My Preview of China

From the beginning, I knew I was going to have a different experience in China than my classmates. For them our trip might be a once in a life time opportunity to explore China and all its history. For me it was preview of what my next semester will be like. I will be spending my Fall semester in Shanghai studying at the University of Finance and Economics.

I mainly enrolled in this trip to get an idea of what I was getting myself into. To be honest I was rethinking my decision. The thought of studying half way across the world, in a country I've never been to, where they speak a language I don't know, for four months was terrifying. I was worried if I wouldn't like it. Now that I've returned to the US it makes me laugh that I thought I wouldn't like it. This trip has opened my eyes to all the amazing experiences I have waiting for me this Fall. This trip has left me with so many questions that I can't wait to find the answers to..not to mention the fact that I never got my KFC...


My main list of things I want to do in Shanghai next semester now include:

• Going to the top of the TV Tower at night
• Going to the Shanghai Museum and visiting every room 
• Taking a calligraphy class at the community center
• Take the fox everywhere
• Go to People's Square when they're are people
• Go back to Zhouzhuang to buy more of my new favorite tea
• And many more...

I can't wait to send you all pictures and happy coconut balls! Thank you all for making this experience truly amazing! 

Where'd the Fox Go..?

It is customary in Chinese culture for visitors to bring a gift with them when they visit different places and people to show ones appreciation of their presence. I thought it would be a nice gesture to bring a gift along with us the whole way to show our appreciation to Rollins for giving us the opportunity to visit this amazing country. This is our Journey to the Middle Kingdom.

"Temple of Heaven"

"Lunch at the Water Villiage"

"Gate at the Temple of Heaven"

"Forbidden City"

"Temple of Heaven"

"Our Boat Tour in the Water Village"

"Need a Seat? In the Forbidden City"

"Throne in the Forbidden City"

"Forbidden City"

"Forbidden City"

"Temple of Heaven"

"The Fox Getting into Trouble"

"The Great Wall of China"

"The Great Wall of China"

"Temple of Heaven"

"Lunch Anyone?"

Before and After

My original perception of China before going on the field study trip was one of a country where there are many big cities and economic power, but with restricted rights for its citizens and visitors. The China I imagined was more like the one in Beijing rather than Shanghai, but through my visit I was able to see that China has both areas of a first and third world country spread throughout the country. Before going I had the fear about the rights as a visitor, but that was clearly not a problem, because China was different that I thought. China’s developed areas vary significantly throughout the country, the farther the west you go the more rural it gets. This idea of China was formed through my studies about China in High School, news, movies and experiences of people who have visited China. The city that totally differed with my idea of China and impressed me the most was Shanghai, because of its modernism and how clean the city was given that millions and millions of people live in it. Shanghai has become one of the premier cities in the world in the last decades. Shanghai is now home to more than 10 million people and keeps growing as well as all major cities in China caused by the modernization of the country. Millions of people have been immigrating to the cities to find jobs. The whole trip was a wonderful experience but as a city I was amazed how developed Shanghai was. 

The Great Experience

I was nervous about going to China. I genuinely didn't know what to expect from the complete strangers I journeyed with, nor from the Chinese people with whom I would interact. On one of the many occasions that I though about the trip prior to leaving I remember thinking that I would stick out like a sore thumb. First of all, I am a little bigger that the average Chinese Man, and of course I am touring the country. Tourists always standout. Brenna, a classmate on the trip, says its the shorts... I concur. 

Once I arrived in China my fear of standing out was quickly realized and immortalized with a phrase "Too big for China". It seemed that everywhere I went I didn't quite "fit'. I mean my feet literally didn't fit in the allotted space when sitting in the front of the bus, but that's not really what I mean. It seemed that wherever we went we were regarded as tourists, and we never really fit into our surroundings. We were talk at and explained too, but for much of our trip I felt like an outsider. Unless of course we were dining at a restaurant filled to the brim with other tourists. That was creepy. A gigantic restaurant in the middle of Shanghai with only Anglo people sitting, and Chinese people serving. 

This feeling did not persist. I came to realize that I was experiencing culture shock. Things really were just so much different. I found myself pining for more and more of that 'experience'. Dealing with different people in different ways began to be a big part of the trip. Even though I enjoyed the sightseeing and shopping, I found the interactions with our tour guide to be increasingly profound. When he explained the customs about marriage, remarriage, and divorce I found this to be an invigorating experience. These types of interactions are always what's missing from the normal tourist itinerary. 

It wasn't all wide-eyed wonder. I 'experienced' several umbrella jabs from to the neck from tiny Chinese women while walking through the forbidden city. The last one was so deliberate that I momentarily contemplated beating that same women with her open umbrella until either her or the umbrella snapped in half. This may have been the most authentic experience I had while in a city with a population of 10 million people.

One of the best experiences on the trip was the visit to the great wall. It turned out to be extremely challenging. While it was quite a tourist destination it was also a great time to bond with the group, and test the upper physical limits of my sedentary lifestyle. I started out strong up the hill, but quickly realized that at 240lbs. I might actually be too big for The Great Wall. After a bit of encouragement a lot of sucking wind, I eventually made it to the top with the others from my class. It was such a rewarding experience, and I remember getting to the top and feeling so happy to have done such a cool thing with a great group of people. 

That feeling really sums up my entire feeling for the trip. It was great, such an accomplishment. And I am happy that I did it with the group. I look forward to the next challenge that takes me out of the country and out of my comfortable office chair. This whole thing really was a great experience.

History of the Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven has a rich sordid history that has made it what it is today. A charismatic piece of history near the heart of China's Capital.

The Temple of Heaven is a large complex of buildings, gardens, walls and sidewalks covering almost 3sq. kilometers of ground. There is an outer area consisting of many trees and pavers which serve as a gathering point for people who live in the community and street performers. Beyond this common area begins a walk up to the Temple of Prayer for Good Harvests. It is a three gabled structure in which the emperor would pray. It is an impressive structure which is made with only wood and zero nails.

Next there is a long walk down a very wide stone path specially built with a special walk way that allowed the emperor to walk down the middle with his generals on one side and the royal family on the other. At the end of this path which is maybe half a a quarter of a mile long lies the second important prayer location known as the imperial vault of heaven. This area is best known for the circular wall which surrounds it. the interior surface was so smooth that they created a special echo effect which allowed for conversations to be hear across a courtyard. When you visits there today you can stand at a special point in the center and hear either 1, 2 or 3 echoes of clap when standing on one of three special stones.

The third and final major structure in the kingdom of heaven is the Circular Mound Altar. It is a platform raised high above the ground. The emperor would use it to say a final prayer before leaving. The stone in the center was for the emperor only. The Altar would reverberate and redirect the sound upward to strengthen the prayer the to the heavens.

The Temple of Heaven was constructed in the early 1400's and was used by may emperors.

Visit to the Temple of Heaven

When you think about China there are so many images that come to mind. People think of rice fields, bamboo, panda bears, upward curving roofs, and so much more. Now that I have visited,  one of the images that will come to my mind will be of the Temple of Heaven. This is a beautiful place and sacred ground once used as a place of prayer for the emperors of China. Today it is used as a community gathering place, a tourist attraction, and museum.

The Temple of Heaven is a massive complex of old structures and high walls. the first thing you see when you walk up is jade colored tile lining the tops of 15ft. walls. During the Japanese invasion the temple was used as a military base, no doubt chosen for these very walls. As you move through them they seem to be as thick as they are tall.

Beyond the walls there are a great many people performing a great number of activities. There are street performers dancing with long ribbons, a group doing a kind of tai chi and yoga combination. The atmosphere is lively, fun and increasingly crowded. As you move down the sidewalk The Hall of Payer for Good Harvests Suddenly appears in the background, and you pass more groups of singers and dancers as you move closer to it.

This temple along with two other prayer locations make up the primary structures within the temple of heaven. They are quite old, but they have been rebuilt over the years for various reasons. Their beauty and architecture are astounding. But like a lot of things in China it is easy to be impressed by things that are impossibly old.

This is a place that really should be on the list of places to visit when you're in China because hundreds of years later it still draws an enormous amount of people.

Forbidden City

In Beijing, one of the most interesting locations for me was Forbidden City. Located in the center of Beijing, Forbidden City was house to the emperors from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty. What I found fascinating about Forbidden City is that get to understand a lot about Chinese culture. There are many details of how things were constructed or positioned for different purposes. For example, the pathways to the buildings that were divided in three and each door were intended for a specific group of people. Also the use of nine objects used on every significant building and structure, showing the significance of number nine in Chinese culture. Another thing I learned from visiting Forbidden City was how advanced the Chinese were in math and astronomy when Forbidden City was built. Forbidden is impressive and how everything has a purpose including the number of rooms, the shapes of the buildings and walls, etc. I enjoyed Forbidden City far more that I thought I would, because when you understand the reason why everything is where it is it becomes much more interesting. 

The Bund

The Bund in Shanghai was one of my favorite views we had during the trip because of its impressive landscape, showing the combination of modern China combined with the European architecture representing part of China’s history. The Bund was one of the topics I had to research before the trip, and I liked it even more than I thought. The Bund is the waterfront to the Huangpu river, it faces the TV tower and Financial Center which is one of the most known symbols of Shanghai and therefore China’s symbol of transition from a third world country to a first world country. The Bund was a great place just to walk around and observe the surroundings. The view especially at night has one of the best skylines in the world. 

water village and mao's mausoleum

My two topics of research were the water village and Mao's Mausoleum and both far and away exceeded my expectations. Mao's Mausoleum was so incredibly crowded that I was more stunned by those who chose to visit him in respect than by his actual corpse. Also, I found it oddly creepy that we visited a corpse and that so many other people wanted to visit a corpse. Even thoug I understand that he's a national hero, I don't think I would want to see someone like Abraham Lincoln's corpse, even though I have an ardent admiration for him. That, I believe, is the difference between the two cultures of our countries. Where my grandparents have great admiration for someone like Lincoln, Jeffrey's parents probably have adoration for Mao, and I think that comes from years of not only listening to official government repertoire, but active brainwashing.
The water village, on the other hand, seemed to be mostly a tourist trap and not really that historically significant, but such a beautiful spot to sightsee.

It happened in Shanghai

Firstly, I would like to express how extremely grateful and overwhelmingly lucky I feel to have had the opportunity to explore China as a twenty-one year old college student and with such a wonderful professor and classmates who made it even more worthwhile. Secondly, as a reflection of the trip as a whole, I would say there were amazing points and there were good points, but there were no bad points and that is really the mark of a great experience.

Originally, my perceptions of China varied widely but were centered mostly around stereotypes that the Western World has about the exotic and remote Far East. I was really glad that we were able to speak to college-age Chinese students while in Beijing, those conversations helped significantly in dispelling the stereotypes that I held. I thought the Chinese people would be very reserved and cold, or worse, even unfriendly to us because we were Americans and foreigners. However, I came to realize that the Chinese people, while very conservative at times, were very warm and open with us, even in light of our nationality. They were always willing to talk and many of them were extremely eager to talk to us and to hear our opinions on things and to tell us theirs. Even talking about communism, a subject that seems like it would be totally faux pas, was a fairly open and understanding debate. Our two countries have had a tumultuous history and I think a lot of the assumptions I had about the Chinese people stemmed from fear they would associate all Americans with our country’s official governmental repertoire on Chinese-American relations. However, the people were very willing to discuss anything we brought up and were very caring in the way they expressed their criticisms of the Chinese people, the Chinese government, the American people, the American government, and everything in between. I think movies, TV shows, other students, teachers, books, magazines and everything in between shaped my assumptions about the country. 

Yuyuan Garden- the beggining of Zhongguo, my journey to the Middle Kingdom…. the other China

Yuyuan Garden was my research topic in Shanghai. My original perception of China as a whole was that of a country with many restrictions. To my surprise, life goes on, and yes, government still controls what you do and what you can say or watch on television, but Chinese people are resilient and strong. I realize that I developed these conclusions through the media and speculation. Our media only puts out there what they perceive is “important” and therefore we are only getting one part of the message. Chinese people will agree.

Yuyuan Garden, my research topic in Shanghai.

I was not sure about Yuyuan Garden, just as I was not sure about what China was going to be like. I think we all have a different idea of how Chinese people live. Our journey to China changed my mind, but more importantly, it made me reflect and take a second look at how I live my life.

The Journey Begins

After a long flight, we all meet at the airport and head to our hotel the Shanghai Yan’an Hotel, and as planned we will begin our journey through China on Wednesday starting with the Shanghai Museum in the morning and Yuyuan Garden after lunch.

We all gather at the hotel lobby, to meet our guide. He is a funny little man his name is David (this is not his Chinese name). We head out to the Shanghai Museum and then to Yuyuan Garden.

While we travel the streets of Shanghai, I can’t help but notice how clean the streets are. There were trees and flower planters everywhere. The must interesting thing to me was how our driver flew through the narrow streets and beeped his horn at pedestrians so they move out of his way. Yes, in China pedestrians yield to the cars and mopeds, you must watch for vehicles or even bicycles or you are toast…we are close and we made it alive!

We have arrived to the garden, but we are dropped close by. Streets are to busy and narrow, so we must walk about a block to get to our destination. As I look around, I notice a prominent Western influence, from the buildings to clothing to buildings. The Yuyuan Market is the first thing we see. The shops are strategically located at the entrance and at the exit of the Garden. Thousands of people visit this place and the shops range from Chinese silk, to jewelry, my favorite dumplings, there is a Starbucks and McDonalds.  The Western influence is everywhere and I think the Chinese people embrace it. I am not sure if they are simply curious, especially the younger generation or it is the result of glocalization.

As we enter the garden there is a big rock with a dedication, a common theme in China. The curious thing is that this old classical Chinese garden still exists. It was built between 1559 and 1577. It is a maze of Ming Dynasty pavilions, elaborate rockeries, arched bridges and goldfish ponds (the biggest gold fish I have ever seen), all encircled by an undulating dragon wall. After walking through the garden, I found that everything has a meaning to Chinese people, I guess it comes from how deep rooted their traditions are and how important their heritage is to them.

Still in the middle, this garden stands, surrounded by concrete tall buildings, cars and mopeds to remind us that certain traditions withstand time and a small piece of the past is here to stay.

Fun fact:  Yuyuan Garden is about two blocks West of the Bund.  The Garden is a true example of Chinese culture, and although Chinese people embrace Western commodities, they will always accommodate the local needs of their people.

 

Beijing University and the interactions with a Student

     I met a a friend in China, who has made my experience great with just a few hours of conversations. His name was David. We all had went to this University in Beijing and sat through a 2 hour class, which was actually very informative. This class was a mix of us Rollins students and a few English major Chinese students whom later we were to interact with and have our own time to learn from one another. As time came closer to splitting up with our students we were touring this school and I wanted to see how the colleges here were different or similar to ours at home. The truth is it is actually fairly similar to ours, except at home access to these facilities like the gym, pool, library is all included in our tuition, where as there it student had to pay a few dollars to do them. But the cost of going to college in Beijing was nothing compared to how much we may for a year at home. It was like $1,200 for a semester. Then I decided to see how the dorms were at the school. When he showed the room, it was a small room with three bunk beds except there was no bottom bed, instead each bed had a desk underneath and literally that was it, you could barley see any room for anything else. Then I asked about the AC, and I found out that only international students had AC and if you were native to China then none for you, they felt that it was ok and that they should be used to it or if not then get used to it.  Either way it was tight squeeze for three people to share. I mean I guess it made sense since they only study day and night. The building were different for each group of people. The building were supported by the founding country. Apparently it is very hard to get into college in China but very easy to pass once you are in. I guess it was said because there is so much pressure on students if they were to do bad it would be like dishonoring their families. It was interesting, yet sad to see how the diversity of the school was so seprated. The chinese were with the chinese, the africans were with the Africans, the Arabic's, with the Arabic's and so on. At home we see small clicks of friends but overall we all interact together where as even the buildings and classes were separated. Me and David exchanged a lot of questions to one another and shared our personal thoughts and opinions about life in general and our home countries. David is in the process of completing his masters degree and wants to also get his PhD. He want to become an American politician. When he said that I was so shocked, but in a an awesome way. That was so cool how interested he was in the history and politics of the U.S. I really hope he does get his dream, he is an awesome guy. He is very smart and I just found out he had just learned how to swim, which was a question I asked about people swimming in china. We come from florida so pools and swimming is almost normal, but not in China. He watched the big bang theory and two broke girls, which is one of my favorite shows, but interestingly enough most chinese people did and this was there perception of Americans. It was funny because David was so convinced based off of the two broke girls show that dinners were big and that they take orders the way they do. I explained to him not so much. But It is amazing how even myself included in ways that people from other countries have this idea of how we are and we live based on what we see on TV. Overall we had an awesome time and still keep in touch and I hope I always do, I can't wait till he finishes and comes here so I can show him around our home like he did with his. The idea that people from China are mean is not true, at least the people in China were not at all. It probably was America that made them the way they are. They are all about staying stress free and trying to be happy and have balance in life and in nature. They are happy with food on the table and a simple life, unlike the greedy people we are as spoiled Americans. I actually enjoyed it so much I am still debating on studying abroad. I hope to meet my new friends again soon. There is so much more we can say as days go by.

The alley streets of Nanluoguxiang

    Located just a few blocks from our Beijing hotel was Nanluoguxiang, an alley that featured many shops and restaurants that catered to tourists from all over. It became a good place to hang out after our days out and about. You never knew what else you might discover next with the ever-changing street vendors that would come out at night. From adult costumes of Pikachu and Stitch, to iPhone style lighters to that awesome blue laser that I really wanted to buy but was not available the final 3 days I was there. You could always find something of interest. 

   Some of the food located on the street was more of the exotic kinds of things I had initially expected when first arriving in China. On one evening, I participated with Ivan (too big for China) in a Man vs Food challenge. I found most of the items edible except for the last (squid??) one. I also tried some of the tourist favorites such as the nutella crepes, coconut milk with tapioca(?) and their shakes and smoothies. As a smoothie expert, I have to say their strawberry banana was tasty, but their plain strawberry just did not pass the test. 

   One of things I found fascinating is the sudden transformation at night with the street vendors. You see all these cars driving through all these pedestrians. In America, that car would probably never get one block, but here in China, it is just an accepted fact that there are people and cars sharing the same road and they are able to navigate from one end to the other. But these cars are how many of the street vendors bring in their wares for sale. Some would park along the street and some would just drop off. This would happen from about 8-9:30pm. They would then spend the next few hours selling and then right at midnight they would break it all down and head out. By 12:30am it was like a ghost town. but there was one night at about 11:15 pm that it seemed like an evacuation and all the street vendors were in a panic and trying to pack and get out as fast as possible. They were just throwing everything into boxes and bags and almost running out of the area. It was a few minutes later that I saw like 10-15 police officers walking down the street. Could it be that these street vendors were breaking the law? Or maybe they did not want to be harassed?? If only I could have asked for the reason. Anyhow that made for an early evening and a failed attempt at locating an item of interest for me. 

   

Beijing air pollution

   So before my trip to China, I had read and heard about the air quality in Beijing. It was an area of concerned for me, I had seen pictures of people wearing masks and going about their business as normal. I was expecting to have difficulty in breathing since I would probably not be accustom to it.

   Once I arrived, I could see the pollution they were talking about, but it was much less than anticipated. It did not present me with any respiratory problems, although I can not say the same with other members of our class. I guess I was expecting something along the lines of a thick fog, like the ones that happen in Orlando from time to time. It was never that bad, more along the lines of a distant fog up high. I would estimate visibility at only a couple of miles at most. Still it was noticeable enough that on our third day in Beijing, when the sky was clear, we could actually see the sun and blue skies! It became an instant mood enhancer as we walked to our tour van. It remained clear for the rest of the day and made our trip to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City hotter than expected.

   According to the U.S. Embassy in China, since 2008 there have been a total of two days where the air quality levels did not move beyond "good" levels and over 1812 days where the air quality has reached at least unhealthy levels. With all of the factory, vehicle and construction contributing to the air pollution levels, China is in trouble. It is hopeful that they will be able to combat this problem and may one day see the sun more often then not.
 

The Pudong New District community center

   One of the places we visited while in Shanghai was the Pudong District Community Center. This was an impressive place that far surpassed anything I had seen in America. It also highlighted, to me at least, what some of the benefits of a Communist system can accomplish that is a benefit to its citizens.

   The building itself was extremely larger than any community center I had ever seen. As we were being led from one room to another, I was amazed at the number of different programs that were offered. We were taken from room to room. There appeared to be some kind of yoga, tai chi room that some of the females in our group joined in on. In another there, was the salsa being taught that a few other members of our group participated in. I enjoyed te ping pong room and was able to score at least once, although I am sure they were just being nice.

   One of the highlights of our tour was the Chinese Calligraphy class. Here we were taught how to make some basic words on large pieces of papers that we were able to keep and take home. In this room I saw smiles on all of our faces that showed how much we were enjoying ourselves. They were also doing art in this room and one of our members was gifted this amazing picture that was finished while we were there.

   In another room, they were doing these intricate Chinese "cutouts". I would later see these same cutouts for sale at some of the street vendors in the alley near our hotel in Beijing. We were fortunate enough to receive several of these items for free thanks to some of the participants there that were making them.

   We also got to witness a musical Opera performance. I feel that we may have upstaged the performers as it seemed that most of the audience started paying attention to our group of Americans (and one Mexican) tourists. It was interesting to hear them sing, it is not something that I would have normally paid to see, but am glad I got to hear it at least once.

   After our tour we were taken to a conference room where we were shown a film about the community enter and were given an opportunity to listen and discuss things with the Community Center leaders and volunteers. They were very gracious and even did something out of the ordinary for them and made our group coffee. They were very accommodating hosts. I found that a very reoccurring theme in China. I look forward to a return trip.

The Yonghe Tibetan Buddhist Monastery

The Yonghe Tibetan Buddhist Monastery

Palace of Peace and Harmony, also known as The Yonghe Lamasery” or popularly known as the “Lama Temple,” It is the monastery of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in the Dongcheng district of Beijing. The building and art works of the temple are a combination of Chinese and Tibetan styles.The building of the Monastery began in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty. 

 It originally served as the official residence to the court eunuchs. It was later converted into the court of Prince Yong (Yinzhen) son of the Kangxi Emperor and himself the future Yongzheng Emperor. After Yongzheng’s ascension to the throne in 1772, half to the building was converted into a lamasery, a monastery for Monks of Tibetan Buddhism. The other half remained an imperial palace.  After Yongzheng’s death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the Temple. The Qianlong Emperor, Yongzheng’s successor, gave the temple imperial status. The temple became the residence for the large number of Tibetan Buddhist Monks from Mongolia and Tibet, and so the Yonghe Lamasery became the national center of the Lama administration.

The temple is said to have survived the Cultural Revolution due to the intervention of Premier Zhou Enlai. It was re-opened to the public in 1981.

The monastery of the Lamas is the largest and best-known Lamasery in Beijing. The structure is compiled of three principal components:  Three archways and five major halls, which stand along a north-south central axis. The total area from the South memorial archway to the North most point is approximately 66,400 square meters. The main gate is at the South end of the axis. There are five main halls, along the axis, which are separated by courtyards: The Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tian Wang Dian or Devaraja Hall), The Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), The Hall of the Wheel of Law (Falundian), and the Pavilion of the Ten Thousand Happiness (Wanfuge). The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is located to the southernmost part of the main halls; it served as the original main entrance to the monastery. In the center stands a statue of the Maitreya Buddha and placed along the walls statutes of the four Heavenly Kings are arranged.

The Hall or Harmony and Peace is the main building of the temple. It houses three bronze statues of the Buddha’s of the Three Ages, the statute of the Gautama Buddha (Buddha of the Present) is in the center, it is flanked by the statue of Kasyapa Matanga (Buddha of the Past, right) and the Maitreya Buddha (Buddha of the Future, left). Along the sides of the hall, the statutes of the 18 Arhats are placed. A Mural in the hall shows the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara(according to Buddhist believe, a bodhisattva is the enlightened being. He reaches Nirvana, however, stays back to help other reach it).

The Hall of Everlasting Protection was Emperor Yongzheng’s living quarters as a prince and the place where his coffin was placed after his death. Today, a statue of the Bhaisajya-guru (healing Buddha) stands in his hall.

The Hall of the Wheel of the Law functions as a place for reading scriptures and conducting religious ceremonies. It contains a large statue of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Geluk School. The hall also contains the Five-Hundred-Arhat-Hill, a carving made of red sandalwood with statues of the arhats made from five different metals (gold, sliver, cooper, iron and tin).

The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happiness’s contains a 26 meters tall (18 meter above the ground and 8 meters underneath) statue of the Maitreya Buddha carved from a single piece of White Sandalwood. This particular statue is impressive!!

Yuyuan Garden

Yu Garden or Yuyuan Garden  (Garden of Happiness) is located in the City of God Temple in the northeast of the Old City of Shanghai, China. It abuts the Yuyuan Tourist Mart and is accessible from the Shanghai Metro’s Line.

A centerpiece is the Currow ancient stone, a porous 3.3-m, 5-ton boulder. Rumors about its origin include the story that it was meant for the imperial palace in Beijing, but was salvaged after the boat transporting the stone sank off Shanghai.

Pan Yunduan as a comfort first conceived Yu Garden in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty; for his father, the minister Pan En. Pan Yundan began the project after failing one of the imperial exams, but his appointment as governor of Sichuan postponed construction for nearly twenty years until 1577. The garden was the largest and most prestigious of its era in Shanghai, but eventually its expense-helped ruin the Pans. Rumors about the Yundan fortune, include stories about Pan Yundan’s reckless spending (I actually heard these rumors from reliable Chinese people).

The garden was inherited by Zhang Zhaolin, Pan Yunduan’s granddaughters’ husband, and then passed to different owners. A section was briefly organized by Zhang Shengqu as the “Academy of Purity and Harmony” and the Ling Yuang, today’s East Garden, which was purchased by a group of local leaders in 1709.

The garden suffered damage numerous times during the 19^th century. During the first opium war in 1842, the British army used the Huxinting Teahouse as a base of operations. During the Taiping Rebellion, the Small Swords Society ran its headquarters in the Dianchun Hall; by the time the Qing troops recovered the garden, the original structures had nearly all been destroyed. The Japanese, damaged them again in 1942, before being repaired by the Shanghai government from 1956 to 1961. The garden was opened to the public in 1961 and declared a national monument in 1982.

Forbidden City Calling

      When it comes to travel I come from a very experienced family. I myself have never ventured far from home so the idea of going to China is a little overwhelming. I've gotten many emails, phone calls, and books in the mail from family members excited for me to embark on this journey. Unanimously, everyone has amazing things to say about the Forbidden City so it was a main focus while preparing for this trip.

      The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty(1368-1644) to the end of the Qing dynasty(1644-1912). The third Ming Emperor, Yung-lo built one of the most dazzling architectural masterpieces in the world. It is located in the center of Beijing, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings that spread across 72 acres and required more than a million workers.

     The Forbidden City is now the largest comprehensive museum in China. The exhibition "Splendor of the White Eagle: Arts and Power at the Saxon-Polish Court" (1670-1763) is being displayed till August. It includes pieces that were used by the Saxon court in the 17th and 18th centuries. These pieces come from the German museum: Dresden and are on display in the hopes that it will spark an interest for many Chinese natives into European history and treasures.

    I personally am excited to take in the craftsmanship that went into the architecture from the front gate to the "masterpieces" (buildings) that hold the art.

                                                                                            -Taylor