Today we had a chance to tour some of the historical and cultural sites of Wuhan. Our first stop was the site of the first revolutionary coup in 1911, when the imperial system in China was overrun by the republic. Sun Yat Sen is a hero here, since he was the man largely responsible for leading the movement that ended the Qing Dynasty. The site of this first revolutionary act was the Hubei province governor's mansion, and it was a bloodless coup (at least in that particular place). We got to see the flag of the Chinese Republic, which was very cool. The flag includes 9 stars which represent the 9 provinces of China.
After that we went to the Yellow Crane Tower, allegedly (according to the pamphlet) the "oldest tower in the world." In fact it is five stories tall and was built in 223 A.D. It offers a panoramic view of Wuhan, including the Yangzte River and the East Lake. Yes, I was the first one to climb the stairs to the very top!!
On the grounds of the tower are also a very beautiful-sounding bell (which tourists can pay 10 RMB - less than $1.50 - to ring with a large battering ram-thingie) and a gorgeous pond with sculptures, swans and of course a bust of Chairman Mao.
Which reminds me - last night I was hanging out with a couple of the teachers (Pat and Elana - her name is pronounced "Ee-lan-ah") and we were drinking tea and eating these snack crackers which tasted awfully familiar. I finally identified the flavor - they tasted just like original Captain Crunch cereal! So Pat dubbed them "Chairman Crunch" crackers.
Anyway, the Yellow Crane Tower was gorgeous inside and out. It IS in fact yellow - at least the roof tiles are. Our tour guide Duan, back in Beijing, had told us about the differences between northern Chinese and southern Chinese architecture - the roofs in Northern China are more sloping, while the roofs in Southern China have more of a curl to the end. The Yellow Crane Tower had very curly ends to the roof corners, and they were all shaped like animals like lions and fish.
I'm sure you've all seen the lion statues in front of Chinese restaurants and the like. Well here's a tip: one is female, one is male. You can tell them apart because the female has a little cub under her paw, and the male has a ball under his. At the moment I can't remember what the ball symbolizes, but the cub stands for fertility.
The Chinese have traditional animals that represent certain positive qualities: turtle is longevity, lion is power, etc. I'm not sure about the monkey. I'm guessing maybe... silliness?? Ha!
After the Yellow Crane Tower we ate lunch, and then went to a museum housing relics from an ancient tomb. What is most interesting is that one of the relics was this enormous set of tuned bells, which were on display. Even more impressive, a reproduction was used in a performance of traditional Chinese music, with the musicians in costume from that era (can't remember which, but it's older than the Manchu era). Other instruments were included, including a drum, various pipes and flutes, a zither and lute. The music was stirring, and one piece had a dancer performing a very graceful traditional style dance. The very last piece they performed, however, was an abridged version of "Ode to Joy." Incredible!
From the museum we went on the the East Lake, which is huge and surrounded by all manner of water entertainment. A few of us went on a boat ride to cool off and just relax. It was superb, though a little scary getting on those skinny boats!
Presently it's about 7:25 here. A few of us are going out on the town tonight, gonna try to find a Korean restaurant!! It's kinda funny - we have a couple Asian americans with us, and one of them is Korean ( a naturalized U.S. citizen), and the other was born and raised in Korea before coming to the U.S. with his Chinese parents. So I'm in good company!
The first week of teaching finished on a good note, though I was video taped yesterday. This isn't to keep an eye on the teachers, but to keep archived materials for their English teacher training program. Chinese teachers of English are also observing our classes as well. There's been a little tension regarding the style of teaching and the ridiculous schedule the university is insisting upon, but overall most of us are going with the flow and just doing our best. The students are mostly engaged and persistent, but it's overwhelming to have a new group of 23-24 kids each and every day! Thank fully we have a sort of "homeroom" group that we will see every Friday, so at least there will be some consistency.
Actually today I finally felt like I really am in China. The first wave of culture shock has worn off, and I'm feeling a little more comfortable with China on its own terms, rather than comparing to Korea all the time. It was a marvelous day, altogether. Thanks to everyone who is supporting this great adventure!
Anyway, I need to grab a cat nap before heading out with the gang. As always I think of you guys at home very often. Take care and be good.
peace.
Sent by Elena Sat, 17 Jul 2004 04:40:36 -0700 (PDT)
She also sent this little bit in her email... I thought I'd include it for fun:
She also sent this little bit in her email... I thought I'd include it for fun:
P.S. Don - I found out yesterday that a science fiction nerd looks and sounds the same the world over. this guy came up to me after class and wanted to talk about sci fi movies. I could easily picture him hanging around the comic shop outside the Donkey, or even at teh Athens Book Center. Hee. Funny how certain things are universal.
1 comment:
Hi Elena, I just mentioned to your Mother that I have not written to you yet-----in spite of the fact that I
have spent quite a bit of time on the Jade Monkey,
including making copies for your "old" teacher, Sr.
Edwina. We are all enjoying your communications so much. I can't imagine how you get all this done, but we
do appreciate it. So much for this comment. Gert
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