Dear friends of the Term in Asia,
Hello from China! Since we’ve last written, our time in Shanghai at East China Normal University has come to a close. We certainly enjoyed unpacking for a little while at ECNU, where we spent about two and a half weeks studying Chinese environmental history and ethics. The class itself was very timely and interesting, but the real adventures happened once we ventured onto crowded metros and buses (that would make even sardines uncomfortable) to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Nanjing Road, the Hongqiao Pearl Market, Shanghai Zoo, and French Concession, just to name a few places. Many great meals were had just beyond the back gate of the university, which opens to a street that was always buzzing with restaurant choices and many street vendors, only a few minutes’ walk from our dorm.
We departed Shanghai toward the end of September and found ourselves warmly welcomed in the small town of Taizhou (population 5 million) as the “first inbound American delegation” to visit there through the local tourism bureau. We were treated as honored guests during our two days in Taizhou, which is the hometown of China’s current head of state, Chairman Hu Jintao.
Chairman Hu was actually in Washington D.C. at the time, visiting with President Obama, but he returned quickly to Beijing for the National Holiday during the first week of October. We also kicked off the National Holiday in Beijing, where security was at its tightest around the city to prepare for the festivities surrounding the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The parade on the morning of October 1st was spectacular, if sobering, especially because we could see many of the heavily-armed military vehicles drive by from our hotel. Watching the fireworks, singing, and dancing both on television and from our hotel room windows provided a much more lighthearted end to the day. Visits to The Forbidden City, The 2008 Olympic Green, and, of course, The Great Wall were other amazing highlights of our time in Beijing.
All in all, our journey through China has been incredible. We’ve spent our final week in the countryside exploring a China much different than the one we encountered in Beijing and Shanghai. The clear, blue skies, pristine rivers and lakes, and expansive croplands have been a complete change of scenery from our time in the big metropolises. Our travels since have taken us up more than two miles of stairs to the top of Mt. Tai and down to Tiger-Leaping Rock at the bottom of one of the world’s deepest gorges. Regardless of elevation, our spirits are high as we prepare for our departure for Thailand in a few days. By the time you read this, we’re likely to be on the ground in Chiang Mai, where the current high temperatures are in the 90’s.
Warm wishes (especially to those reading in Minnesnowta),
Term in Asia 2009-10
a.k.a. The Delegeishas
Hello from China! Since we’ve last written, our time in Shanghai at East China Normal University has come to a close. We certainly enjoyed unpacking for a little while at ECNU, where we spent about two and a half weeks studying Chinese environmental history and ethics. The class itself was very timely and interesting, but the real adventures happened once we ventured onto crowded metros and buses (that would make even sardines uncomfortable) to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Nanjing Road, the Hongqiao Pearl Market, Shanghai Zoo, and French Concession, just to name a few places. Many great meals were had just beyond the back gate of the university, which opens to a street that was always buzzing with restaurant choices and many street vendors, only a few minutes’ walk from our dorm.
We departed Shanghai toward the end of September and found ourselves warmly welcomed in the small town of Taizhou (population 5 million) as the “first inbound American delegation” to visit there through the local tourism bureau. We were treated as honored guests during our two days in Taizhou, which is the hometown of China’s current head of state, Chairman Hu Jintao.
Chairman Hu was actually in Washington D.C. at the time, visiting with President Obama, but he returned quickly to Beijing for the National Holiday during the first week of October. We also kicked off the National Holiday in Beijing, where security was at its tightest around the city to prepare for the festivities surrounding the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The parade on the morning of October 1st was spectacular, if sobering, especially because we could see many of the heavily-armed military vehicles drive by from our hotel. Watching the fireworks, singing, and dancing both on television and from our hotel room windows provided a much more lighthearted end to the day. Visits to The Forbidden City, The 2008 Olympic Green, and, of course, The Great Wall were other amazing highlights of our time in Beijing.
All in all, our journey through China has been incredible. We’ve spent our final week in the countryside exploring a China much different than the one we encountered in Beijing and Shanghai. The clear, blue skies, pristine rivers and lakes, and expansive croplands have been a complete change of scenery from our time in the big metropolises. Our travels since have taken us up more than two miles of stairs to the top of Mt. Tai and down to Tiger-Leaping Rock at the bottom of one of the world’s deepest gorges. Regardless of elevation, our spirits are high as we prepare for our departure for Thailand in a few days. By the time you read this, we’re likely to be on the ground in Chiang Mai, where the current high temperatures are in the 90’s.
Warm wishes (especially to those reading in Minnesnowta),
Term in Asia 2009-10
a.k.a. The Delegeishas