Day 16 - Fudan University and Other Lectures

Today was a whirlwind day of meetings and lectures. It began at Fudan University with a briefing by the Director of the Center for American Studies. He gave us an introduction to security issues in China. What I found most interesting was the conversation that ensued about the emergence of "Chinese-style" socialism and why for all intents and purposes, China is a socialist country, not a communist one.

From here we met with the Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs at Fudan and the Director for Student Exchange Programs. One of the goals of this trip is not only to help faculty think about China in ways that can expand their teaching and research, but also to cultivate relationships with institutions where we might be able to develop partner relationships for study abroad opportunities. Learning about these institutions has been fascinating, but few of them offer enough courses in English for them to be good destinations for our students. However, for those interested in language study, we have seen some programs that would make outstanding choices for them.

After lunch we met with faculty from Fudan in our respective disciplines. Since several of us had no peers to meet with, we took a quick walking tour of campus in the rain. When we returned, we had the opportunity to meet with undergraduate students for informal conversations. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Miriam and I spent close to an hour speaking with a group of young men who were not reluctant to share their views and ideas on a variety of subjects, including, but not limited to, the war in Iraq, the state of socialism/communism in China, personal freedoms, travel and more. I was very surprised by the extent of coverage the VA Tech tragedy had in China, and was shocked to realize that the students felt that America was not a safe place because of this.

After our day at Fudan we spent some time at the Institute for International Studies, where the Director shared with us his thoughts on the current state of US-China relations. After this we had time for a brief question and answer session.

Our evening ended with dinner at a fabulous restaurant on the Bund. Afterwards, we walked along the Bund and took in the sights. It was another great day.

Day 15 - Yunnan University and Travel to Shanghai

Our time in Kunming has been very short compared with other cities. The last part of our stay consisted of a morning at Kunming University where we had a brief presentation from Dr. Xiao Xian, a political scientist and the Vice President for International Exchange, followed by a lecture on ethnic minorities in China and Yunnan province by Dr. Shen Hai mei. The PRC officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, with Han Chinese making up nearly 92% of China’s total population. Yunnan province is a very diverse province in China, as it is about 70% Han Chinese and 30% ethnic minorities. The last of the 56 officially recognized groups was recognized in 1980. Even though there are still groups not recognized by the government (about 730,000 people), and others that are controversially classified, there has been no movement to increase this magic number of 56 ethnic groups.

After our lecture we took a quick tour of campus with a stop off at their Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology to examine more closely some of the ethnic minorities that populate the Yunnan province. The walk through campus was lovely. We happened to be at the “old” campus, which was established in 1923. The buildings were spectacular. The campus itself was quite and very peaceful, with lots of green space and areas for students to congregate and study.

Once we finished at Yunnan we headed to lunch then made our way to the airport for the flight to Shanghai. I can honestly say that I am really tired of flying at this point. To date I have taken 9 flights. I can look forward to one really L-O-N-G flight from Shanghai to Chicago, and then a short hop to Richmond. I am having a wonderful time, but I am now more than ready to get home.

We arrived in Shanghai around 7:30 pm. We were met at the airport by our guide, Lucy. She took us our for a fantastic dinner and then for a ride on the Huangpu River to see the city at night. Here are some of the sights from that quick cruise.

We've been spending a lot of time as tourists lately, so we need to put our thinking caps on for tomorrow, as we plan to spend our entire day visiting Universities and with academics. We still have lots to learn, so it should be a good day.

Day 14 - The Stone Forest

Even though we have been in mainland China for 10 days, it feels like we have seen very little outside of city life. Today we drove to the Stone Forest, an area in Yunnan province that is marked by karst topography. Karst topography is a landscape created by groundwater dissolving sedimentary rock such as limestone. This part of Yunnan province is covered with giant limestone rocks that were once covered by the sea. Over time they have been weathered and eroded in strange and unusual forms. Here are some examples.

Once we finished our exploration of the forest, we stopped into an art studio where a master was completing painting and works of calligraphy. He created a piece for each of use that represented the year of our birth according to the Chinese zodiac. I am a snake, so the artist wrote characters on my piece that read “The snake is the dragon of the earth.”

After lunch we spent some time walking through a minority village. It was our first real taste of the countryside.

Our first and only full day in Kunming was a good one. Tomorrow we spend the morning at Yunnan University before heading to our final destination, Shanghai.

Day 13 - Travel to Kunming

We said our goodbyes to Lhasa this morning and left for Kunming. The most exciting part of the morning was the bus ride from Lhasa to the airport. Normally a one-hour drive, we left at around 9 am for an 11:25 flight. However, a simple one-hour drive was not in the cards for us.

First, I should tell you that the road to the airport is a two-lane road. As in most of Lhasa, the rule of size applies to all traffic situations. There were very few lights in Lhasa, so at crowded intersections, the biggest vehicles, like trucks and buses bus, simply barreled through while drivers incessantly honked their horns. We never saw any accidents, but many close calls. So, these were the conditions our driver was operating under when he turned onto the road for the airport and found he was behind an enormous convoy of slow moving army vehicles. Being the brave soul that he was, he spent the next 45 minutes passing trucks in the convoy while vehicles came speeding at us in the approaching lane. Tractors, motorcycles and small cars were all warned and slowed by the horn. Large approaching vehicles, however, meant that the bus needed to not only pass trucks in the convoy, but frequently slid between them at inopportune moments. When we finally passed the lead truck in the convoy, the entire bus broke out clapping and cheering for the driver.

We finally arrived at the airport around 10:30 and were checked in as a group. We quickly made it through security and tried mightily to find our gate (there were only 4 and one wasn’t in use), but at this late time it was still unassigned. Around 11 am we learned the flight would be briefly delayed, but we did finally take off before noon. One thing I have noticed on these group bookings is that all the men get aisle or window seats, while all the women get stuck in middle seats. It’s been really uncomfortable, and today was no exception. I was stuck between a man who had not showered in a very long time, and another who kept spitting into tissues and then stuffing them into the seat pocket in front of him. I know, I should look on the bright side. This is China and spitting is something that people do everywhere, so he could have just as easily spit on the floor. In any case, the view leaving Lhasa was spectacular.

We briefly touched down in Shangri La to let some passengers disembark and to take on new ones. The stop was quick and we were soon in the air again. Here are a few pictures of Shangri La from the air.

We finally landed in Kunming around 3pm. After a bus ride to the hotel, we dumped our bags in our rooms and headed out for a meeting at Kunming Normal University, where we sat in on student presentations. After this we ate another terrific meal with a few students and the Director of the SIT program. We finally arriveed at our hotel a bit road weary. Tomorrow is a tourist day, so we're all looking forward to some new sights.

Day 12 - More of Lhasa

We spent our morning today touring the Jokhang Temple. This is the holiest temple in Tibet, and we were fortunate enough to be in Lhasa during the holiest month of the year, so we saw many pilgrims to this holy place. The Jokhang Temple sits in the heart of the Barkhor, the bustling marketplace in Lhasa. The square outside of the Jokhang is marked by two large poles laden with prayer flags, and a large incense burner that constantly spews the scent of juniper bushes.

Pilgrims to the Jokhang make their way in a clockwise pattern around it, with many fully prostrating themselves along the way. The temple itself was magnificent, but so crowded with tourists and pilgrims that it was a bit uncomfortable. The view from the roof was absolutely stunning. Here are some pictures.

After our tour of the Jokhang we spent the remainder of the morning shopping. Here are a few images of the Barkhor.

After lunch we headed to Tibet University for a lecture on Tibetan culture. We learned about the rituals related to birth and funerals, as well as Tibetan Buddhism. When we had time for a question and answer period, we asked a bit about how deep the understanding of Buddhism was by the pilgrims who visit. We learned that while most practice the rituals associated with religion, since approximately 60-70% of Tibetans are illiterate, their understanding of the philosophy of their religion does not compare to the monks, since they do not read the texts.

The evening was ours, so after a group dinner we wandered around the market before heading back to the hotel in a pedicab. Our last day in Lhasa was a memorable one, and one in which we all left with bags heavier than when we came, due to our successful outing in the Barkhor. We are all becoming pretty good at bargaining, and can't wait to try our skills in the next cities. I think we'll all be a bit sad to leave Lhasa behind, but we're ready for the next stop on our trip.

Finally Back Home

Dear Friends,

I returned home shortly after midnight last night. Unfortunately, since my post on Day 11, I have been unable to access my blog. All our connections went through Google China, and apparently, I included something in my posts that caused the site to be blocked. I could not access my Google account at all for the remainder of my trip in China. I did, however, continue to write every day, so I will go back and post entries and pictures should you care to read them. Thanks to all of you for following me on this incredible journey. Stay tuned for the remaining posts and pictures.
Best,
Tricia

P.S. - Let me offer a special thanks to Elaine at Wild Rose Reader for posting a short note about this problem.

Day 11 - There Are No Words

Today we drove 3 hours southwest of Lhasa, into the mountains to picnic at Yamdrok Lake, one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet. On the way there we stopped in the mountains and ascended a small peak to reach a height of 5000 m, or 16,400 feet. This is the equivalent altitude of Everest Base Camp. The drive was perilous, the view spectacular, the climb easy on the legs but hard on the lungs, and the lunch by the lake refreshing. Words simply do no justice to the day I've had. Take a look.

I will sleep well tonight. You do the same.

Day 10 - Capital of the Roof of the World

Lhasa has been Tibet's Capital since the 7th century. Today we visited some of its oldest and most splendid sites. Our first hour this morning was spent visiting with the Director of a Tibetan hospital, who gave us an introduction to Tibetan medicine. I will post a separate entry on this later. From here we spent the rest of the morning at the Potala Palace, the empty seat of the Dalai Lama that sits atop the highest hill in Lhasa. It is thirteen stories high and has over 1000 rooms. We climbed the many, many stairs to the top, very, very slowly. I cannot even begin to explain how incredibly beautiful the inside of the Palace is. Pictures were not allowed, so I can only tell you that the visit was quite moving, though unnerving to see so many Chinese soldiers posted throughout. Here are some pictures of the trip up and then back down.

Here's a picture of our group, minus one, in the plaza across from the Palace.

After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon at Sera Monastery. Founded in 1419, it still trains about 900 monks today. Every day between 3 and 5 pm the monks gather in the courtyard for debate. They clap their hands, gesture wildly and argue. They appeared to be having a great deal of fun debating the meanings of the scriptures. They were quite animated and fascinating to watch.

That's all for now. We had a fantastic day and saw some amazing sites. Tomorrow we drive three hours southwest, in the direction of Everest, to visit a holy lake. It is located in the mountains at an elevation just over 16,000 feet. It should be beautiful. See you tomorrow.

Day 9 - Flag Raising in Tian'an Men and Travel to Lhasa

Our day yesterday largely consisted of domestic travel, but it began very early (4:15 am!) with a cab ride to Tian'an Men Square where four of us went to watch the flag raising ceremony. We had been told that the evening flag lowering ceremony was very crowded, so we imagined that we would have a much better view in the morning. Boy, were we wrong. First, I should tell you that we were the ONLY non-Chinese people in the Square. We estimated that there were between one- and two-thousand people there for the ceremony. It lasted only a few minutes once the soldiers marched out of the gate of the Forbidden City. The national anthem was blared through a loudspeaker while the flag went up. Once the ceremony was over, we walked back to the hotel. We arrived at 5:30 am, with plenty of time to pack and prepare for a 7 am departure.

We were booked on a domestic flight to Lhasa that first stopped in Chengdu. I'll readily admit that I am not the world's best flier. I have been sandwiched in the middle four in the back of the plane for just about every flight we have been on. What was unnerving about these flights was that the television screens flipped down to show actual video footage of takeoff and landing. Since I was feeling all the turbulence and bumps along the way, I really didn't want to see what was happening. Here are the views from our plane as it left Chengdu for Lhasa. Since I was stuck in the middle, one of my colleagues seated next to a window took them for me. Thanks, Nezih!

We have all been very nervous about this portion of our trip. We have been overwhelmed with information and horror stories about high altitude sickness. Nearly everyone began taking Diamox or some generic form of this diuretic a few days before we left. This was really problematic in Beijing. Our first day on the drug was the day we went to the Great Wall. We were becoming dehydrated and required to drink lots of water, yet bathrooms were few and far between. Remember how bad I told you Beijing traffic was? The trip back from the Wall took 2 hours longer that we anticipated, so most of us were not having a lot of fun by the time we arrived. However, we decided to suffer through these bouts if it meant the symptoms of high altitude sickness would be lessened.

Since no one in the group has ever been this high, we had no idea when the symptoms might kick in. Would it be the minute we walked out of the airport? An hour later? The next day? No one knew. Our guide told us it would take 3 or 4 hours and that we should just spend the afternoon resting before our welcome dinner.

We arrived at the airport at 3:30 pm after approximately 6 hours of travel. One very strange thing about China is that even though it covers latitudes that include several time zones in other countries, China occupies only one time zone. This means that morning in Beijing is the same time as morning in Lhasa, even though the sun may not have come up yet in Lhasa.

Once we collected our luggage, we stepped out into Tibet and saw the first truly blue sky. Here is the view from the airport.

The trip from the airport to Lhasa took approximately one hour. Along the way our guide gave us a bit of history and talked to us about our itinerary. Here is what the view from the bus looked like. We were simply amazed at how dry and rocky this place is. We crossed the Lhasa river several times, only to find that in most places there was very little water. During the rainy season in July and August the river will fill its banks again and in some places, may flood.

We arrived at the hotel just before 5 pm and were greeted by a lovely group of young people.

After this we checked in and all went up for short naps before dinner. We were all very tired and feeling a bit loopy. Dinner was amazing, and like all our meals here, there was way too much food. What we did get here that we haven't had so far was mutton and lots of yak.

We all went to bed early in order to prepare for a long day of sightseeing. One member of our group was feeling really lousy, but the rest of us seemed to be surviving with only minor headaches and some light-headedness. We'll be taking it slowly in the next few days and see how we do.

P.S. - A Note for Grace
Grace,
Thanks so much for visiting and following my trip. I am blogging because I was inspired by your writing about your trip to Hong Kong. Please know that you and Robert are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope all is going well with the trial.
Best,
Tricia

Day 8 continued - Summer Palace

Once again I missed an evening of blogging. We were all feeling a bit giddy last night and needed some rest to adjust to the altitude. First, let me start by describing our last full day in Beijing.

I realize that I began my last entry talking about the activities in the park around the Temple of Heaven, but never really talked about the complex itself. The Emperor would spend one month hear to pray for a good harvest and abundant rains. We only visited a small portion, including the area around the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Here is a picture of it.

Our afternoon was spent at the Summer Palace, the imperial retreat from the heat of the Forbidden City. It was nearly 86 degrees in Beijing, but walking through the grounds, we found it quite comfortable with many shaded areas a breeze coming from the lake. Here are two pictures I first want to share. The first shows the Palace Temple as it actually appeared through the camera and with the naked eye. The second photo was enhanced.

This is just one way to show you how bad the pollution is in Beijing. Here are a few more pictures of the Summer Palace complex.

Finally, on our last drive back to the hotel, we passed the Olympic complex. Here is a picture of the famous "Bird's Nest" stadium under construction.

My entry ends here as it is Saturday morning and I must prepare to head out. Obviously, we did arrive safely in Lhasa. We are currently at 3,650 m, or just above 12,000 feet. I promise to write this evening about our trip in and the day today.