Touring China after the program-

(Clicking on any of the images will enlarge it. In many cases, clicking a second time will make it even bigger)

Once the program had ended, the various teachers headed off home, or for excursions in China. Last year Marlene and I went to a variety of spots, including Lhasa and Chengdu. So we decided to spend a week on the road before she was due to return to Colorado. This took us to Dunhuang, Jiayuguang, and Xining. Then we parted company and I continued on to Xiamen, Nanjing, Dalian, Dandong, and Shenyang.

First Stop: Dunhuang 敦煌

West of Xi’an in Gansu province, at the edge of the Gobi desert, is the small oasis city of Dunhuang.

It was a wonderful place to visit. Our hotel was right in town, near a bustling night market. There was a seemingly endless number of restaurants within a short walk from our lodging. We labored over the decision of which restaurant would be best and decided on a small place with skewered meat. After our meal, two members of the staff insisted on posing for a photo with us.

Mingsha shan 鸣沙山 (Singing Sand Mountain)

Not far from town, the desert begins. Mountain-sized dunes of sand provide a stunning backdrop to the area of of a small oasis called Crescent Lake. Somehow we managed to miss the lake itself, but it was impossible to miss the mountains! There were various recreational opportunities, including tiny one-person aircraft, jeeps, etc. We chose to ride camels.

A small world-

Near the base of the sand mountain there was a remarkable occurrence. I heard a voice speaking in English: “Are you Peter?” I turned around to see a young Chinese couple. The woman was “Cherry”, one of my students from the previous year’s classes in Xi’an. We were a thousand miles from Xi’an. China has a population of 1.4 billion people (that is 1,400 million to any Brits tuned in…) What are the chances of a casual encounter with someone you know? Well, it is a small world! 🙂

Mogao Caves 莫高窟

The mountains of sand were beautiful, but I was drawn to this location after reading an article six months previously in the New York Times about the fabulous Buddhist artwork in a series of hundreds of caves near Dunhuang.

I’m sorry that I have not included any photos of the wonderful art inside the caves. Taking pictures inside was strictly prohibited, and I respected that rule.

Jiayuguan 嘉峪关 (Jiayu Pass)

We took a train north and a bit east to Jiayuguan. Centuries ago, this was considered by the Chinese to be the furthest west point of civilization. It was a way-point on the silk road, and is the site of a surviving fortification from the Ming Dynasty (late 14th century). The fortress served as a sort of gateway through this western most extent of China’s “Great Wall.”  You can see sections of the wall running off into the distance from the fort. You also have a fantastic view of mountains. There is also a rebuilt section of the wall (the “hanging” great wall), that climbs steeply up a mountain. It includes rebuilt towers.

Xining 西宁

We traveled from Jiayuguan to Xining (in Qinghai province) on a comfortable high speed train. Once again we had a hotel near a thriving night market. Somehow I overlooked the fact that our stay at the hotel included breakfast. So the first morning we wandered off in search of some local food. We ate in a tiny “greasy spoon” and had wonderful food. In the photo I am savoring Baozi, a type of stuffed doughy bun that I had fallen in love with over many breakfasts in Xi’an. The variety in Xining included shaved carot strips inside along with meat.

I wanted to see two places druing our stay in Xining: The Kumbum Monastery and the Great Mosque of Xining

Kumbum Monastery སྐུ་འབུམ་བྱམས་པ་གླིང་

The Kumbum Monastery (Known in Chinese as Ta’er Si 塔尔寺) is one of the most significant religious communities of the “Yellow Hat” (Gelug) sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Getting to the monastery was a wild adventure of its own! And the return trip was no simpler. But I will save the details for a post that will more specifically focus on our visit to Kumbum Monastery.

This site reminded us in many ways of our visit to temples and monasteries in Lhasa. The Tibetan architecture, holy images, feeling of spirituality, and also the hoards of visitors!

Dongguan Mosque 东关清真寺

The Dongguan mosque (sometimes called the Great Mosque of Xining) was originally built toward the end of the 14th century. It is one of the most important mosques in this part of China.

I made a bit of small talk with these two men within the mosque compound. They were friendly, and agreed to have their photo taken.

Not far from the mosque was a market street with a wide variety of foods and other items.

Xining- Encounters with friendly people

So very many people in China are friendly. Strangers you encounter often greet you and are eager to help if you need any. Also, in many areas westerners are a bit of an oddity, and people often want to have their photo taken with me.

At one point during our visit to the Kumbum monastery, we encountered these two men. They asked how old I was. We exchanged a few words and many smiles. They were with some friends and wanted their photo taken with me. (So Marlene took a few photos as well!)

Onward to Xiamen city  厦门市

Hotel-wise, I hit the jackpot in Xiamen. I had a reservation and they upgraded my room at no cost to a luxurious suite which, besides having a shower, had a fabulous free standing wooden tub. And yes… I did enjoy a wonderful soak in that tub!

Gulangyu Island 鼓浪屿

The city of Xiamen consists of an island connected to the mainland by a variety of bridges. Quite near Xiamen is a smaller island called Gulangyu. It is a popular tourist destination among the Chinese, and is an oasis of greenery and varied architectural styles. Based on the advice of a student from one of my classes, I took a morning ferry to the island. I got a ticket for a hop-on, hop-off transport and worked my way around the island.

Tulou 土楼 (earthen buildings) of Fujian

Large fortress-like buildings that housed entire clans are a typical architectural style in Fujian province, with roots dating to the 17th century. The majority are round, multi-storied structures, but there are also some rectangular examples. I arranged to participate in a bus tour from Xiamen to see these. Truly fascinating.
(Jesen, one of my students from 2015 was born in this tulou. I was interested in seeing these because of his suggestion I pay a visit to Fujian.)

Xiamen to Nanjing by Train

Although sometimes I cannot avoid traveling by air, my favorite transport is the train. From Xiamen I took a high speed train to Nanjing. The scenery was beautiful, and we passed mountains, terraced hills, the broad Qiantang river, and even the grand canal of China.

Nanjing 南京市

Nanjing (meaning southern capital) lives up to its current name, having been (under a variety of names) the seat of power for a variety of dynasties, and also the capital of the Chinese republic.

SunZhongShan  – The Sun Yat-Sen mausoleum

Sun Yat-Sen (Sun Zhongshan 孫中山) was a Chinese revolutionary who helped lead the struggle that overthrew the Chinese imperial government at the beginning of the 20th century. He can be thought of as the George Washington of the nation. He is buried in an elaborate complex on a hill in Nanjing.

A group of school children attached themselves to me and saw a chance to practice their English. They wanted endless photos with me, so I thought it appropriate to in turn take a photo of a few of them.

City Wall of Nanjing 南京城墙

Nanjing’s city wall, completed in 1386 under the Ming Dynasty, is a high defensive structure about 22 miles long. I visited it at the famous Zhonghua Gate

An interesting aspect of the wall’s construction was that the bricks were each marked with information about the supplier etc as a form of quality control / accountability.

Nanjing’s Bridge over the Yangzi (Yangtze) 南京长江大桥

This double-decked bridge was completed in 1968. The upper level carries automobile/bus/motorcycle traffic, while the lower level is for trains. The project was designed and built exclusively by the Chinese and was understandably a source of great pride. In 1976 when I worked on highway bridges on Vail pass I remember a book about bridges in China and how impressed I was by this bridge.

Well, I am glad I visited it when I did. According to traveler information on the Internet, bridge traffic was shut down starting in October 2016 for a two year renovation project!

Dalian 大连市

From Nanjing, I flew northeast to the port city of Dalian at the southern tip of Liaoning province. Due to the city’s strategic location, Dalian was coveted by the British, Russians, and Japanese, and suffered occupations by all three of those imperial powers. About 20 miles distant from Dalian is the town of Lushun whose “sights” include the old Japanese-Russian prison, complete with torture chambers. I decided to skip that side trip!

Dalian is fairly modern with many tall buildings. As you see in the photos, the air is clean.

There are a number of beaches and boardwalks in Dalian. Lots of fun activities for families!

Dandong 丹东

Dandong is a bustling and prosperous city right at the border with North Korea.

North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) 조선민주주의인민공화국 and the Yalu River 鸭绿江

A steel bridge crosses the Yalu river, connecting Dandong with North Korea. While I was there I saw occasional trucks lumbering slowly across the bridge from Korea.

The Yalu river as it passes by Dandong provides a historical backdrop and evokes memories and memorials related to the Korean War. An American push to take control of the entire Korean peninsula was further complicated by American general McArthur’s posturing in favor of additional broadening of the war. As American troops raced up to the Yalu river, China intervened on behalf of the North Koreans. This helps explain the riverside displays of vintage anti-aircraft weapons and this sculpture of troops facing the border with Korea.

I took a tourist boat ride that looped down then back up the river. Views included North Korean fishing boats, and rusty ships beached on the Korean bank of the river.

Tiger Mountain (Hushan) Great Wall 虎山长城

Just north of Dandong city is a restored Ming Dynasty section of the Great Wall, said by some to be the furthest east part of the wall. Although there were other tourists (Chinese) there, it was not as overrun with visitors as some sections near Beijing.

The guide books speak of a museum at the other side of the mountain, but I cannot vouch for that. The day was extremely hot, and I was dripping sweat. At a certain point, the wall runs right into the mountain, and you continue to the other side by climbing steep stairs. I went far enough up those stairs to reach a spot where a young woman had collapsed from the exertion. I realized I had reached my limit, and after a short rest, returned to the starting point!

Shenyang 沈阳市

Another train ride through lovely landscape took me from Dandong to Shenyang, the provincial capital. It is a large industrial city of over six million inhabitants. Shenyang is also full of history.

Streets of Shenyang

The broad “Zhong Zie” pedestrian street in the middle of town:

A side street with bright neon signs offers a variety of foods.

Near the Korean section of town I encountered a small street with a variety of foodstuffs, including this stand where the process of grinding dried red chili peppers was in progress.

Mukden Palace 盛京宫殿

This part of China was the home turf of the Manchu people who took control of the rest of the country as the Qing (Ching) dynasty. The ancient name of the city is “Mukden”, and the sprawling palace of the Manchus, said to be patterned after the Forbidden City in Beijing, still bears the old name of the city.

Generally the genuine Manchu nobility did not wear sneakers.

Beiling Park 北陵

At the northern edge of Shenyang is a lovely park that also includes the tomb of the second Manchu emperor. The park itself is tranquil and full of townspeople relaxing- families, couples strolling… and… your occasional western tourist!

China- I hope to return very soon! 中国 – 我会回来的！

After Shenyang, I returned to Xi’an where I reclaimed bags I had left at the hotel. The next day it was off to the airport and a flight back to San Francisco, and then Denver.

I had a lovely time in China. The energy and excitement of the students at the university was gratifying, the landscapes were awe-inspiring, and the people genuinely friendly. To that mix throw in historical sites from one of the oldest civilizations on Earth.

I look forward to a chance to return. Maybe 2017?

Xi’an 西安 and the Summer English program at Xi’an Jiaotong University

(Clicking on any of the images will enlarge it. In many cases, clicking a second time will make it even bigger)

This year (2016), I once again went to China!

The “Summer English” program was well received last year, and Xi’an Jiaotong University decided to repeat it.

Back in China I was happy to see wonderful people I had met the previous year. This included a number of fellow teachers from 2015 as well as my friend and colleague Shirley, classroom support assistants Laura and Ruby and some students including Asteria, Sure, Gavin, and Jesen.

In the city of Xi’an, I stayed at the (very comfortable) Citadines Hotel again. Here was the view from my hotel window:

The “Drum Tower” in the old city center:

There were a few program adjustments from the previous year, and this time we had twice as many teachers- “Guest Speakers”. Most of us were from the United States, but our ranks were supplemented by some from other “English-speaking” countries. This year, our classroom helpers were Chinese students with English majors. The following photo was the official program staff photo taken by the University:

The students were great to work with, and they seemed to genuinely enjoy the classes. The summer program focused on listening and speaking skills. The format of the classes was very different than English classes taught by Chinese professors. We deliberately made the classes very interactive. A student written article (linked here) that appeared in an online school publication did a good job of explaining the difference. From a student’s perspective, the normal model was “You are teaching, we are listening.” In our summer program, this was replaced by a model where “We are communicating”.

 In my classes, I outline “rules” meant to encourage students to take risks, and learn by doing. One of my rules, “Mistakes are OK” was quoted in the student article. Mistakes are an important part of the language learning process! But the concept was a huge break from the Chinese norm.

Weekend excursions

This year, the university again offered Saturday excursions to the major sites near Xi’an to teachers in the program. As a returning teacher, I had already been to the chosen locations. So, along with some other teachers, we created our own week-end getaways.

Night train to Luoyang 洛阳

For our first weekend’s excursion we decided to go to the Longmen Grottos and Shaolin Temple. The trip started with a night-train ride from Xi’an to the city of Luoyang.

Four of us crammed into a sleeper compartment and from our midnight departure until our mid-morning arrival we dozed on the bunks.

In Louyang we eventually found a tour bus that would take us to our two selected destinations. As the bus raced around mountain curves and through small settlements, we passed all sorts of other vehicles

The Shaolin Temple/Monastery  (少林寺) is famous as the home of noble, selfless monks who used kung-fu skills to protect the populace from bandits, thugs, and repressive warlords. In recent years the site has become a major tourist draw, and it has taken on a bit of a theme park atmosphere. But it was still interesting.

This fierce, colorful statue at Shaolin is one of the “Temple Guardians”.

Our other destination were the “Longmen Grottos” (龙门石窟). This site is famed for its Buddhist artwork consisting of thousands of carvings and statues, ranging from tiny to huge. Alexandria, from our group, had studied the site during her graduate program. It was fascinating, and we really could have spent an entire day there.

Pingyao 平遥

The next weekend spawned several trips to different destinations. Along with my colleagues Megan and Marlene, I opted for an overnight stay in the beautiful, ancient, walled city of Pingyao. One notable thing about this city is that within the city walls, the traditional architecture has been conserved. (Quite a contrast to Xi’an where “within the walls,” tall modern buildings compete for space with historical structures.

In Pingyao, even our hotel was in a lovely building- The compound reminded me of scenes from the famous movie “Raise the Red Lantern”, which was filmed near Pingyao.

Scenes from Pingyao

 One of my students had recommended taking a morning walk outside the city walls. So bright and early Megan, Marlene, and I worked our way through quiet streets to the West Gate. Passing through the wall, we encountered a lot of activity.

People were jogging, or walking, or just slowly strolling. As we headed counter-clockwise along the wall, there were more and more people. In the extended area outside the South Gate, individual activities had coalesced into various forms of exercise by about a dozen different groups. There was a tai-chi group, a marching group, others danced with swords or large red fans, some danced. It was fascinating.

After watching for a while, we headed back into the walled city, where street vendors had begun to spread out their goods.

Huashan  华山

The following weekend, under Megan’s leadership, a group of about a dozen of us took the train to visit Huashan. This sacred peak is one of the “five great mountains” of China. Apart from its history as a religious retreat, it has gained a reputation among adventurers for a harrowing path along narrow hanging planks. Huashan can be enjoyed in many different ways. Some in our group were there for the daredevil trail. I was there to enjoy the mountain in a tame, peaceful way. We all began by a long, breathtaking ascent by cable car to the “West Peak”.

“Culture Night”

Before leaving Xi’an, we were treated to the 2016 edition of “culture night” at our hotel, with music, demonstrations of folk art, calligraphy, etc.

In the photo you can see a woman playing the Guzheng (古箏) a sort of Chinese harp that originated about 2,500 years ago!

Farewell Xi’an

Before I left Xi’an, My friend Shirley (Xie Liqun) and her husband invited me to a nice restaurant for dinner. Wonderful food, wonderful conversation, and wonderful company.

Go to Part Two: Touring China after the program-  

During the summer of 2015 I had the incredible luck to visit China. This is a very brief overview of my time there.

(I apologize for the superficial nature of this overview. The few photos included are lower resolution, and the commentary is brief. As time allows, I will add a post with more photos and fuller stories for each featured part of the trip. As this progresses, I will add appropriate links from this page.)

北京
ARRIVAL IN BEIJING AND THE TRAIN TO XI’AN

Sadly, my very first impression of Beijing- even before I got off the plane, was seeing and smelling the thick, pervasive atmosphere of extremely polluted air. The sky was grey. Anyplace you looked was through the haze of dirty air.
I stayed overnight in a hotel in Beijing. My intent was to rest up a bit and travel to Xi’an by train and view the countryside, rather than arriving there by dropping out of the sky in an airplane.

• Beijing: Temple of Heaven Park

The afternoon of my arrival, I did get a chance to wander a bit. A famous landmark in Beijing is the “Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest” that sits within the huge “Temple of Heaven” park.

• Heading to Xi’an

My trip from Beijing to Xi’an was on a sleek high speed train. What fun! China has a rail system that includes commuter lines, dawdling intercity trains, overnight sleeper lines, and high speed lines (CRH – China Railway Highspeed). Perhaps one day we can learn from China, Spain, etc., and replace our antique, Amtrak, never-on-time rail system, with a public rail system that can efficiently get passengers from one city to another.

西安
A MONTH IN XI’AN

XI’AN JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY

My trip to China was to teach at an intensive summer English program at the prestigious Xi’an Jiaotong University. The program encompassed the entire class of students finishing their freshman year. At the end of the program I did some independent travel around the country.

• The Campus

• In the classroom

EXCURSIONS

Three Saturdays in the middle of the program the university provided cultural excursions to various sites in and around Xi’an. The city is a treasure trove of history, and had been the country’s capital during the rule of many imperial dynasties.

• Xi’an’s Grand Mosque

• The City Wall of Xi’an

• The Shaanzi History Museum

• The Great Wild Goose Pagoda

During the seventh century, the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang traveled to India where he studied. He collected a vast trove of Buddhist scripture and transported them back to China. In Xi’an, in the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, he and his assistants translated the books into Chinese.

• The Terracotta Army

• Imperial Tombs

• Xuaqing Hot Spring

OUT AND ABOUT IN XI’AN

SAYING GOODBYE TO XI’AN

丽江
LIJIANG

After the program was finished, I headed out for a brief tour of sites in China. For the first four stops, I traveled with Marlene Miyamoto, a colleague from the summer English program.

After saying goodbye to Xi’an, we boarded a plane and traded that smoggy city of 9 million for the clear blue skies of Lijiang, in Yunnan province. We were on our way, geographically and climbing in elevation, to Tibet.

香格里拉
SHANGRI-LA

After an enjoyable stay in LIjiang, we boarded a bus and continued our journey, heading westward and climbing in elevation. We crossed over the Yangzi (Yangtze) river and with each passing kilometer the architectural styles and road signs showed an increasing tendency toward the Tibetan culture.

ལྷ་ས
LHASA

Visiting Tibet was the fulfillment of a dream from my youth. It was amazing. At an elevation of twelve thousand feet (3,656 meters), I frequently suffered from shortness of breath, and needed to pace myself. No matter- it is a place for contemplation, not for hurry.

成都
CHENGDU

This city is the capital of the Sichuan (Szechuan) province. We enjoyed our stay there, but should have stayed several more days to better appreciate it. The food there was fabulous (of course!), and the province is famous for the Giant Pandas. Near the city is a famous research and breeding center for these animals.

桂林
GUILIN AND THE LI RIVER

After Chengdu, Marlene and I headed in separate directions. I continued on toward the southeast, going to the city of Guilin.

武汉
WUHAN

Straddling the Yangzi (Yangtse) river, this town was recommended to me by a friend who had taught English there.

承德
CHENGDE

Chengde, is situated in Hebei province north of Beijing. It is famous for the “Mountain Resort”, a vast park that was the summer residence of the Qing emperors. “Sure”, a student from my classes in Xi’an, was from the city. He invited me to take a bus to the city and kindly acted as my guide.

北京
BEIJING AGAIN

Back in Beijing I made an excursion to the Great Wall. I also went to Tiananmen and the gates of the “Forbidden City”. Finally, what trip to the capital would be complete without a meal of “Peking Duck”?

WATCH THIS SPACE! LINKS TO MORE PHOTOS  AND TRAVEL TALES OF MY 2015 TRIP TO CHINA ARE IN PROGRESS!