2008 Blogs

Greetings from China!

06/18/2009

You cannot imagine my relief when I saw my friends Sunan and Deb waiting for me in the Guilin airport!  Sunan was my student and advisee when I taught on the faculty of the Graduate School of Library & Information Science in Bloomington, and we've remained in touch over the years.  When I mentioned to her that I would visit China after being in Vietnam, she volunteered to accompany me.  When Deb heard about that, she asked if she could come also.  Sunan planned an excellent trip, beginning in Yangshou where this photo was taken.  We were on the beautiful Li River admiring the unusual rock formations.

After two incredible days in Yangshou, we flew to Chengdu where we visited the Panda Reserve.  Holding an eight-month old panda has to be a highlight of this trip for me.  Since we were there early in the morning, we also saw many adult pandas eating bamboo.

In Chengdu we also visited one of Sunan's friends, who took us for a walk in a local park.  It was bustling with activity--people playing badminton, dancing, performing, and exercising.  Since the retirement age in China is 55 for women and 60 for men, there are many "young" retirees in good condition with time on their hands.  We participated in some of the activities at the urging of "Auntie," and had a great time. 

After Chengdu we headed for Xi'an, which is one of the most historical cities in China.  I've seen pictures of the Terracotta Warriors, but nothing can compare to the feeling you have when you walk into Pit 1 and see the treasure a Chinese farmer found in 1974.  Dating  back to 210 BCE, archaeologists estimate that there are 8,000 soldiers as well as horses and chariots.  Digging and restoration continues and there is still much work to be done.

And if that's not old enough, we also visited the Banpo Museum, site of a matriarchal Neolithic site that is over 6,000 years old!  As an American historian, I cover about 400 years of history in survey classes.  Just think what my Chinese colleagues must do!

From Xi'an we took the overnight train to Beijing, covering approximately 1,500 miles in 13 1/2 hours.  Much to my surprise, I was able to sleep fairly well.

 

After arriving in Beijing, Sunan and her husband took us to eat at a very special noodle restaurant.  Later in the day we visited the National Library of China to see an exhibit of early manuscript and printed books, some of them dating to approximately 680 AD.  Our next stop was the massive Olympic sports complex.  Like many of my friends, I watched the Olympic games last year, but the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube were much more stunning in person.

This trip has been beyond my wildest expectations, mostly because of the efforts of my friend Sunan and her husband.  I have a greater appreciation for China, its history, its people, its culture, and its food.  Did I mention that I love the food!!!

More soon.