Exploring the Magic of Qufu

[posted on behalf of Abby D.]

Our morning was spent at the Confucian Temple in Qufu. There are several temples to Confucius in China, but this one is located in his birthplace and is the largest. First built in 478 BCE, less than two years after Confucius’ death, the temple was enlarged and expanded over the years by successive emperors who wanted to show their veneration for the influential teacher. Our walk took us through a series of gates, pavilions and halls surrounded by majestic trees, some of them very ancient. One of the cypress trees in the complex is approximately 1300 years old! Fern had done research on Confucius and the Qufu temple, and was left amazed that one man has left such an enduring legacy.

Our guide for this portion of the trip, Mr. Zhu, was born and raised in Qufu and has many interesting stories to tell. His knowledge about Confucius and his thoughts on life in China today have been very informative.

The afternoon took us to the Confucius family mansion and the family cemetery. Seventy-seven generations of family descendants lived in the mansion up until the 1940’s. Many of us particularly enjoyed the tranquil garden in the back of the mansion.

Tomorrow’s destination is Mt. Tai (Taishan). The question now is how many of us will climb the whole way and how many will take the cable car for a portion of the climb. To be determined…

Photos: 1) Erika, Huajing, Mr. Zhu, and Ian at the Confucius Temple, 2) Stele pavilion, 3) the group at the Confucius cemetery

Traveling China's Countryside

[posted on behalf of Abby D.]

Yesterday was mostly a travel day. After a free morning in Beijing, we headed to the brand new and very impressive Beijing South Railway Station to board a high speed train to Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. The three hour ride was very comfortable and offered excellent views of the countryside as we traveled south. We saw many contrasting scenes: groups of small traditional homes with tall, newly built apartment buildings in the background; piles of rubble from demolished homes among a sea of cranes and other construction equipment; dirt roads in close proximity to wide, multi-lane paved roads — many signs of change and new development. The farm land was beautiful. We recognized corn, lotus, soybeans and rice. Huajing let us know that peanuts are also a staple crop in Shandong. As we approached Jinan we crossed the Yellow River, China’s second largest river.

After dinner, a two-hour bus ride brought us to Qufu, birthplace of Confucius. Tomorrow we will explore this small town and learn about China’s great sage.

Photos: 1) Nancy and Anne, 2) Erika and Nancy

Last Day in Beijing

[posted on behalf of Abby D.]

We started our last full day in Beijing at the Temple of Heaven, a truly spectacular complex of structures. It was this temple that Ming and Qing emperors visited twice a year to offer prayers and sacrifices to Heaven to ensure a good harvest. The primary buildings in the complex are circular in shape to represent the Chinese view of a circular Heaven. Beautiful blue roof tiles also symbolize the heavens. Erika, who had prepared a report about the temple and shared her knowledge with us, was impressed by the beautiful and unusual architecture.

Exiting the temple, we walked through long corridors and down tree-lined paths. Along the way were many local people dancing, singing, doing tai chi, and other activities which we enjoyed watching. To help celebrate Mike’s birthday, one of the musicians who had been playing traditional music switched to “Happy Birthday” and several other familiar tunes. Many of us were touched by this gesture.

While enjoying lunch at a traditional Beijing noodle restaurant, we were joined by Lisa Li, a young woman from Beijing who spent some time in the United States and is back in China studying for the bar exam. She chatted with some of us over the meal and birthday cake, and then joined a whole-group conversation on the bus. Since we were headed to the Yonghe Gong Temple, a center for Tibetan Buddhism, we asked Lisa for her thoughts on Tibet. Several people had questions for her, including Jeanne who brought up issues related to cultural assimilation and the complicated nature of the Tibetan/Han Chinese relationship.

At the Yonghe Gong Temple, Huajing spoke with us about Buddhist iconography while we walked through the statues and paintings in the many prayer halls. The 60 ft. Buddha in the final hall was an awe-inspiring finish to the day!

Photos: 1) Teachers at Temple of Heaven, 2) Amy and Huajing at Temple of Heaven, 3) Lama Temple

Great Sites and Artistic Traditions

[Posted on behalf of Abby D.]

Today was a very hot, muggy and busy day! We began the morning with some exploration of Tiananmen Square and then walked across the street to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City, or Imperial Palace, was the permanent residence and workplace for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Made up of 9,999 rooms, the complex is vast, beautiful and impressive. Many of us had a difficult time imagining what it would have been like to live and work within the walls of this opulent compound, rarely getting the chance to leave.

We enjoyed a delicious and spicy Szechuan lunch in the Shichahai neighborhood of Beijing, a Hutong preservation area. Nancy B. was particularly happy with this meal as Szechuan food is one of her favorite Chinese regional cuisines.

A special treat awaited us after lunch. Our leader Huajing Maske arranged for us to visit the Hongbaotang Art Studio, where three artists, who are also brothers, demonstrated their techniques for us and answered questions about their work. Two of the artists are calligraphers and one is a painter. Anne F. was curious about the future of traditional Chinese painting/calligraphy and asked if the next generation is learning these skills. Though public school students do not have time to learn traditional painting and calligraphy in school, after school programs and special art academies exist to make sure these art forms endure. The studio was located near Liulichang Street, the Street of Antiquities. Many small shops selling paint brushes, ink stones, paper and other artists supplies lined the small historic streets which we had the chance to explore.

A dinner of Peking Roast Duck completed the day for us. Stuffed and exhausted, we are turning in for the evening.

Photos: 1) Forbidden City, 2) Inside the art studio, 3) Historic street near the art studio
Video: Calligraphy Lesson

Visiting the Great Wall

[Posted on behalf of Abby D.]

Our trip to the Great Wall this morning was excellent. We visited the Mutianyu section of the wall, much of which was built during the Ming Dynasty. Despite cloudy skies, we had quite good views of the surrounding area and the wall itself. Many of us were awed by it — the history of it, the feat of constructing it, and the beauty of the scenery. Ian, Mike, Lisa, and Jess covered the most ground in terms of climbing, but all of us got our fair share of exercise today. Emily was surprised by how international our experience on the wall was. We came across visitors from Europe, the United States and Asia. Lila met a couple traveling from India, one of whom was wearing a Red Sox cap. Their son is currently in Boston, so they are fans. The interconnectedness of today’s world was revealed to us firsthand on top of the wall!

It came as a surprise to many of us that you can take an alpine slide to get back down from the wall. At least eight in the group couldn’t resist, including Amy who took photos the whole way down.

After lunch we visited the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs. This beautiful, 8,000-meter-long pathway leads to the imperial burial grounds of 13 Ming emperors. Lined with stone statues of guardian animals and officials, the path was constructed as a way for the emperor to make his return to heaven.

Tomorrow morning we’re off to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

Photos: 1) Group on the Great Wall 2) The Sacred Way 3) The Memorial Archway

Arrival in Beijing!

[posted on behalf of Abby D.]

We have arrived and we are all doing well! We did need to get our temperatures taken on the plane to determine if we were swine flu risks, and three of our teachers were checked again in the airport, but we were all deemed fine! An afternoon arrival meant that some of us rested before dinner and some took exploratory walks on and around Wangfujing Street, a very busy shopping district. Mike, Helen and Anne O. were among the adventurous who checked out the area near our hotel. Fern and Jeanne noticed a cluster of hutongs nearby and wondered if these traditional homes would be destroyed to make way for more modern buildings, or if they might be spared and maintained as historically significant structures. Time will tell.

Today we will climb the Great Wall, which we are all very excited about. Please note: we are having some technical difficulties which may delay the posting of new information. We'll do our best, however, to get this blog updated.

Photo: group dinner in Beijing

And We're Off

Our journey begins in about 13 hours. After studying about China, getting to know one another in pre-tour meetings, agonizing over packing lists, and preparing lesson plans, I think we're ready. First stop: Beijing. The weather forecast says "hot". Let's hope those scattered thunderstorms stay away so we can climb the Great Wall on our first full day. Throughout the two weeks we will see amazing sites, visit schools, teach middle and high school students, and learn as much as we can about China and its people. Follow along as we take this incredible journey!