Chinese Adventure
by Bev Mortimer
New photos are added each day. (Click on the lower right of the photos in this article to go to the photo galleries.)
This once-in-a-lifetime adventure was made possible through my membership with the National Superintendents Roundtable. Twenty-five member superintendents, from around the United State, were selected to serve as delegates for the 2009 Chinese Bridge for American Schools program, from June 22 to June 30. The Chinese Bridge program is sponsored and supported by Hanban (the Chinese Language Council International), and the College Board. The entire delegation to China consisted of nearly 400 teachers and principals, as well as our small group of superintendents.
It is very difficult to write a "short" story that describes my experience, because the eight days were packed with school visits and cultural/historical site visits or activities. For this reason, I will start at the beginning with Day 1, and add to the story each day. I will also add new photos, which you can see by clicking on the icon in the lower right corner of the photo in this article.
DAY 1: The journey began on Monday, June 22 with all superintendent delegates meeting at the Newark, NJ, airport. For some delegates, including myself, this was the first time to meet the other participants. We boarded a Continental 777 jet for a thirteen hour flight to Beijing, China. Our group safely landed, late in the afternoon of June 23. Before we were allowed to move from our seats, Chinese health officials boarded the plane and took the temperature of every passenger. Fortunately, none of the passengers exhibited the signs of the feared H1N1 Swine Flu. After completing several other forms and declarations we claimed our luggage and met our Chinese hosts. As we were waiting on group members to complete the airport process we had our first chance to relax and look around. The first two vendors I saw in the Beijing airport were Starbucks and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Once the group was assembled and luggage accounted for we stepped outside, and began the real journey of learning about the people, culture education, and history of China. Our first destination was the Beijing Hotel, where many of the 2008 Olympic officials and families stayed. Since we had no formal activities during the first evening, several of us walked to Tiananmen Square. This was our first opportunity for interaction with the Chinese people, as it wasn't difficult to spot the tourists in the crowd. The people were curious and friendly, and took as many pictures of us as we did of them. Several college students were anxious to talk with us about anything and everything. They appreciated the opportunity to practice their English skills with real Americans. Although, they claimed to speak "Chinglish" (meaning not very good English), we were very impressed with their skills. It was also apparent that these young college students were quite proud of their culture and their history. We had the good fortune to be at Tiananmen Square at this time, as we got to watch the daily flag ceremony. Everyday a group of soldiers puts the flag up at sunrise, and takes it down at sunset. Many Chinese people gathered to watch this special ceremony.
Upon our return to the hotel we had our first experience with Chinese cuisine. All of us had prepared ourselves for a week of authentic Chinese food. Our first meal, as well as all meals eaten in the Beijing Hotel, was a buffet. Much of the food was Chinese, but some western foods were also included. We tasted many foods from the buffet that we could not identify, but overall it was very good. My first impression was that the Chinese people eat much healthier than most Americans. Many of the dishes contained vegetables with some meats, a variety of soups were available, and many side dishes were fruits and vegetables, and don't forget that rice was served at every meal. Rarely were we served any fried foods.
After a very long day of traveling and a feast of delicious foods, we were ready for a good night's sleep. Each delegate was afforded the luxury of a private room, and our luggage was delivered to the rooms. What could go wrong? As an American who doesn't travel abroad much, I had one more thing to learn before that good night's sleep. None of the light switches would work. Just as I was about ready to call the front desk, I discovered the solution. I had to insert my room key in a slot, by the door, to get electricity in my room. The "magic" slot then gave me air-conditioning, TV, and lights! After a spending a few minutes on the balcony looking across the city of Beijing with it's 17 million people, I fully understood that I wasn't in Kansas anymore.
DAY 2: This was a big day for sightseeing in Beijing. Our first stop was at Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is a large open area with buildings and monuments that lead to the Forbidden City. This site is historically known for political events and student protests. The Tiananmen Gate was first built in 1417, and the Square was originally built in 1651. It was enlarged to it's current size in 1958. Passing through the square we could see the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, and the entrance to the Forbidden City.
We spent the next several hours walking from one end of the Forbidden City to the other. The Forbidden City served as the home of the Chinese Emperor's for five centuries. Many special ceremonies and political activities took place inside the walls. Many Chinese citizens were also visiting this site, as under Emperor rule the common citizen was not allowed to enter the city. The city was built during the years of 1406 to 1420 and took more than a million workers to complete the construction. It covers 7,800,000 square feet and stretches more than 3,000 feet from north to south and 2,400 feet from east to west. It is surrounded by twenty-six foot walls. Today, more than 900 buildings still exist on the site, and restoration is in progress. We were able to see temples, palaces, ornate bridges and gates, and very unique architecture. From the largest buildings to the smallest pieces of trim and decoration, it was evident that every piece of work had a specific meaning and purpose. For example, yellow is the color of the Emperor, so most of the roofs in the Forbidden City are made with glazed yellow tiles. Also, the ridges of the roofs are decorated with a line of small statues. The number of statues represents the status of the building; a minor building might have 3, up to the Hall of Supreme Harmony which has 10. It was hard to believe that we were passing through the same gates and walking the same steps as of Chinese royalty from as far back as the Ming Dynasty. (The Last Emperor (1987) was the first film authorized by the government of the People's Republic of China to be filmed in the Forbidden City.)
Our third event of the day was a visit to Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters. We were greeted and welcomed by top officials from these organizations. The Chinese Bridge Delegation had the opportunity to visit a cultural museum, explore and examine educational materials, and learn about the Chinese language. Hanban's goal is to provide Chinese language and cultural teaching resources to the world. The organization intends to contribute to multiculturalism and the building of a harmonious world.
Given the fact that there are more than six million cars in Beijing, it was only a matter of time before we encountered the traffic. After several hours of creeping through a traffic jam we arrived at the destination of the grand finale event for day two; the official welcoming banquet at the Great Hall of the People. The Great Hall is a magnificent building that was built in 10 months by volunteers. It is used for legislative and ceremonial activities. Once again, there was an abundance of great food and entertainment. During the reception and dinner we were able to watch a variety of artists and musicians. Some of the performers were local students, and their talents were amazing. High ranking officials from the Ministry of Education, the College Board, Hanban, the US Embassy and the Chinese Government spoke, each expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to build bridges between the two countries.
DAY 3: American educators had the privilege of visiting Peking Normal University, one of the best in China. The University was established in 1898, and currently has more than 15,000 undergraduates and more than 15,000 graduate students. During our visit we had the opportunity to hear a lecture on Chinese Language and Culture. The fascinating lecture was presented by Professor Kristofer Schipper, of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science. This information inspired many of us to return home, with added curiosity to learn more about the Chinese culture.
Before leaving Beijing we attended a welcome ceremony hosted by the Hebei Provincial Education Department. We were warmly greeted by Ministry Education officials. And, as with each visit or ceremony, gifts were exchanged. The Hebei representative presented James Harvey, National Superintendents Roundtable Executive Director, a beautiful piece of hand-crafted artwork. (see photos)
We spent the next four hours traveling on a "Golden Dragon" charter bus, through the breathtaking countryside. This gave us the opportunity to network with each other about the experiences in China, as well as learn about the states and school districts that were represented by the Superintendents. We saw power plants, wind farms, mountains, vegetable farms, and got our first look at the Great Wall of China. I took special note of the farming process. I saw a lot of individuals working the farms by hand, using hand tools and some animals. I didn't see any large machinery; no tractors, swathers, balers, combines, planters, plows,etc. The farm plots were much smaller than we see everyday in Kansas, and were very well kept.
On arrival in Zhangjiakou City, we were again the recipients of a welcome ceremony, hosted by the Zhangjiakou Government. This meal was one of the most special meals of the entire trip. Each member of the delegation was served individually by a host of gracious servers. Beverages were served in, no less than four different glasses for each person. And, each time you took a drink, a server was there to refill the glass, immediately. Each member of the delegation was served 25 different foods, on small individual plates. The foods came in all combinations, warm and cold; fish, asparagus, conch, sea cucumber, spinach, chicken, mutton, prawns, mushrooms, sweet potato, spring peas, dumplings, maize, oat balls, fruits and various other items. However, the most unusual dish we were served was called, "Delicious Donkey." And, it was just that, delicious! (see photos).
DAY 4: Our school visits took place in the Chinese Province of Hebei, population of 69 million. There are 30,000 various schools in the province, including 6,400 kindergartens, 17,000 primary schools, 3,400 junior high schools, 760 general senior high schools, 134 special education schools, 780 secondary vocational schools, 88 universities and colleges and 59 vocational colleges. The Provincial Education Department is committed to developing cooperation with foreign education institutions to further develop education and social progress by means of international cooperation.
Our group was split into three subgroups, with each group visiting a different school. My group went to the award winning Xiadongying Primary School, while the others visited a College of Education, and Dongfeng Primary School. As we stepped off the bus the school walkway was lined with elementary students holding bouquets of flowers, and a delegation of schools officials warmly welcomed us. The elementary school was a multi-level building (no visible air-conditioning) and was home to more than 1,400 students in grades one through six. The students were in uniforms, and even the teachers were dressed in neat gray suits. The mission statement of the schools is "For the bright future and for the perfect character, we aim to develop in each student multiple talents and skills." I think that each American adult had a person escort and received plenty of attention as we hiked up and down stairs and in and out of classrooms, pausing a few moments to say hi or let the students practice their English with us. We saw English, dance, math, Young Pioneers Club (government club), PE, science, library, music, computer classes and language labs, and more. Three classes had special emphasis and we get demonstrations, even the chance to participate. The first was music and dance, the second was an English class and the third was ping pong. Ping pong class is held twice a week, and we were informed that some famous players have attended this elementary school. The students were respectful and didn't laugh at my ping pong skills, and even allowed me to score a point or two. We were informed that we were the first Americans to ever visit this school, and they treated us like royalty. The students were happy to see us and very respectful. Although we encountered a language barrier at times, it was very evident that the teachers we observed were very good. There are just some things that all good teachers do that are the same, and you can tell a lot just by the interaction and rapport with the kids. Several details that were a contrast to Concordia classrooms: 1) class size-Concordia about 20 students, Xiadongying 64 kids per class (yes, one teacher and 0 paras); 2) student dress-Concordia a wide variety, Xiadongying uniforms for all students; 3) science activities-Concordia safe and conservative hands-on activities, Xiadongying open-flame Bunsen burners with 60 kids in a class. We departed the school around noon, because the students go home for lunch. They have a longer lunch break, but also attend classes later in the day than typical American students. The school walls contained many award plaques and honors, and their system works very well for them. There would be many surprises and adjustments that would have to be made if an American teacher changed jobs with one of the Chinese teachers; both ways.
The scheduled afternoon event turned out to be one of the best "unexpected" moments of the trip. The schedule said we would board the bus and travel to the Zhongdu Grassland. Many American thought the same thing; and I was even asked, "hey Kansas why are you going, don't you see enough grass at home?" What the schedule didn't say was that we'd have small black cars escorting us into Inner Mongolia, where we would also get Mongolian horsemen to escort our bus into the Grasslands. During the ride to the Grasslands our guides told us about the various battles and invasions that took place with Genghis Khan on the land were passing. The area turned out to be a popular resort area due to the climate and environment. We were escorted into a tent by Mongolian men and women, who sang, played special instruments, served us local meat, vegetables, cookies and milk tea, and conducted several ceremonies with our participation. (This is the only place I can remember being served cheese; although I'm not sure what type of cheese.) Each American delegate received a white "hada;" a scarf offered in respect and friendship. After our tour of the Grasslands was cut short, (and the horse races cancelled due to the rain) we boarded the bus to return to the hotel. That experience was talked about for days after, no one could have imagined the Grasslands to be such a rich and exciting experience.
DAY 5: We began the day with visits to schools. Three subgroups visited a vocational/technical school, a senior high school, and a middle school. I visited No. 7 Middle School, and again was astounded at the size of the school, the number of students in the school, and the number of students in each class. Our visit began with a welcome speech given by the Headmaster of Chongwen Shangxing Mingde Zhishan Middle School. One powerful statement he made was, " Because of you, our children know the world." Another thing that impressed me was that even though we are in schools on opposite sides of the globe, we all read the same leadership materials. He quoted Friedmans book, The World is Flat, as well as quoting Abraham Lincoln and Bill Gates. Although his speech was in Chinese, it was very evident that he was a dynamic, well-educated, and energetic leader. This visit, like our other school visits lasted half a day, but time went so fast that it seemed like we were there for a very short time. All American educators agreed that we wanted to spend more time in the schools. Just as we did at the elementary school, we were given a tour of the school, visited several classrooms, and saw demonstrations of teaching and learning. We had special presentations from students, who did much more of the speaking (in English) to the group. A group of girls presented each of us with a blue "hada" (scarf) during a ceremony that was similar to the Mongolian Grassland ceremony. They also served us tea and snacks. One thing that was extra-special was the opportunity we had to talk directly with small groups of the students. I spent time with a group of middle school boys. We had the chance to speak in English, and ask each other questions. Just as American boys this age, they like sports and music. Kobe Bryant was their favorite basketball player and Brittany Spears was popular in the music category. The students were very respectful and excited to use their English skills with their first American friends. The boys asked if I had a Chinese name, and since I didn't they offered to give me one. They huddled together and talked about this for a few moments, then gave me the name Li Hong Hua. Li is the family name, and in China it is the most popular family name. (Chinese people use their family name first, since family is more important than the individual.) The given name Hong Hua means "red flower." Since my visit, I have received e-mails from two students who would like to continue to e-mail me, but would also like to e-mail students in Concordia schools. What a great opportunity this will be for the students to learn about each other!
Our afternoon was spent networking with principals and teachers from various schools in Zhangjiakou City. It was very interesting and enjoyable to have this free conversation. Several things were difficult for them to comprehend. One fact was that we only have 20 students in a classroom, when they have 50-64. I think they didn't understand why ours were so small, but you could see some sparkle in their eyes at the thought of smaller classes. But, if you think about their class sizes, they would have to build three times the number of schools as they have now, just to accommodate the smaller class sizes. Another issue that we spent considerable time discussing was professional development. It seems as though they have very little say is professional development, and attend what the Ministry provides. Again, it was difficult to explain that our teachers and administrators have a lot of flexibility in professional development and it is based more on individual/building needs, rather that what the state or federal government provides for us. We also discussed the differences in evaluation systems and pay scales. They are paid based on their level of performance. And, elementary teachers are paid less than middle and high school teachers. So, as you can predict our system of paying for number of years of teacher and amount of education was again somewhat difficult to understand.
DAY 6: One thing we discovered is that the parks are full of people in the evenings and early in the mornings. Families seemed to be in the park in the evenings, which made sense to me since their homes are typically apartments with about 1,000 square feet of living space. And, the apartment buildings were large enough for everybody in Concordia to live in; with room to spare. The mornings were most fascinating as it seemed that everybody was in the park to exercise. Small groups, large groups, individuals and people of all ages. We watched a wide variety of activities, from yoga to hackie-sack, to routines with swords, to ballroom dancing.
This day was spent traveling back to Beijing. We made two stops on the return trip. The first was to visit the historical site of Jimingyii, (Cockrow Postal Town). This site was a fort and a staging area for the Imperial mail that was established originally by Genghis Khan. It reminded me of our "Pony Express." The structures were likely more than 400 years old, many beginning to fall into disrepair. However, after the historic significance of the site was discovered, the Chinese government is beginning to preserve it. Although the village is small, it was quite interesting with homes, shops and exquisite temples. The village is still inhabited by about 500 people.
Our second stop was for lunch in Huailai, a community well-known for its vineyards. Again, a large buffet of a wide variety of foods was served, and the hospitality was second to none.
Arriving back in Beijing our bus took the "scenic route." We had the chance to see the Olympic venues, and then we had the opportunity for some free time. I went with several others to visit the "pearl market." The market consisted of one booth after another of pearl shops, all on the same floor. Moving to other floors you could find silk goods, electronics, bags, shores, clothing, etc. This was a very popular stop for all of the American visitors, and we had to be taught to barter. It is customary for the shopkeeper to ask a high price, with the expectation that the customer will negotiate. Many returned home with earrings, necklaces and bracelets of more colors and sizes of pearls than I knew existed.
Our group hosts decided that our trip wasn't complete unless we had the opportunity to eat Peking duck. So, they made arrangements and our group members had the option to go to a restaurant that specialized in duck. Some members decided to go to the "Outback Steakhouse," and I was tempted to go for the juicy beef steak. However, realizing that I might never have the opportunity again, I opted for the duck. It was a very enjoyable evening. We were served many duck dishes, on the lazy-susan-style table. The actual Peking duck was the last dish served, and it was very delicious.
DAY 7: The Great Wall was more impressive than expected. It must be on the "to-do" list for anybody traveling to China. It stretches across more than 5,000 miles, making it visible from many locations. It was built to protect the northern Chinese border. Our day at the Wall was hot and humid, but skies were clear so the view was spectacular. It was amazing to think about the construction of such a massive structure that took place between the 5th Century BC and the 16th Century; and to think about the millions of people that it took to construct the Wall.
Our second stop of the day included lunch, but happened to also be in a Cloisonne factory. We were given a quick tour of the process of making Cloisonne vases. They are made of copper with wire bent to form the design. Then, colored enamel filling is placed on the vase and then the piece is fired in a kiln. After polishing, the brightly-colored artwork it is ready for the showroom. Many other items were on display, such as teapots, Christmas ornaments, plates, etc.
Our third stop of the day was at one of the pearl and silk markets. Yet another unbelievable site. Entire floors of shopping booths stacked and covered with pearls and silk products. Many Americans brought these two items home for family and friends. The entire shopping experience was educational. In most instances you are expected to bargain and negotiate with the sales people. The shopkeepers knew just enough English to make a sale, and always had the calculator nearby to show you the "best price."
Day seven ended with a trip to see the Chinese acrobats. It was a wonderful show of artistry, pageantry, and athleticism.
DAY 8: We made one last cultural visit on our last day in China. We had the opportunity to visit The Confucian Temple in Beijing. After visiting the Temple and other sites, and quoting all of the "Confucius says," statements that we could remember, we headed back to the hotel for our departure.
Mid-afternoon was our departure from this intriguing and welcoming country. The thirteen hour flight home allowed us time for reflection about our once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Post Your Comments
| Date | Subject | Posted by: |
|---|---|---|
| 07/01/2009 | Bev, I was surfing the web and thought I'd check in on how things were going in your neck of the woods. To my surprise I see you're in China. Marilyn and I adopted a girl from China in 2004. She was 19 mos old at the time and she just turned 7 last week. We would like to return to China in the future to do mission work at an orphanage and give our daughter, Molly, the chance to see and experience her birth country. When we got Molly we spent two weeks in China working through the process of bringing her home. It was an awesome experience. Anyway, I'm glad to see you are having this experience and I'm thrilled that you are doing so well. Coach Ellis Miltonvale HS 1976-78 | Larry Ellis lellis@usd253.org Emporia, Ks. Middle School counselor |
