Well….? How did you enjoy seeing the photos you brought and talking with me face to face about China? Did I look or act different in person than you imagined?
It was totally awesome to see everyone. Matching names with faces and seeing the personalities from everyone, was really special to me. And the gift you guys gave me was really special: I mentioned in class that my friend Dia that I met while I was living in the mountain in Guangzhou was from Egypt, and him and I spent a lot of time together, even traveled to Hong Kong together. He game me a bookmark of the Egyptian hieroglyphic alphabet, and I was easily able to spell out my name. It was just really coincidental and it felt like fate that I was gifted an Egyptian hieroglyphic alphabet from one of the closest friends I made in China, only to them be given a name in Egyptian by those who I shared a connection with overseas. Thanks guys 🙂
Soon, I will be repaying the gift by giving each of you a Chinese name, which I hope to have done by the next time I see you all.
Most of the time we spent together was spent exactly as I had hoped: asking and answering questions from all of you! creating a dialogue and a social space in which everyone was involved was the best gift I could have received, and I am excited to have another “final celebration”.
I am glad I got to show you at least a few of the photos from Shanghai, and will hope for time enough next time to get to the rest of the photos.
what would you like to see or talk about for the next meeting?
Are you guys done with snow there yet? It’s done here, but it hasn’t melted and it’s still like 25-30 degrees every day! Maybe by the time I arrive to see all of you, it will be a little warmer? Maybe it’s too much to hope for.
Anyways this week, I wanted to talk a little about the history of a town in China called Nanjing. I was only there for about a week when I arrived, but I saw some things I will certainly never forget, and it has a lot of important history as well. Before reading on, try to guess: Why do you think Nanjing may have been an important place in the past? (Hint: bei-JING)
Nanjing at night
Here is our answer: Nanjing is interesting because it was the capital of China during many different dynasties. There is also a famous archeological discovery called Nanjing Man discovered in 1993 that is dated between 580,000-620,000 years old. It will be hard to find much information on it because the Chinese government is very secretive about discoveries of this type made in China, but I encourage you to look and se if you can find any information.
Actually before it was Nanjing, it was called Jianye when the state of Easter Wu founded and proclaimed it the state capital in 229 C.E. during the three kingdoms period, and became from that point on a major economic, cultural and political center of China. When China became separated into Northern and Sourhern dynasties in from 420-589, Nanjing became the capital of the Southern dynasties and the most visited international city in all of East Asia. After this, it was nearly destroyed during the takeover of the Sui dynasty, and only rebuilt and revitalized to former glory by the Southern Tang Dynasty (937-976), and renamed Jinling. As with most Chinese history, there have been many more conquering sand renamings of this city, such as Yingtian during the Ming Dynasties, which was probably the time when most of its major architectural designs were created.
The photos above are good examples of what you will see walking around Nanjing. I have always really loved dragons, especially because The detail and intricacy of Chinese art, especially with dragons, makes them incredibly beautiful to behold
However, there is also a very dark part of history in Nanjing which is important to mention, as it has something to do with the United States. In 1937, Japan invaded China and started the second Sino-Japanese war. I visited the museum that demonstrated what happened when Japan reached Nanjing, which was later known as the Nanjing Massacre.
WARNING: the second picture below has some very graphic images.
During this time, between 300,000 and 350,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed, but it is difficult to say for sure. I was startled at the photos and atrocities that were shown in the museum, however I won’t be discussing or showing much of them, as it is something I think you should research on your own if you’re curious.
These are weapons used by the Japanese.
Despite its rocky and sometimes violent history, Nanjing is very beautiful and very welcoming to foreigners. I may one of the closest friends I had made in China, and we had an amazing time.
Can you think of any cities in America that went through some of the same historical events? Of course China has a much longer history than the United States, and I don’t think the United States has been invaded, but what about the people in America? Can you think of any instances in American history where really bad things happened on American soil?
I know this isn’t a super fun topic, so if you don’t want to respond, that’s totally ok. I just think it’s important to know not just the good things about your countries history, but some of the harder things to understand, and some things that are not usually talked about. However I would challenge you to find something important in American history that you would like to know more about, even if it’s not something like the massacre at Nanjing or the ups and downs of takeovers in Nanjing.
Thanks everyone for your responses on the tea, and am excited to see you soon
This is Part one of the posts this week, I will be making another to follow this one. This is just to give you an idea of what kind of teas there are available in China. Actually I dont know much about teas myself, but I do understand some of the health benefits that go with the teas I bought. Actually some of the teas I bought in China were specifically because I didnt know what kind of tea they were, or what benefits they bring, and still dont know with some of them!
I’ll start with the most familiar ones and go to the ones I dont understand gradually.
I think quite a few of you are familiar with this kind, though you may have seen it in a different way. This is dried lemon tea! I started drinking this while I was staying in Guangzhou with the mountain eco-village group. One older guy there said that if you drink a few cups of hot lemon tea first thing in the morning, every morning before breakfast, you will never get sick. I have been drinking hot lemon tea in the morning for over six months and have yet to get sick! You can drink it to get over cold and better yet, avoid them altogether.I think this one is familiar to some of you too. This is mint tea, and I was told it is really good for nasal passages, and can help heal sinus infections. A strong mint tea can help you completely recover from colds, and I find that it is really good with lemon tea! It’s an excellent combination for staying healthy, especially during bad weatherThis is a dried purple flower used for tea, although i dont know its name. I do remember that my friend Zhou Lin told me that this kind of flower tea is good for your kidneys and liver, and can help repair them. This is really important for Chinese people as they take a great interest in maintaining healthy organs. I don’t know much about this kind of tea AT ALL guys. It really just looks like wood chips to me, and my friend and I haven’t found the exact reason people drink this, or the health benefits. I actually bought it (and most of these) because I didn’t know what the health benefits are, and would like to experiment and find out what the uses are as I grow older. Do you guys have any suggestions? The taste is almost non existent, except for the subtle, sweet aftertasteThis is probably my favorite tea that I found in China. Maybe some of you have heard of it: its called Mate. It’s actually from Argentina, and its very popular in that part of the world. It’s becoming more well known in other parts of the world, but this is the traditional Mate. Ill tell you more about it below, but the main benefits is the cleansing of the small and large intestine, but you can feel the immediate effects because it give you a lot of energy, way more than coffee!This is another one guys, but its a TOTAL MYSTERY. I have no idea what it tastes like, what health benefits it has, or even what it is made of. I haven’t tried it yet because I dont even know how to prepare it! The character on the front of each packet is 茶 which just means ‘tea’…. so I dont have many indications as to what this tea actually is or what it does for you body. Crazy, right? Edit
These last 5 photos are of the cup you must drink the Mate tea out of, the cup and the tea are both called ‘mate’. It’s popular in South America, but each country including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and more have their own way of processing and making Mate. All the countries use the same plant, but each type of Mate is different and gives you different internal benefits. Mate uses a very special cup that is actually fashioned from a gourd, and given a base and ornate carvings. This type of tea is excellent for cleansing all your internal organs, and always give me a ton of energy (maybe twice as much as coffee). The straw has holes in it so it acts as a filter, to keep the finely ground granulated that give you the benefits from the plant matter that doesnt taste that great.
Feel free to post with any questions guys! My internet has been really poor because of all the storms in Southern Oregon, but it seems to be getting better lately. Ill post another one soon, take care!
Thanks everyone for waiting over the holidays for me to do another post. I had to return to the U.S. suddenly because of a family emergency, and didnt have time to make another post. BUT now Im back and have time to makes a few more posts until we meet in person (SO STOKED TO SEE YOU GUYS!) The above two photos are of Hangzhou’s famous West LakeThese two photos are of a nearby Buddhist temple mountain which has gained a lot of reverence over its thousands of years of history
This week I wanted to post on HangZhou, a very popular tourist destination in China for both foreigners and Chinese. Hangzhou is only about 45 minutes away from Shanghai by high speed train, so its really convenient. Actually I ended up going to Hangzhou twice, once on a group trip with my study abroad group while i was studying in Shanghai, and again with a couple Chinese friends. It was really good to go again without the group, because as you all know by now, i like to do my traveling alone so i can experience the culture to a deeper level and go at my own pace.
I got to do some really cool stuff while on the group tour! One of the most popular tourist destinations is West Lake, and the program director in Shanghai rented out whole group bikes to use so we could ride around West Lake. It was really good weather, which was the first I had seen in a few months. The winter of 2016 was the coldest winter in Shanghai in 30 years, so it was AMAZING to feel the sun on me again and go for a bike ride (mine was pink).
The first settlement near Hangzhou (Yuyue) was established 7,000 years ago, and the first written record of a settlement within Hangzhou is dated at 5,000 years ago. It was at this time and place that the cultivation of rice was first practiced in Southern China. Eventually in 1132 it became the capital of the southern Song Dynasty. Many prominent poets, architects, businessman, and politicians from all over the world to live and retire, which has made this city famous worldwide for its beautiful environment. Islamic, Jewish, and Christian communities have all contributed to make Hangzhou architecture and environmental qualities what they are today.
Hangzhou is also an incredible tea culture, with cultivation practices perfected over thousands of years. I managed to break away from the group and get out into the deep parts of the tea fields.
This is kind of a weird question, but do any of you drink tea? If so, what is your favorite kind of tea? It’s a huge part of Chinese culture, so its important. If you dont drink tea, what drink you you like to have, and why? For example, why do you think so many American people drink coffee? Why do people in China prefer tea over other drinks? Comment with your ideas, and if you can discuss in class with your friends why you think there are different preferences for drinks in different parts of the world.
Sorry for being late in posts, finishing up finals here. Wanted to quickly post these videos of hot pot tho, and see what you guys think. Have you ever heard of Hot Pot?
Well, this is it… the 10th post of Reporting Live, which signifies the final post. It’s been an incredible journey, and I want to that you all for teaching me, and hope that I have been able to teach you something as well.
It’s been a really fascinating experience reporting for you all, and I really don’t want it to stop.
So… I’m not going to stop! 🙂
I still have a few more places I’d like to share with you, so stay tuned for a few more weeks while I finish my time in China!
This week, I interviewed a 12 year old boy and asked him some questions, so you can get to know what it’s like for someone around your age to grow up in China. I only asked a few questions, and if you have more that you’d like to ask, feel free to ask in the comments, and I’ll do my best to relay his answers to you!
Really liked this photo because t looks like a kung fu stance 🙂
Here are the questions I asked, and his answers. Sorry in advance if the sentences are kind of funny, as the translation can be a little tough:
1. What is your favorite subject in school?
A. I like mathematics the most.
2. What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
A. Legos are my favorite thing to do. (His dad has sent me videos of his Lego creations.. they are the real deal!)
3. What is your favorite day of the week?
A. Friday, as some of the parents will come to the class and share with them some knowlege, and no pressure on Friday.
4. Do you have any hobbies? If you do, what are they?
I usually just play with legos, do badminton, play tennis, and read book.
5. What kind of job do you want when you are an adult?
A. I know I can be a doctor, but I’d also like to be a lego designer in my spare time!
6. What do you think is the biggest difference between America and China?
A. Language, air, and people always have good manners. ( I totally agreed with him!)
7. What kind of music do you and your friends like to listen to?
A. We all have different music, but we all like rap.
8. Whats your favorite food?
A. Beer and steak
What did you all think of these responses? Did any of them surprise you?
My man is drinking coffee and playing tennis… AT THE SAME TIME!
I felt like by the time I was 12, I had some things in common with Tang Yu Qian, but there were many things that were different. For example, I stopped playing with legos before I was 12, I also liked playing tennis, but I definitely hadn’t tried beer, and it definitely wasn’t my favorite drink! What do you have in common with Tang Yu Qian? What do you think are some of the reasons why you and him are interested in different things?
I feel like I should explain the last answer a little more, so you can try to understand why beer is his favorite drink. It’s not because his parents are weird! Actually, I am friends with his dad, and he is very high up in a pharmaceutical company, and his done very well for himself and his family. He is my language partner, and a very good man. In China, there wasn’t even a legal drinking age until 10 years ago, and even today it isn’t very strictly enforced. It’s totally normal for families in China to share a little bit of beer with their children, almost like it’s any other drink. This is one of the cultural differences that makes Americans and Chinese a little different, as he was exposed so something at a young age that most American kids are not.
All for now! Let me know if you have questions for him, and I’ll ask! Feel free to comment and look forward to next week: The Forbidden City!
Well, this is the last of the three famous mountain in Sichuan Province. Like most of the places I have reported on, I visited in the summer, and in Sichuan it gets REALLY hot and humid. Emei Shan was a little different because it was humid and cold, but Leshan was just incredibly humid and hot. Leshan, as I mentioned in the first post, is home of the largest Buddha in the world.
Unlike Emeishan, You can go up and down Leshan in one day. But, there are still tons of stairs. (Horst… stairs again)
The mountain gate at the base of Leshan
The Tand Dynasty began its construction in 713, and took nearly 90 years to finish. The Buddha is 71 meters high, which for perspective, just one finger is 27 feet long. The reason the Buddha was built was because one of the monks, Hai Tong, decided that because the three rivers which the Buddha faced were tumultuous and often very dangerous for the villagers to fish, that a Buddha should be built to bring the water spirit under control. This dream was realized, some say because Buddha is overlooking the safety of the townspeople, others say it was due to the rocks from the construction being dumped in the river. Which do you think? Is it legend or truth that the Buddha prevents danger from abounding on the river? What do you think the locals might think of this?
The interestion of the three rivers the Big Buddha overlooks.
I decided to, like all the mountains I climbed in China, to walk from my hostel to the top of the mountain, and quickly found I would be sweating intensely before I get anywhere near the top. It was CRAZY hot! I took my time to get to the big Buddha and checking out the surrounding area. Just seeing it blew my mind, and learning about the history behind it was incredible. One of the most interesting stories was the monk who conceived the concept of building the Buddha: one day when local officials discovered that Haitong was raising money for the project and approached him in an attempt to force Haitong to bribe them. Haitong said he could give him his eye, but not the money for the Buddha. The local officials didn’t back down, and neither did Haitong: he dug out his own eye, and the officials ran away scared. Just thought that was an amazing story of dedication
Even more exciting was the areas around the Big Buddha, and the real beauty of the mountain. You can see how Haitong could be inspired to create such a beautiful madmade structure. Its an amazing reflection of the natural surroundings.
Because China has 1.4 billion people, its always really special and really exciting to find places in China with no people. The times I was alone was almost always because I went to the top or most remote area that took a lot of energy to get to. Leshan was one of these places, and it was very calming and nice to be in nature, and feel a piece of what the Buddhist monks felt when they meditate, even though I am not Chinese or Buddhist. Its one of the things that you can feel anywhere in the world, despite where you come from or what culture you were raised in. Thats why I felt Leshan was so special.
Seeing this white tiger, I felt very in tune with my kung fu spirit!
Standing meditation at a remote temple toward the top of Leshan mountain.
What do you think of the Big Buddha? What sort of things do you feel when you see it, and how might you have felt being a Buddhist monk and living at Leshan during and after the Buddha’s construction? What do you think are some of the differences between how people see the Big Buddha today and 500 or even 100 years ago? Hope to hear from you, and have an excellent week!
This past weekend I visited one of the most famous Daoist centers in China, and maybe even the world: Mount QingCheng. It was originally constructed in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), many wise Daoists have traveled and secluded themselves on this mountain to cultivate their innermost selves, and generate philosophical secrets which they could share with others.
Have you ever heard of Daoism? The ultimate goal of Daoism is to enter into wider understanding, and be in tune with the universe. Through an absence of deciding, the person follows the flow of the universe, and in this way enter into the Dao（道) which literally means road, way, principle, truth and morality. What do you think of this concept? Is it similar, in some ways, to other religions in the world, like Christianity?
A traditional prayer alter for a sage who once lived on QingCheng Shan
The environment is especially exotic, with different kinds of trees, jungle vines, and old-growth vegetation (plants that have gone undisturbed for many hundred of years), which gave me lots of clear, fresh air, and was a very nice escape from the daily air pollution of Chengdu and other major cities in China.
This mountain has very strong historical roots, and is known throughout China as a place for sages to gather and contemplate the universe, and their place in it. Like a few mountains in China with religious foundations, QingCheng was traditionally known to many, including the emperor and his court, as a place that due to their religion, did not recognize the authority of men over other man, and was often considered a peaceful yet rebellious toward Emperors and their self-proclaimed authority.
One of the coolest things (I think) about QingCheng mountain and its history is the martial arts developed there. Today, it is known for a style of martial arts called Taiji 太极穿, which you may have seen around Portland in the parks, usually practices by elderly people to keep them healthy, but also practiced by many ages, even kids. But in the ancient times, the Daoist monks practiced and mastered the sword. Through understanding how the sword became an extension of the martial artists body when used correctly and with pure intentions, the Daoist monks could understand that they too were like the sword, and the universe was simply part of them, that they were simply an extension of the universe.
My study abroad group and I and went to a place near Chengdu called Yellow Dragon River, and the town nearby. It was an incredible time, and saw the beautiful sun and clean air for the first time in what seems like a month!
How are all of you? Starting to get cold in Portland yet?
This post is actually one of my favorite places in China, and although it was disappointing in some ways, there were many positive aspects as well, and I ended up learning many things I didn’t expect to learn.
At the mountain gate (apparently with my eyes closed?)
Has anyone heard of Shaolin Kung Fu? It is probably the most popular style of Martial Arts in China, famous for is warrior Buddhist monks who have practiced and protected their sacred style of Kung Fu, while cultivating the Buddhist mind. If I haven’t mentioned it already, this is also the style I practice. One old master I know personally who is my 师太叔公 (shi tai shu gong), or great uncle in my Kung Fu family, said that Shaolin Kung Fu itself is more than 4,000 years old, and the Shaolin Temple is even older! It has a good reputation with the people of China, but the emperor and governemnt doesnt like the Shaolin temple a whole lot because historically, Shaolin a temple didnt always follow laws like giving feilty to the emperor (who they thought was corrupt), and were viewed as anarchists, despite their peaceful and humble nature.
The Kung Fu history starts with a man named DaMo, who was actually an Indian prince who forsook his title to study and teach Buddhism. He came to China on the request of the Emperor, but was later expelled from court. He then sought solace at Shaolin Temple, where he discovered the monks were astute and upright, but lacked the physical strength to meditate deeply. He then meditated ina cave for nine years, cultivating himself. He emerged with 2 books which were designed to strengthen the monks, which were then improved and adapted into the martial art I now study.
This was the cave DaMo stayed in for 9 years, so as a practitioner, I’m required to pay my respects.
I had been warned by my Sifu before coming to China that the Chinese martial art studied at Shaolin had changed due to the Destruction of the temple, and the burning of thousands of years of martial arts history and research, and many monks had fled China to protect the secrets of Shaolin Kung Fu or died trying, but I was determined to find out for myself. Today the monks are more for tourists and don’t practice Buddhism, and the temple was more about making money, so I didn’t stay at the Temple long. I was sad to see my Sifu was right, and that the Kung Fu was all for show, and was devoid of any self defense application, but that wasn’t going to stop me from having a great time!
It was crazy how similar it was to Oregon Summers:
I can begin to understand why the Shaolin monks became inspired to protect the mountain from bandits and would want to come here to practice Buddhism: there is so much beauty and the monks are so close to nature, it’s hard to not feel at peace.
Here are some photos of the pagoda forest:
This pagoda forest is famous throughout China, and commemorates the lives of abbots (leaders) of the Shaolin Temple. Monks who entered the Shaolin Temple were commonly orphans or young children who were given to the Temple by farmers or peasants who couldn’t afford to feed them, and were raised at the temple. Young girls lived in different Temples from boys, as female nuns lived separate from monks, but were treated and lived the same. Kids were often given menial tasks such as sweeping, helping prepare meals, and cleaning, in addition to studying Buddhism. These young kids were often the best for learning Kung Fu because they had peaceful hearts and open minds due to their lifestyles. Later in life, they are given different, more difficult tasks that suited their ability, and some were given the responsibility of learning and mastering Shaolin kung fu, and defending the Temple. Many Buddhist made pilgrimages to the temple, and gave gold, silver, and other precious things as offering. They became revered for having compassionate hearts as well as incredible martial prowess after years and decades of daily training the body, mind, and spirit. Historically, Shaolin and its warrior monks were called upon by villages, towns, provinces, and even the Emperor himself to defend the people, in which there is even a story of 300 monks defeating 10,000 warriors!
At the top of DaMo mountain
I spent, more time on the actual mountain than I did around the tourist areas, and it made me think about the beauty many of the tourists miss looking at the temple, and really gave me a perspective of my kung fu that I hadn’t had since I began training. It felt like a big piece of my heart was given back to me, and I didn’t even know it had been taken away.
Bridge near the summit. Can you guess what they used in the past to cross the ravine? Leave a comment!
The hike on the mountain to the summit was incredible, and I learned monks only had narrow plank walkways and natural rock formations to get from one outlying temple to another. This also became a means of training!
The summit Temple, where monks can begin hermitages far away from society
Question: would you ever want to be a warrior monk and why? Do you think the Shaolin Monks were good, even though they disobey the law and didnt always do what the emperor said?
P.s.
I. Am. So. Busy this term. I don’t think I have been this busy in my life. I realized today that my Photo of the Week, for some reason didn’t show up on the web page… should have checked up on that last week… Bad Fu. But, how about I make it up to you by posting a sweet, step-by-step video about Sichuan provinces famous Hot Pot? Here is a prequel photo of my Chengdu friend, my Texan friend, and I at hot pot in June. Can you guess what we are eating?
Reporting Live From Chengdu, China 
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