantly, it provided some comfort to face my greatest fear on the trip, my conservative eating. Eventually we did go back to the mall and it was full of expensive stores. It was not at all what I thought I would find in a communist country. It seemed to me, capitalism was flourishing quite well.


January 7, 2009/ Beijing
Wednesday


This was our first full day in China. Wow. As we got on the bus this morning, I could not believe I was in China and I certainly couldn’t believe the traffic. People were everywhere and it seemed like the concept of orderly highway rules of the road were more based on surviving the journey than the concept of anything orderly. I’m glad I didn’t have a rental car to have to take somewhere. People were are on motorcycles and bikes and the buses all ran on cables. We learned that most of them did not use gasoline, but instead run on electricity. It was impressive. Beijing seemed like New York City with a Chinese overlay.
The first real thing that we did today was go to the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing. It was very strange and unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The park seemed ancient but it was still in use every day for all people. As we entered, we saw older people dancing, later to learn that this was their morning exercise. There is no way that in the United States we could get all of the older people in one town to dance and do other things in one place, there is hardly enough time to get them out of the house for a basic morning walk. They watched us as we walked into the dancing part of the park and they came up to us and asked some of us to dance. This was a very unfamiliar experience and I found myself wanting not to be identified to go dance. I’m not that great of dancer and the act of a stranger approaching me to dance invaded my privacy and personal space. A number of our group danced with them seemed to have a lot of fun. As we watched, I realized that many of the older people here were alive during the Mao regime and that they are a regimented people. I also realized how freeing it must be to invite strangers to join in their morning dance period without worrying about being mugged or injured by some crazy.
The Temple of Heaven Park was built between 1409 and 1420 and is one of Beijing's most impressive parks in terms of architecture, color and significance. The Temple is basically a huge communications terminal, which the Emperor used to communicate directly with Heaven. The construction of the Temple is based around the number nine, the largest of the single digits, which is divine in Chinese numerology. The Temple consists of four basic parts: the Round Altar, the Echo Wall, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Hall of prayer for Good Harvests.
I can already tell that the architecture in China is going to be one of the most amazing parts of the trip. The colorfulness and ornate nature of all the old buildings was awe inspiring. I’ve never really been into architecture, but the buildings and surroundings are so different than I have ever experienced that I find it a constant source of stimulation and interest. It was here I also realized that Beijing and New York were both large and fascinating places but actually quite different. I’ve never felt the scale of people anywhere in the world as I felt it in Beijing. It was also at this point, where I decided to attempt to stop comparing Beijing to New York and just enjoy it for what it is. I think many people, me included, always relate experiences to other experiences that provide familiarity and comfort. However, after figuring out that there was something special here, I tried to stop thinking in that manner and just tried to appreciate the events and the situations I was experiencing, as they appeared to me, filtering as much as possible the “western” context. I’m very happy I did this, as it lessened the anxiety I was experiencing due to unfamiliarity and it provided me a place to go where I just seem to stop worrying.
Our next stop was Mao’s Tse-Tung’s tomb. Mao Tse-tung was a Chinese military and political leader who led the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil war against the Kuomintang (KMT). He was the leader of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from its beginning in 1949 until his death in 1976. Mao Tse-tung died in September 1976, and 1,000,000 people attended his funeral in Tiananmen Square. Mao's remains are currently housed in a granite edifice, within a crystal sarcophagus.
Mao’s tomb was very extraordinary. My Chinese friend in the US had talked about Mao somewhat extensively before I left. One of the things I remember him saying was that Mao is remember and honored by the people, but at the same time, they look back at Mao in a different way, possibly in a more judgmental manner today. When I went to the Mao’s tomb, I found it reinforced what I read prior to leaving in both my history classes and in the Red Azalea. It was evident that Mao was not considered just any normal person, or for that matter, just a leader of China. He is obviously held by the Chinese as near “God-like” in reverence, a heroic icon of mythical proportion. With the power and stature of such presence, it’s easy to see the strong emotional commitments that Anchee Min had to the Revolutionary movement of Mao. It is also very easy to understand the overwhelming, almost treasonous feeling she had as she began to pull away from the Party. I also understand now why loyalty to Mao was felt in such a nationalized manner and why violations to such patriotic strength had enormous personal consequences. Mao’s “Little Red Book” has entirely new meaning to me.
While you are in the presence of Mao’s tomb, you are also in the presence of Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is the geographical center of Beijing City. It is the largest city square in the world, occupying an area of 440,000 square meters (about 109 acres), and able to accommodate 10,000,000 people at one time. The square is a conglomeration of splendid and beautiful flowers and the red national flag, which blows distinctly in the wind.
Walking around Tiananmen Square was also very strange. I do not know much about the massacres and public outcries by the students and intellectuals that took place here between April and June in 1989, but I’m sure it was a site to behold. This square is an amazingly large public place. We were just tourists, but it was obvious that many who are not tourists come here all the time to pay respects to Mao. I’ve been to the Vatican and this had the scale and feel of something even larger as a public place of assembly. Either by design or by habit, everyone seems to end up in Tiananmen Square, which is located directly across from the Forbidden City.
One hears all their life of the national treasures of China, but it is quite overwhelming to be in the presence of all of them, like the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the world's largest palace complex. A Tang Dynasty poet wrote a line about the royal palace of his time, which says, "Without seeing the magnificence of the royal palace, one can never sense the dignity. The Forbidden City is one of the world's foremost museums of Chinese art of the emperor." In 1961 the Palace Museum was listed as one of the important historical monuments under the special preservation by the Chinese central government and in 1987, it was nominated as the world cultural heritage by the UNESCO. The Forbidden City is the best preserved imperial palace in China and the largest ancient palatial structure in the world.
The Forbidden City just opened up (in Chinese time this is relevantly recent) to the public around 100 years ago. The Forbidden City for the most part was off limits to virtually everyone except the Emperor. None of the mainstream Chinese were admitted. I can only imagine how surreal it must have been to live there. The imposing concept of a “Forbidden City” surrounded by such a large populace in itself, conjures up images of secrecy, scandal and terror. I am inspired to understand more and to discover mystery novels that had to be written about such a mysterious place.
One of the things that confuses me about the Forbidden City and other landmarks we had seen today is the grandeur and wealth. In the case of the Forbidden City, it is a symbol of the Chinese empire. One of the basic tenants of Mao and the Cultural Revolution is to get rid of the class division. Since this appears to be one of the most austere buildings I have ever seen before, I can understand the divide that must have been present in the existing class divisions and open resentment in this country. I can see why Communism, Mao and the movement of “the people” were so well received. Curiously, it must have been an interesting debate when Mao took over about what to do with the Forbidden City and other icons of such major meaning and scale. In the end, the debates must have had some cool heads and reasonable people who were persuasive enough to ensure the preservation of such remarkable landmarks. It would have been a travesty to destroy such amazing and unique forms of architectural beauty. I now wonder, what was destroyed that will never be known by future generations?
January 8, 2009/ Beijing
Thursday


Today is my second day in China and although I am unbelievably excited about being in China, I am suffering from absolute exhaustion. My body has still not adjusted to the time zone. While yesterday was an amazingly long day, I am wondering how long it will take to feel grounded again. In addition to my exhaustion, the 5 degree Celsius day adds a new dimension to the overwhelming experience.
We begin the day with a visit to a jade workshop. As we walked into the jade factory, we had a chance to see some of the remarkable jade carvings made in this workshop. While this was interesting and very impressive, the most amazing part of this was the opportunity to watch people carving jade and making the sculptures. The pieces they worked on were some of the most intricate and time consuming pieces of art I have ever seen. The “happiness balls” caught my attention and it was incredible to realize that these were actually seven different moving balls inside one larger ball, all able to move individually on their own while remarkably carved out of one piece of jade. It is amazing to think that someone could have the patience and skill to carve such a piece. There is something about this process that I think the Americans would have difficulty replicating. We are such a mechanically manufactured society, and I don’t think the jade rocks that are being carved by hand could have the same artistic craftsmanship as those that would be carved by a machine. As any true piece of art, it takes the skills of human hands to make. It was comforting to think that machines can’t do everything. I was so intrigued by the balls that I decided that his as a perfect gift for my parents.
After the jade factory, it was back to the bus for the long journey to the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by the first emperor of China during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.). In Chinese, the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" which means 10,000-Li Long Wall. This metric translates into about 5,000 kilometers and is between 15-30 meters thick. I have never seen a more spectacularly expansive structure. It is easy to understand why it is one of the greatest man-made structures on earth.
Having seen many pictures of the Great Wall, I thought I knew what to expect, but I was wrong. It is truly something a person needs to see to understand. When I saw the big sign on the hillside with the “One World, One Dream” slogan from the Olympics it looked amazing but I had mixed feelings about this catchphrase. The Chinese obviously cared about the Olympics, but to desecrate the Great Wall with advertising for the Olympics seemed to be out of place and in poor taste. Even though it had been cold at the beginning of the day, the Great Wall was the coldest I have ever been in my life. I thought I had dressed warm, but I hadn’t and I was very cold. A group of us climbed up the wall. It was very interesting to look at the cobble stone construction and imagine the workers and laborers toiling at its production. The remarkable construction of masonry, rocks and packed-earth had stood the test of time and remains intact today. The collective attributes of this monstrous, windy, man-made intrusion on the earth has very few equal feats that demonstrate man’s ability.
From my Chinese culture class I remembered that armies were stationed along the wall to watch for invaders. They built signal fires to provide warnings of possible invasions. Walking up, I imagined the loneliness and isolation soldiers stationed on the Great Wall must have felt over the centuries, it is so vast and cold. My four friends and I went all the way to the top and it was an awesome feeling until we realized we had only 20 minutes to get to our bus. We actually had to run down the Great Wall. This is by far one of the most exciting and best things that I did, while many people can say that they walked on the wall, there aren’t too many who can say they actually ran down the wall. Although it was fun, it was also dangerous because there were times when I almost slipped or missed a step, but it was really worth it. I was just glad that in the end I survived to tell the tale.
From the ancient Great Wall we headed toward the contrasting new Olympic venues, which also proved to be awe inspiring for different reasons. Coming into the area our guide pointed out the hotel in the shape of a flame, which is the only seven star hotel in Beijing. As we went through the venues, it was hard to imagine the amount of money spent by the Chinese government to show the world their city and culture.
The Olympic Birds Nest was astonishing. When you walk down the stairs and look up it, you realize what an architectural and construction feat it was to build. I want to get a video when I get home on how it was designed and constructed. Once down at the bottom of the spectacular structure, we went onto the field. Wow, what overwhelming emotion hit me. It was not hard to imagine the adrenaline and rush of feelings that the athletes must have experienced when they were competing in the Olympics with 91,000 watching. It must have been even more overwhelming for the winners to hear the national anthem of their respective countries.
After the Birds Nest, we went to the Water Cube, which was another cool architectural accomplishment. It was awe-inspiring to see where Michael Phelps won all of his gold medals. I can see why the Chinese are still so proud of hosting the Olympics, the entire country got involved in making sure that they each did their part to make the Olympics a success. As I thought about this country wide effort, it helped me understand the importance of the Olympic sign near the Great Wall.
In the evening, we walked around as a group, just taking it all in and found many other things that were interesting. We walked down a street that was selling scorpions, as well as snakes and just about any other strange thing you might imagine. We visited a six floor mall, which was unlike any other I had seen in my life. Heading back to the hotel we went the opposite direction and found car dealerships. If you ever wanted an indication that China would someday question its communist roots, just take a walk in front of the Ferrari dealership with all sorts of exotic cars in the windows.


January 9, 2009 / Depart Beijing/Xian Howard Johnson
Friday

Just when I thought Beijing couldn’t get any bigger, I am surprised by the vastness of the city. Today was no exception and as we went to Beijing International Studies University (BISU), where we saw the Chinese World Trade Center and the CCTV building, which represents another amazing accomplishment of Chinese architecture. Eventually we made it to the school’s campus, and it looked like a regular urban campus that you may find in the United States. On the campus tour, we discovered their facilities are very similar to ours with one exception, the judicious placement of heating. Only the library was heated! The student guide said people would line up and wait outside very early in the morning to get into the building. I’m still quite unclear of why this problem exists.
There is a sense of seriousness and hard work on campus, much more than you would find at a US campus. I wouldn’t exactly describe the campus as fun. To Chinese students their education is really a gift and not everyone gets the opportunity to attend college in their country. While we were at BISU, we got to talk to students, which was a real treat. My student’s name was Claire. She was very shy, probably because I was a male and this may have made her uncomfortable. Although she was self conscious about her English skills it was obvious that she was very smart and I continually reminded her that her English was better than my nonexistent Chinese. As our time went on and she became more comfortable talking to me she had many questions about American television and our movies. As we talked, I asked some questions about socialism and her opinions about Mao. It was immediately obvious that this was not going to be a topic of conversation. I flashed back again to the Red Azalea, and had a great appreciation once more for the stress that Anchee must have felt. We then discussed the seriousness of education in China. I listened while she told me of their continual testing, starting from an early age, to determine if they can remain in the college track. When I asked her where she lived, she told me that she only was allowed to go home once or twice a year because it took her 18 yours to get to school and that what was most important in her life. Again, visions of Red Azalea flashbacks danced through my head. “Important” too many of these students is a way of survival, of commitment to the party with a depth that drove Anchee to turn in her teacher whom she admired.
The next place we went was the silk factory in Beijing. We saw an interesting exhibition of how silk is made and a demonstration of how the silk worms emerged out of the boiled cocoons and then made fabric from the stretched silk. It was interesting but made my stomach uneasy. It was interesting to think about that in this era of mass production, some things still needed to be done by hand and in the old fashioned way.
We proceeded to the much anticipated pearl market. Fundamentally, I have no use for shopping and do not like the large crowds of people. It seemed our tour guide profited from bringing tourists to the area. My style in this type of situation is to slip into a people watching mode again. Doing so, I noticed there was so much competition among the vendors that when they saw an American coming they assumed that it meant a larger than normal sale for them. Walking though the market the vendors would grab you and try to sell you things. Quickly I learned if you showed any remote interest in any of the products they would keep you there until you bought it or you ripped your arm away from their strong grips. I found that the best way to get away from the people is request something that they did not have. I asked them for a size 20 shoe and they, for the most part, would leave me alone. The exception was one lady who snuck away and magically appeared with the ugliest size 20 shoe that I have ever seen. I also noted that the pearl market store owners have the best English that I have heard in China.
We then left for the airport to take our two hour flight to Xian.



January 10, 2009 /Xian
Saturday


The night before was the first night I had flown domestically in China. The security across China appears to be something else. It certainly feels much more stringent than it is in the United States. When I walked through the security system, one of the zippers on my shirt set the warning alert off. Security stands everyone up on a block and makes them stick out there hands while they searched them. In my case, they reached into my pocket and pulled out my chap stick. I had to use sign language to identify how this item was used. Eventually, they let me go. I found it unsettling and unlike anything I had really been through in the US. I’m sure language and the intimidating police presence had a lot to do with my discomfort. It is safe to say, at this point, that my observation about the Chinese air passengers is coming true. I still believe that they have no sense of personal space.
Day four and we have a free day to explore the city. The moment I walked out the door of the airport and looked at the rest of the city, I thought it might just be foggy outside. I quickly learned that this wasn’t fog but was just plain old fashioned pollution at its finest. Another flashback to our readings hit, The River Runs Black. I have never seen such an environmental disaster like this in my life. Buildings within two miles can’t be seen. Unless you are standing next to a building, consider it cased in a daze where you can barely make out anything.
On the way to the ride bikes on the large city wall, I saw one of the most amazing things. I actually saw a woman be hit by a car today! It wasn’t just any car; it was actually a city bus! During the entire time I was in Beijing, I would think to myself, I wonder why there weren’t many more people are not involved in traffic accidents. Only four days into the trip and I have already seen a women get hit by a bus! After the bus struck her, she jumped from the ground with a flip and proceeded to stand up. Once I got over the initial shock of actually seeing a human being survive being hit by a bus, we headed to the 10 mile wall that surrounds Xian with a much greater sense of traffic awareness.
The bike ride was a lot of fun, especially when you walked passed the gates and toward the steps where you immediately saw a big statue that they had just built for Chinese New Years. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a bike but it cam back almost immediately. As we were riding our bikes around the wall, I sensed a great feeling of fun come over me. I don’t know how quite to describe the experience, but it brought back childhood, it bonded me closer to everyone on the trip and it allowed me to relate even more with the locals who used bicycles as their primary mode of transportation. It made achieving a greater sense of Xian very integrated into all of my senses. First, all the pollution became much more noticeable and in a way much sadder to me. I understood much more clearly Economy’s book and why, without outside intervention, China will never recover from their environmental disasters. Riding a bike also allowed you to feel the poverty at a much more personal level. I didn’t realize how bad the poverty actually was in Xian. We were never really exposed to the poverty levels present in Beijing. We tended to stay out of those areas for the most part. Riding the wall in Xian, a greater sense of awareness really hit you regarding the scale of poverty also. The bike ride was great, despite the pollution, poverty and bumpy surfaces.
After the bike ride, we all headed to Pizza Hut, which in itself was just as much as an adventure as riding the bikes on the wall. One of the first things that was funny is that they were certainly not prepared for 17 college students to come walking in the restaurant. Nevertheless, the Chinese had us sitting quickly. I decided to sit at a smaller table with 4 other people. By doing this, I realize that I had increased the possibility of an accurate and successful order occurring. We had much less confusion in completing our order. On the other had, the large group ordering by multiple people pointing to the menu, chaos reigned. I’m sure no one was sure exactly what type and how many pizzas were going to come out of the kitchen for the larger table. On the other hand, complaining was going to be even more difficult. The waiters did not speak any English. Eventually, all of our pizza came. The large table got theirs about 30 minutes after ours arrived. We shared, making it less of a problem for everyone. Lessoned learned by the large table however, big groups cause big problems in accuracy and quantity. After a long needed nap back at the hotel, we found out that we were all going to a grand dumpling dinner. According to the slogan on the restaurant sign, it had “Superior Dumplings”. It was amazing that there were so many different kinds of dumplings. They ranged from pumpkin, to pork, vegetable, duck, and even sweet dumplings. From this experience, I learned one more trick to eating in China; always sit next to a person who can read the menu and knows what they are eating. I say this because picked up what I thought was beef and asked Dr. Xio what it was, I found out the item that I was actually about to eat was cow tongue, which I am glad I did not partake.

January 11, 2009
Sunday


We visited the Terracotta Warriors today and they were particularly interesting to me as I studied about them in class this fall. I knew that they were considered the most important archeological find of the 20th century and I was anxious to see them. In 1974, a group of farmers discovered these clay statues that date back to about 210BC. While we were at the site the actual farmer, who made the discovery was signing autographs.
The warriors and tombs are fabulous discoveries and teach everyone a great deal of exciting information about ancient history. They are part of tomb of the first emperor of China, Qui Shi Huang, who was also the builder of the Great Wall. He allegedly began the construction of these pieces that would eventually be placed in his tomb when he ascended the throne at the age of 13. They believed that in the afterlife he would need many warriors with him. It’s hard to separate the “Disney” effect from the reality of the real thing. It’s just so hard to imagine thousands of years of history and the hundreds of generations that have pass. One immediately reflects on your own life, wondering how many other generations there are beyond you and what will I do that will make any difference to society and the world.
The presentation of the artifacts was not optimal. All of the warriors are kept in one big pit and that had to be pieced together from there original form. Much of the site still has not been excavated and it seems that the Chinese made some type of choice to use only moderately successful preservation techniques. I did ask a question about whether they would let foreigners into help with the conservation or excavations of the sight and the answer was a resounding “no”. Only Chinese people were allowed to work on the site. Because this is one of the most incredible pieces of history -why wouldn’t they let anyone else come to the aid to help them in their preservation effort? What a contrast to other world archeological sites like Jerusalem and the Egyptian pyramids. At the same time, I understand that the government just wants to keep it within the country, they are proud of the treasure that they have found and they don’t want any foreigners working on it. I think these types of actions are highly reflective and are good examples of their closed society. There was some indication in our discussions that there were also the superstitious reasons attached to the sight, which I found also characteristic of the nature of the Chinese people. One has to remember that these are burial grounds and not just a tourist attraction.
The next stop was the Wild Goose Pagoda, which was built in 652AD during the Tang dynasty. It was built to house the Buddhist scriptures, which Xuanzang brought back from India. In my China course, we spent a good deal of time studying his journey to India and the significance of the things he collected on his journey. We also learned about the book he wrote entitled, “Pilgrimage to the West.” Having this background information made visiting the Wild Goose Pagoda awe inspiring.
Outside the temple, we bought incense and then prayed. Legend is that you make a wish, praying to the Buddha and if your wish comes true, you will come back to China. We spent time walking around the courtyard looking at the beautiful gardens, birds and the serene feeling that existed in the area. Finally, we climbed to the top of the pagoda where there was a great view of the city. The tragedy here is that the city was so polluted that nothing was visible.
From here, we travelled to the art market and walked around looking at the calligraphy and other interesting Chinese paintings.




January 12, 2009/ Xian/ Chengdu Sheraton Hotel
Monday


We landed in Chengdu and immediately boarded bus. As we drove down the tarmac, a small car hit our bus and our driver unexpectedly screeched to a halt. Everyone flew around the bus and people fell on top of each other. Unfortunately, one member of our group needed to go to the hospital. Everyone else seemed to be quite shaken, but we were medically fine. It was scary to think we might have all ended up hospitalized. We reached the hotel and I was very relieved. It was a beautiful hotel, which made unwinding a lot easier. Being in Chengdu and going to the Giant Panda Breeding Center was my most anticipated part of the trip. Even in my pre-boarding thoughts, I’d commented about the importance of seeing and possibly holding a Giant Panda. It has always been a childhood dream and the possibility of living that dream was near.
The Panda is considered the national treasure of China and the government is doing everything in its power to keep the population at a peak. It was incredible to get close to the Pandas. They were training the Panda’s to stand up as we watched. The trainers put a honey cake on the end of a fishing pole and the panda had to stand up to get the treat. We learned that Panda’s actually have the stomach to be a carnivore but over time, they have resorted to eating bamboo. In fact, they spend the entire day eating bamboo. We also spent time watching the panda babies! It was awesome because there were at least five cubs that were only a few months old magically playing.

I had agonized for some time about whether or not to have my picture taken with a panda but when the time came, I could not resist. I paid my 1000 Yuan, suited up in my sterile plastic outfit and waited for my bear to arrive. I envisioned them bringing out some cute tiny baby panda, however around the corner came this huge bear being held up by a man holding the bear by his armpits. As they set the bear on my lap, they put honey on his hands so he would sit still for the picture. I got in trouble from the handler for speaking to the bear while my picture was taken, but I actually didn’t care. It may seem trite to many people but this experience was the most important event I’ve had happen to me in all my memories. This one moment in China was one of the best days of my life. It was truly a dream come true. Honestly.
One of the other pieces that will stay with me as a result of the trip was that we were told in the hills of Chengdu, not far from us, over 80,000 people were killed in the earthquakes of 2008. What a tragedy.


January 13, 2009 /Chengdu
Tuesday


The first thing in the morning, we boarded a bus for the two hour journey to Leshan to see the giant Buddha. The Buda was over 70 meters or 223 feet tall and we were able to view it from a boat cruise we took on the Ming River. Viewing the statue from the ship allowed us to take some unbelievable photographs that give a perspective of the enormous statue. The ears were 20 feet tall with10 foot eyes and mouth. We learned that it took almost a century to complete and that it was constructed between 730 A.D. and 816 A.D. The statue was carved right into the hillside to protect it from erosion. An innovative drainage system was carved into the hair, shoulders and robe pleats. This Buddha was responsible for watching over the river, which could become violent and claim the lives of townspeople. The cruise let us out and we climbed from the feet of the statue up the 300 steps to the top. We then boarded our bus for the journey back to our hotel. There were many activities available once we got back to Chengdu, but as I was feeling tired, drained and a little overdone. While going out with the group sounded like a lot of fun, I felt I might be getting sick so I stayed in and slept. It was a great decision as the next day, I was ready to go and felt like new.




January 14, 2009/ Chengdu/Lhasa
Wednesday


For almost every traveler to Tibet, the first thing you do on is to adjust to the altitude. Almost everything else becomes secondary to the adjustment phase. I found my adjustment a little difficult as my head hurt and I had trouble breathing. It was interesting as our hotel room had oxygen tanks available in the room. Fortunately, I didn’t need it that bad and the next day my recovery was almost back to normal.
The welcome we received upon arrival in Lhasa was unbelievable. There were shawls, children, friendly people and the feeling was one of a happy and almost celebrative environment. Between the experience of seeing abject poverty, being as such a high altitude, the unimaginable clarity of the stars and the omnipresence of the Chinese police, you get the feeling that this is an exciting place in the world to visit. The flight to Tibet had to be one of the most amazing sites of my life. I have flown to many places in the world but never have I looked out of the plane and saw a giant mountain range underneath me. While the Rockies’ are beautiful, these ranges were spectacular. It is the most unbelievable view in the world. Interestingly, we all assumed it was the Himalayas but found out it was really the Ganges Mountain Range out of India. It is crazy to think that when you look down at these tall mountains that there are still mountains in the world like Everest, taller and even more majestic. On the plane, I just stared out the window, mesmerized by the view beneath us. The stewardess came around and asked us if we wanted tea, which I normally would refuse. In this case, I accepted it when I was told it was not normal tea but was instead Tibetan Butter Tea. The secret to butter tea is to take a black tea and mix salt, butter and cream together. Apparently, the Tibetans drink butter tea regularly to keep them warm. Once the plane had landed there was an immediate military presence felt. Guards in riot gear seemed to be all over the airport, mainly because I think they were going home for the Chinese New Year. It was quite clear, that their purpose was serious.
Until now, everyone looked ethnically the same in China and now saw the first minority group. The local people dressed distinctively differently and their features were uniquely different. As we left the airport, I also realized that this was the first time that we had been outside the city and seen the rural side of China. In Chengdu and Xian, we did travel through some of the country side and saw some farms but it was limited. There were beautiful mountains and interesting people walking everywhere. Yaks were tied outside homes or roaming freely near the mountains. It was the most magnificent thing I have ever seen, it was so strange to look around and be surrounded by mountains that looked surreal. Lhasa is not a huge city and a great deal of poverty seemed to surround the area. We checked into the hotel, which was exceptionally nice and then headed out to explore the local area. At the market, we walked around and found it much like the markets in Beijing, but the people seemed more demanding, wanting us to spend our money. They were actually very aggressive, physically touching and holding us by the arms. At the market, there really was a sense of the military presence. It seemed like all the time we were walking there were Chinese police present watching us. It was never clear to me whether the police were there for our protection or for the benefit of the Chinese. It was certainly intimidating. At one point, we were playing with some of the little children, taking pictures and smiling with their parents, and the Chinese soldiers drove them away. Later, our tour guide explained that they didn’t want the local people gathering in large crowds together. One of the main things that become immediately noticeable about the Tibetan people is that they always seemed to have a smile on there face. At a minimum, every Tibetan person we encountered at least nodded his or her head in recognition when you said hello. I found Tibetan people to have very distinct characteristics, especially when you first look at them. They are very tan and have a higher than normal cheek bone, clearly higher than most of the Chinese people. I thought their features were very similar to Native Americans. The Tibetan people we encountered also had rosy red cheeks, primarily due to the high winds and the sunny weather. The devastation to the Tibetan culture is catastrophic and heartbreaking, yet Lhasa will never loose its wonder. There is a certain strength exhibited by the Tibetan people that their buildings and culture will never relinquish to their occupiers.
In the middle of this square was the Jokhang Temple. It was very interesting to see the people praying there because I had never witnessed it like this so up close and personal. There is a spiritual mystery being this high in a city that seems to radiate a peaceful spirituality. Our sightseeing was limited for the day, as we had just experienced some significant transitions in space, culture and time. Rest was clearly welcomed by all.
In some ways, being in Tibet is a bit scary because there is such heavily observable military presence here. While you feel generally confident that nothing is going to happen to you, it is just very strange to see the omnipresence of the soldiers here. It is a shame what the Chinese have done in Tibet, at least from what I have seen so far. It appears they have left the Tibetan people in a strange situation of submission in every aspect of their daily lives.
Quite frankly, one of the main reasons why I am not posting any of my reflections in a blog while I am in China, especially in Tibet, is that I believe the Chinese are extra sensitive of anything that goes on in Tibet. I am quite sure that our blogging and other internet activities are closely monitored. Neither the Elon group nor I really need that kind of obvious trouble. Just the thought of us being watched as much as we are makes me feel the police state that must be such a heavy intrusion on the native Tibetan lives. [Upon my return, I read the Police arrested 2 people in Tibet for having reactionary songs on their cell phones. It’s good to see I was not imagining the potential trouble]. I am sure Tonight, I will go to bed and not go out because the altitude does really take a toll on a person and I just don’t feel up to the challenge. There are still too many days to go on the trip.


January 15, 2009/ Lhasa
Day 2 in Lhasa
Thursday


Today I woke up early, as my serious headache from the altitude continued. It was still dark outside and the hotel lights were out but there was brightness all around. Looking up I was treated to the most spectacular star display I have ever seen. I have been in this city for less than a day and it is difficult for me to find words describing the awesome nature of what I have seen. As the sun came up in the morning the mountain range seemed to appear out of nowhere, it was amazing.
We started our tour in the center of Lhasa at the Portala Palace. It is an astoundingly beautiful structure built in the 7th century as the Dali Lama’s winter palace. When you consider the age of the building, it is unbelievable that it has maintained its structural integrity. The palace is divided into sections, which are painted according to their function. The livings areas are white, religious areas are red and the libraries are yellow. Color seems to be a key here as the temples are also color coordinated with red being wisdom, white is for compassion and black signifies protection. Most of the building was made of stone and wood with the entrances covered by oversized blankets. The area was filled with ancient gold statues and other priceless relics that are of great significance to the people. The tombs of many of the Dali Lama’s were in the palace. The 5th Dali Lama’s ornate tomb was covered with gold and other precious stones. There was so much to see it was overwhelming and difficult to leave. I find it even more difficult than I thought to right my reflections regarding this amazingly spiritual place.
I thought I was in great shape, but climbing around the palace with it’s over 300 steps was difficult and left me feeling out of shape and breathless. As we hiked up the steps, we saw the local native people travelling in a distinct pattern praying and make offerings as they quietly went through their rituals. The local people did this daily and others would make a pilgrimage once a year. Our neighbor in Maryland used to make this pilgrimage each year and I could never figure out where they went and why. Now I understand.
There was a minimal charge to visit the palace. I immediately wondered if it was used to maintain the buildings or if the Chinese government took the money. As we continued our tour, the presence of the Chinese guards everywhere was a quiet and omnipresent reflection of the situation in Tibet. What perplexes me is why the Chinese did not destroy this palace as a symbol of the Cultural Revolution. This palace is at the core of the Tibetan people’s beliefs and had they destroyed it they would have dealt a crushing moral blow to their religion. This is the same question I had in Beijing about why they left the Forbidden City standing.
Once we exited the palace, we were in the middle of Lhasa and once again awed by the breathtaking the scenery. As we left the palace, we saw some beautiful native children and we began interacting with them and taking pictures of them. In just a few minutes, the Chinese guards whisked them away. It was another instance that gave everyone a moment to pause and reflect.
The Sera Monastery was built in the 15th century and was our next historical stop. The interesting part about this structure is that it is still the home to over 800 monks. On the way to the monastery, we learned that Tibetan Buddhists had five different types of burials. The most interesting was the sky burial where the body is taken to the top of the mountain and it is chops the limbs off, at which point he calls the vultures to come and they would eat the meat off the bones. This is supposed to be one of the ultimate sacrifices. As Buddhism is aligned with the natural world around them, it is a never ending circle. It reminds me of organ donation which gives life to others after death, here the bodies help sustain the birds and the circle of life continues. It seems somewhat strange and gruesome at first but when you really think about it is kind of cool. It was even more interesting to find out that after the sky burial your “cleaned” bones are inspected and the cleaner the bones are the more one is believed to indicate the level of how pure one has led their life. Awesome!!!!
The Sera Monastery was surrounded by begging children, which I found emotionally difficult to process. They are so small, and all they want is the equivalent of 1 cent or so, but you know if you give it to them, you would be surrounded by hoards of additional children and then quickly by the Chinese police, which would cause chaos. When we reached the monastery, it was a lot different from what we had seen in some of the other places because there were actual monks there and it was a school. The entire environment and experience was surreal.
The Potala Palace was somewhat more of the same impressive venues with some differences. The Potala Palace was one the seat of the Tibetan government and the winter home of the Dali Lama. One of the fun things that happened at the Potala Palace occurred in a discussion I had with one of my fellow Elon students. Our discussion centered on that we see this as a tourist attraction and the people of Tibet clearly see this as a critical part of their heritage and religious foundations. In fact, we discussed that it is not just limited to the Potala Palace, but everywhere we travel in Tibet there are some of the most sacred places in the world. I don’t know how I would feel if I was at church one day praying and a bunch of people walked in and were talking and taking pictures of me. At the same time, I think my argument would be that I think the people would want us to see their culture. We both concluded that it is a process that the Buddhist would probably rationalize it as fine. We believed this because it is a form of education and realization. While we have no current plans to convert, we would gain a much better understanding and a new found respect for their lives by making this visit. Seeing the practice of their religious rites at the most breathtaking place in the world, gives you a first hand basis that can never be learned or expressed in book. While you are in such holy places, it is important to remember your surroundings and it is important that you are respectful of the culture and way of life. In the end, what we could do is to respectfully observe and learn from them so that we could better understand their lives, beliefs and culture.

January 16, 2009/ Lhasa
Friday

In the morning, we fell into the same routine but we were all thankfully getting used to the altitude. I tried to drink as much water as I could to keep hydrated. I did forget to do two things however, wear sunglasses and use sunscreen. I will never do that again. Today we went to Norbulingka - the summer palace for the Dali Lama. Norbulingka had been built in the 18th century and was chosen because it was located near a spring that is believed to have healing powers that would help the 7th Dalai Lama. This palace was frequented by the most current Dalai Lama the 14th , until his expulsion. It was interesting to see the more modern look inside of his room When he escaped to India he left all his belongings. The many gifts people had given him were still in his room. It was odd to see the furniture, a radio and a record player. Much of the summer palace was like the other places such as the monastery and the Potala Palace. People came to the summer palace to pray. I somehow had greater expectations for the summer palace, maybe because we had seen so many amazing things before. It seemed very small and quite simple except for some of the modern amenities. Then again, Buddhism doesn’t teach that pretentious and austere structures, built by man, constitute a road toward salvation. I feel that had we visited in the summer period, things would be spectacularly beautiful with all of the flowers blooming and the mountainous backdrop. I also have the sense that the rest of Tibet would be equally as beautiful during the warmer seasons.
The next place we went after the summer palace was a traditional Tibetan hospital where they practice traditional Eastern medicine. It is much different from any sort of medicine that we practice in the west as most of the medical care had to do with astrological events as well as the balance of body and mind. One of the things that I found interesting was their use of flow charts. The flow charts are split into different trees and branches and it is a very lengthy but orderly process for a doctor to pinpoint a problem. Once the problem is identified, they find ways to help try to cure the problem. In some ways, a lot of what was going on seemed more therapeutic than scientific driven medicine. It felt more like something that resembled the way a psychiatrist approaches curing an individual. Take for instance the diagnosis of high blood pressure. It appeared as if the doctors are trying to find if an individual has high blood pressure, and they attempt to pinpoint where it is coming from in order to try to fix the problem. I just think it is interesting that this form of medicine has been around for so long. It seems strange that the western world rather ignores this kind of medicine. I would think that if the medical treatments that it offered didn’t work, then it would not have lasted the thousands of years that it has. I just find that to be fascinating why medicine like this is shunned by many people in the west when the science based medicine that we have practiced has been around not nearly the same amount of time. One would think that after thousands of years of research, trial and error there would be a body of knowledge of medicine that western scientists would embrace. I also thought it was significant that for the farmers and the poorer people. Medical assistance was free from the hospital but if you do have money then you have to pay. I did not quite understand all of the different things that the doctor was talking about when it came to the charts and the different divisions of the body. All I know is that I would give it a shot if I got sick because it seems like they have a workable solution to health care, albeit quite different from ours.
The Jokhang Temple I think was one of my favorite places to visit in all of the China trip and certainly in all of Tibet. It is 1300 years old and is the spiritual center of Tibet. The pilgrims, prostrating themselves outside the temple, are gripping. It was the most incredible thing that I have ever seen in my life. First, from the top of this temple there was a bird’s eye view of all of Lhasa city and the Potala in the background. It was so unreal everything surrounding us just looked fake, because it was so picturesque one can’t believe that this could possible be real. I think the one thing I would like to do before I die would be to come up to the top of the temple and watch the sunrise and look at all of the stars, because you can just see so much from here. It was here that I learned to love Tibet in such a spiritual way that I can’t really describe. It wasn’t just that the scenery was beautiful, or the people were nice, it had a more holy feel to it.
After the temple, we went to Barkhor street to do some more shopping, I really couldn’t buy anything because I was just way to overwhelmed with the crowds of people and the locals grabbing me by the arms, so I just walked around and took it in a little bit. I had enough of all of the shopping and was restless to do something else. It is interesting to note that the entire square, except for the temple, had been destroyed before the Olympics in riots with the Chinese people. It was only in the past few years that they rebuilt the square, which made it even more interesting to experience.
After shopping, we ended going to a cultural show, which I found to be very touristy but it was fun none the less. All the dances seem to resemble some of the Native American dances I have seen at the Smithsonian’s American Indian Museum. The music was colorful as well as the costumes and the voices. It was full of all different sorts of performances. I found the women singing to be enjoyable but the best part was the yak in a costume that was out dancing. I especially enjoyed the time when his hat fell off during the performance.





January 17, 2009/Lhasa/Chengdu/LiJiang Jian Nan Chun Hotel/LiJang
Saturday

Today was such a long day of traveling that it’s hard to remember what we did. Before we began our journey to the airport, we did make one last stop in Lhasa. We stopped at a monastery that was around the corner from the hotel. They told us that the Buddhist monastery had been there for a long time, as was typical of about everything Buddhist in Lhasa. It was in this monastery that they allowed us to take pictures inside the building. This was a very interesting monastery because we saw them making some of the sheets that would eventually be rolled up and placed into the prayer wheels. These were the religious devices that people would spin and then pray. We also saw some of the residences where the nuns lived. While clearly this is a tourist spot, it appears to be a functioning nunnery. As part of the exhibition, we were able to go into the actual room of one of the nuns, which was very exciting. It was very simple and lack most of the amenities all of us would be used to having to provide us a minimal standard of living. In addition to charging admission to help offset their cost, the nuns also have a place for people to eat. It looked ok but I wouldn’t put it on the top ten restaurant lists.
After the very nice tour, we got back on the bus and returned to the airport. Check-in at the Lhasa airport was one of the most inefficient airport check-in lines I have ever experienced. It took us approximately an hour for our group to get through the process. Eventually, we finally we got our bags through and our tickets in hand and went through security where they tore all of our bags apart once again. It was both anxiety provoking and frustrating. I’m quite sure that the heavy security is related to the Tibetan - Chinese conflicts that still exist.
In order to get from Lhasa anywhere we had to fly to Chengdu. It was awesome once again to fly above the mountains, but this time the flight was crowded with many Chinese military personnel traveling home for the Chinese New Year. I’m sure now that the heighten levels of security were do to the large contingency of Chinese soldiers. We finally made it to the Chengdu airport where we had a layover. We finally landed late at night in LiJiang and got on the bus. None of us knew that a special treat was in store and when we arrived near the hotel, we couldn’t close unless we had a car. Everyone piled out of the bus and we had to walk through the rest of the city to get to the hotel. We had been told that the streets were easy to maneuver before we got there, but walking through the streets that late at night seemed not to be as easy as they pronounced. Well we eventually got to the hotel and it was fabulous. While some of the furniture was outdated inside the hotel, all of our rooms opened up into a courtyard where there were seats for everyone, making it easy for us all to hang out. It was from here that we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. After dinner, we walked around a little more. It was about midnight when we got home and went to bed looking forward to the next day.


January 18, 2009/ LiJiang
Sunday

On Sunday morning, we began our day by walking around the old town area. The town looked a lot like an Asian version of Venice, with small streams running all around the town areas. It was very picturesque. LiJiang is divided into two cities, the old town and the new town. Our time was spent in the old town area. We had a guide take us through the old town and she was very interesting. The old town was a lot different that anything we have in the United States. There were people all over the streets with vendors selling things and side shops open for business. The old town area was very clean. There was a very interesting pattern of the owner’s shops being on the first floor and the residences well situated on the upper floors. Contrasted to Tibet, and the other towns we had seen, this was the first of our real observations of what an old town really felt like.
We got back on the bus after our walk and went to the Black Dragon Pool. As one gets off the bus, you come to a big entrance and you move toward a very large lake. The mountains are in the background and create an absolutely breathtaking backdrop for pictures. You could tell that if it were summer, there would have been wonderful flowers and greenery all over the grounds. This site was in significant contrast to our readings in the Black River. One didn’t get any sense of pollution or environmental hazards could possibly exist in China if you only allowed yourself to focus on this area of the country. It was one of the first times that we actually saw the sun. There were people all over with little kids playing in the streams. I certainly can see why you don’t want to miss this site, as its beauty is incredible. When you go over the bridge and look down, you see Choi fish all over.
We went to a silk screening museum while we were at the park. I enjoyed it very much but the costs of the items were very expensive. The materials were like a silk screen, we might think of it as a privacy screen, which had been place in glass.
From the silk screening museum, we went to the Naxi museum in the same general park area. Almost 300,000 Naxi people have lived in China for 1,400 years and are decedents of the Tibetan Qiang tribes. We learned that the Naxi people don’t have the same language characters as the Chinese and their spoken language is different as well. Many of the characters are actually symbols for what people are doing. We learned that the men don’t work and the women carry most of the responsibility. It was interesting to hear about the patricidal social strata, where the uncle is a key figure in the life of the family. It was really fascinating to understand how the men come at night and leave early in the morning from the women. We saw the Naxi men’s amour, which protected them with bamboo reeds over leather.
We left the Naxi museum with everyone tired and walked through old city again, ending up on the top of a hill to enjoy a view of the entire city. It was a beautiful scene. It was also obvious the division between the old city and the new.


January 19, 2009 /LiJiang
Monday


We boarded a bus in the morning for a full day tour of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The scenery was spectacular with one big mountain in front of snow and ice. It was incredible and the altitude felt higher than it had in Tibet. We boarded a bus, which took us to the location where the gondolas departed. With some apprehension, we got on the small cars and traveled on what felt like an 80 degree incline up the side of the mountain. It was actually a scary experience. One the way up, it felt like you were dangling from a cord. Once we began moving the scenery was so amazing that I forgot my fear. I hadn’t been up a mountain like this before and it felt like you were on top of the world. Getting out of the gondola, you were staring at one of the most incredible landscapes I have ever seen. The faint mist on the hills at the bottom made it was astonishing. Some of us climbed up the stairs on the mountain and ended up around
4, 680 meters or 15,354 ft. We took pictures to verifying that we had been at this altitude and many of these pictures will become my most prized photos. At the top, I bought a tank of oxygen and shared it with my friends. It actually helped, at least for a few seconds, and then it seemed you went back to a breathless flow. We walked down and boarded the gondola for the return trip. The ride down definitely not as scary because we knew what to expect, after all, we had been to the top, and now we just needed to relax and watch the scenery. We boarded the bus, left the mountain, and began our journey to the Black Water River.
The scenery at the Black Water River was unreal. Looking up into the mountains with the river in front of you with all the different levels made it especially interesting. The white water flowing over the rocks looked like miniature water falls. Many of our group dressed up in the available Naxi costumes and rode yaks. I chose not to dress up or ride the yak. I actually felt sorry for the yaks and had a hard time brining myself to ride them. The ring through their nose really bothered me as it felt somehow abusive and I just couldn’t enjoy the situations. The costumes the girls wore were very colorful and made some great pictures.
After a good time, we left the yak area and went to the Baisha village. The small Baisha village is the capital of the Naxi Kingdom. We had a tour and learned more about the Naxi culture. There were elderly people dancing and everyone was exceptionally nice. Although the town felt impoverished, the spirit of the people was cheerful. People in traditional costume were out in the streets selling souvenirs and art. From the Naxi village we went to tea tasting which was unbelievable when you consider the variety of teas available. One of the more unusual teas was like a fungus and after drinking it, you would drink hot water that stimulated a very sweet flavor. The entire tea experience really opened my eyes to the entire concept of tea. After the tea, we walked back to the hotel tired from the incredible sites we had seen during the day.



January 20, 2009/ LiJiang
Tuesday

Today was another early morning on our way to the Tiger Leaping Gorge and Yangtze River. At the bar the night before owner showed us pictures of the gorge and gave us a map. She carefully explained what we were going to see and we were all excited. The drive to the gorge was breathtaking with all the rivers as well as other scenery.
The Tiger Leaping Gorge is the narrowest point of the Yangtze River and was formed by the glaciers. The story behind the name of the gorge is that a tiger was trying to run away from a hunter and he leaped across the gorge giving it its name. The gorge itself seemed like a white water rafters dream, it was amazing in the view and everything that surrounded. The rapids under the huge cliffs are one of the world's deepest river canyons. Tiger Leaping Gorge is part of the World Heritage protected "Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan". Since 2004 the Chinese government has made proposals for a hydroelectric dam on the Jinsha River. The project would have displaced up to 100,000 people and moved them to the north. This would have moved the mainly the Naxi minority, to a Tibetan area with harsh climate and unfamiliar crops. The project was abandoned in Dec 2007. This project is also related to the Three Gorges Dam and the South-North Water Transfer Project, both of which would cause massive environmental damage and the destruction of thousands of cultural heritage sites.
After lunch in the village and then walked around and saw a statue of a red soldier with a ferryman. Evidently this represented the nationalist retreat from the communists during the long march. There was also an ancient suspension bridge which we walked across.


January 21, 2009 /LiJiang /Kunming Grand Park Hotel Kunming
Wednesday


We arrived in Kunming in the morning and then visited the minority village. I clearly confused about the concept of labels and community groupings. On entering the site it looked like a mix between a Florida retirement community and a place at Disney world. It did not feel like an authentic site and some of the housing of the minority people appeared fabricated. In fact, when we went inside of the Buddhist temple behind the Buddha were yellow blinking lights, making it look like some strange Vegas slot machine. Of course we had just visited Tibet which was the most spiritual place on earth so maybe that is why I found this so disappointing.
From this venue, we made our way to the elephants. After the panda opportunities, I was looking forward to experiencing the elephants. Seeing the elephants up close was exciting, but they really didn’t look happy. Don’t ask me how I can tell an elephant looks happy, as that is the opportunity to start a series of jokes. I did continue to take pictures anyway, despite my uncomfortable concern for the elephants. Eventually the show started and the elephants started doing tricks. I became ill at ease when I understood that in order to learn the tricks the elephants had to be beaten till they did the trick correctly and this felt abusive to me. The panda’s were being trained when we were watching but the approach was gentle and they were given rewards. I did sit on top of one and I have to admit that it was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed watching the other Elon students enjoy the treat but the entire experience felt awkward and a bit inhumane to me.
We continued on our r schedule to minority dress and painting museum. It really seemed to be a cross between a museum and a store as everything was for sale. I was continually learning on this trip that you can buy and bargain for almost anything in China and this museum was no exception. We returned to the hotel and went dinner to experience a bit of the city. The restaurant can best describe as a Chinese McDonalds for dumplings and it was delicious! Along with the dumplings, we had noodles with the meal, which I enjoyed also. After dinner, we had another cross cultural global experience and went to the local Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal-Mart! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would shop in a Chinese Wal-Mart and I couldn’t miss the opportunity. It was the most chaotic place I have ever experienced and made the markets look dull. While it looked like the Wal-Mart in the US inside the store were at least 1,000 people inside. .


January 22, 2009/ Kunming
Thursday

Today we went to the Stone Forest, known since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), and considered by many to be the “First Wonder of the World.” The various forests cover 96,000 square acres and date back to 270 million years ago to the Paleozoic era when the region was covered by water. Thru time and shifting of the earth due to earthquakes, the waters retreated and the limestone rocks became visible. The rocks look like they are growing out of the land and the intricate formations of the rocks make it an unbelievable geological formation.
The rock forest became our playground, as we ran around, climbed on everything. We had such a great time that I could have stayed there all day. It would have been easy to get lost in the forest if we had not had a guide, but once you get toward the end of the attraction; there were many of the Yi people outside singing and dance. One of the main things I was not sure about was if the people who were there were actually placed there for our entertainment, or if they actually were there enjoying themselves. Apparently, it turns out that they just come to the park to hang out and have a good time with one another.
The people who live in the area are of the Yi Nationality and are called Sani. They believe that the whole world came from one tiger- its left eye became the sun, the right eye was the moon, his body was the mountains, and his blood was the river. In addition, spiders are a token animal because the legend goes that the king of Ni could not be killed, however, his wife from another tribe got him to tell her the secret of how to kill him. When they came to kill the king the Sani, people hid in a cave and a spider built a web over the entrance as to confuse the tribe. Now you know the story of why no one kills spiders - cool with me. The Yi people also use a calendar with 10 months of 36 days and the 5 or 6 days left over each year are dedicated to the To Ching Festival- that’s the way to live. Another interesting fact is the way marriage works- women wear headdresses with two triangles on them-both triangles up means they’re single, one up means engaged, and none up means married. If a man is interested, he can touch a woman’s triangle and then he lives with the family in the house for the next three years before they can marry. He must also labor for the family during that time. Now that is really an example of commitment. I don’t think I’m going to be a good candidate for such a marriage ritual anytime soon.


January 23, 2009/Kunming/Shanghai Shanghai Broadway Mansions Hotel
Friday

Today we flew from Kunming to Shanghai. I have t mixed with emotions, on one hand, I really loved traveling and our experience in China has been the most unbelievable experience of my life. That said, am tired and there does relief know that Shanghai is our last stop before we return to the US. Shanghai didn’t seem as impressive as the rest of the trip, maybe it travel exhaustion or possibly I was getting used to being in China. The airport did not hold the same fascination anymore it just seemed big.
My jaded edge stopped quickly once the bus started to move. I was amazed when we drove through the city of Shanghai, as it was just incredible. The guide explained that Shanghai is half the size of Beijing, but has twice the population. I have never seen anything like it; all of the buildings were so large. I think one of the things that got me confused was there seemed to be an integrated mix of residential and commercial buildings right next to each other. It would be interesting to see how they handle zoning in Shanghai. You would look to one side, there would be people’s clothes hanging off the balcony, then you would look to the other side, and there would be a sky scrapper. To give an indicator of how big the city is, the roads have overpasses and large overhead boards that show the traffic patters. Apparently, the driving situation here is much different from the rest of China. You can’t get a license plate for your car whenever you feel like it. Instead, they have an auction every month and they only allocate a certain amount of licenses to people.
Once we reached the hotel, I settled in and began exploring the city. If you think back to my pre-trip report, this is incredible that I would even consider something like this. I’ve gained a great deal of confidence and become more independent and self reliant on this trip. I tried to get to the river side of the city but it was the most impossible task that I had run into in China. I eventually got so frustrated that I ended up going back to the hotel. Regardless, I was proud of myself for venturing out on my own and it felt very natural and enjoyable to feel so free.
In the evening, we had a free night for dinner and I had made some plans to take a few of my new Elon friends to a special place. My Chinese friend at home told me before I really wanted to go to an excellent restaurant to call him and he would help me get a reservation at an unforgettable restaurant. I called Li the day before we arrived in Shanghai and he called from the US and made dinner reservations for a small group of us. It was great as in order to get into the restaurant, you needed to have reservations because they keep the front door locked. My friend sent me a text message with the code. We arrived at the restaurant and found a large wall that had 10 holes in it. You had to stick you hands into the holes that corresponded with your number and then a secret door would open. What an evening. It was so much fun, and it was one of the best meals any of us had experienced in China.






January 24, 2009/Shanghai
Saturday

We started our Saturday off by visiting the Bund. The Bund is sometimes called Zhongshan Road. It is a famous waterfront area and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. I have read that the Bund had 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance. I found it very interesting to see the different influences other countries have had in China and it opened my eyes to some of the long term history of how closed China is as a society. The Bund was also the centre of Shanghai's politics, economy and culture hundreds of years ago, consulates of most countries and many banks, businesses and newspaper offices were settled there, and that's why one sees these art-like buildings.
I’m sure for the Chinese; these buildings were quite unique and were of special interest in a society that is highly restrictive and introspective. While I did not know much about where I was standing, I did come to the realization that Shanghai is an amazing city. The Bund is across the river from some of the tallest buildings in the world. It is quite remarkable that when you look at all of the buildings that surround you just how much emphasis that the Chinese have showed around urban growth and international trade.
I found the Shanghai museum special because it presented a fabulous historical aspect to a city of Shanghai. It was a nice relief as most of the dominating buildings are very modern and Shanghai has a very strong reputation from that modern style. In these museums, there was a wide range of exhibits from pottery and enamel works, to ancient Chinese money and furniture. What I enjoyed the most at the museum was the Chinese art as well as the calligraphy exhibits. I found them to be most impressive. As a history major, I have looked at the Renaissance art movement in many different classes and have looked at all the different paintings that this period brought us, but I never really found much appreciation for these things. I do, however, have a much closer relationship for the Chinese art. I’m not sure I know why and I am not sure I could explain it all, but there is something about it that it is more simple that I like. While simple, I find it much more involved and it evoked a great deal of emotion for me. It seems in Chinese art that color is not the most significant factor in the art but the brush strokes and the way the artist positions them are some of the most important things that I see in the art. It just feels to me that with every stroke of the brush, there seems to be some sort of feeling or strategy behind why the artist is painting it the way they did. It also seemed that the art was not just stand alone element of an emotional expression but much of the artwork had poetry associated with it. I found the associated poetry different and more interesting than some of the traditional art that I have seen. It made the story associated with the art more real for me. Of all the different museums that we have seen in China, I think that this is the best museum that I have really come across.
I would have never guessed from the name of the museum, City Planning Hall, that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did. It was housed in a beautiful building that was mostly glass in design. The many exhibits showed the remarkable growth of Shanghai. The scale model of the city they had on display of Shanghai was incredible. I thought Shanghai was highly populated, but when you saw the size of the actual city, it was amazing. The model really opened my eyes to the reality of size, scale and population. Another thing we learned while at the museum is that China is hosting a new World Expo in 2010 where each country is going to have there own building. The buildings will be able to display there country’s products. The Expo in 2010 seemed to be one of the major emphases throughout museum. The architecture that will be used in the Expo for the building I found uniquely fascinating. It is very modern and different from anything I have ever seen. Holding the Olympics in 2008 and now hosting the Expo for 2010 is very significant for China on the world scene. It seems to be making every attempt to begin opening its doors, thoughts and culture to the world. I can hardly imagine the amount of money the government has spent on redesigning the urban areas and construction during all of this time. It should be interesting to see how the buildings will turn out, as they have not even started construction in most situations. It will also be interesting to see the impact that the world will have on China as more, more people begin to travel to China, and China becomes more receptive to share much of its highly guarded culture.

January 25, 2009/Shanghai
Sunday


Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year and also our last day in China.
Since this was a free day, I decided for the first time to sleep in until 9:30 AM. A few of us have decided to go to the Shanghai Aquarium. I thought it was very well done and I loved the exhibit as a whole. I wanted to see what a Chinese aquarium might look like, and surprisingly enough it looked a lot like most of the ones I’ve visited in the United States. There were certainly the mandatory animals and fish that you would expect to see like turtles, sharks, penguins, and all other sorts of sea creatures. They had an exhibit of the rare animals of the Yang Xi River and I found that interesting.
After the aquarium, we went to the ice cream place next door and it was delicious. We then walked out of the shop and looked up to see a giant TV tower. Shanghai is just amazing when you think about the incredible number of people that live here compared to Beijing. Most amazing to me throughout this trip is to realize the huge population in China overall. It boggles my mind to think of the number of people that live in this incredibly populace country and how we have only seen a fraction of the Chinese people. We ended the day by riding the rapid train to the airport and back. It only took us seven minutes to go to the airport because it goes 430 kilometers per hour.


January 26, 2009/Shanghai/Beijing/New York
Monday

Today we were off to an early start for the seemingly never ending journey home. Armed with my knowledge about how to travel on a long flight I had a more enjoyable flight home. As the trip ends, I was thinking about the things I had set out to accomplish and the things I had worried about before I started the trip. I was concerned about the food in China before I started on the trip but it ended up not a problem. Other than a few foods that are only found near my house, like a particular type of pizza I enjoy or some other very familiar tasting local foods, the food in China has been spectacular. I know that I was anxious about making friends, yet I’ve made some great friends on the trip. I’m sure that I will spend more time with many of them when I get back to Elon. Had I not had this experience, I would have missed the opportunity to meet most all of these people.