Wudan Mountains
Saturday, July 26, 2008

I week from now I will be heading to the Shanghai airport for home. The month has gone by so fast. I con not believe the things I have learned and seen. So cool. We have seen more of China in our three weeks than most Chinese see in a lifetime. I am so appreciative of Dr. Kung, the Confucius Institute, and the Fulbright program for this experience. I could never replicate this traveling on my own.

Doors to a Daoist Shrine

This morning we woke up early checked out of our rooms (only for a couple of days, we are coming back Sunday night). We were leaving by train, soft seats, for the Wudan Mountains in the northern Hubei province. Minnie, one of the people in Wuhan who work for the university and assist us with everything we need, had already picked up the tickets.

The view from my bed/seat on the train to the Mountains

I love traveling by train so the prospect of a five hour train ride did nothing but thrill me. The trains were great. They had six bed/seats per open cabin that stacked three beds to a side. Our whole group had bottom berths. They were comfortable, so comfortable in fact that I slept a solid three hours of the trip. I alternated between reading, snacking, Ipod, and sleeping. So it was a Saturday not unlike most of my Saturdays.

When we arrived in the city of Wudan our coach bus met us and we took it up the mountain. Now when I mean up, I mean straight up. The road wound like a serpent up the mountain. The views were as breathtaking as some of the turns. It was much akin to a roller coaster.

Not a bad little walk

We had several stops up the mountain. The first was a beautiful path through woods and over mountain streams. There were flowers and animals of all varieties everywhere you looked. One of the things this area is famous for are the monkeys that are native to the mountain. Unfortunately the only monkeys we saw were domesticated. We even saw a short little show they put on, I saw a monkey catch and dunk a little basketball. I missed most of that show because I took a longer walk along the path. It was too nice to miss. The sky was blue and the air was clean, much appreciated by the group.

We walked over these falls

Here is a link to a great article in the LA Times about the Wudan Mountains

Flowers and a butterfly in the mountains

Once our poor guide was able to corral all us together, teachers are notoriously the worst listeners; we walked to another area to watch a martial arts performance. It was nothing compared to my performance of the other day but it would do for entertainment. It was actually very nice. The martial arts moves were almost a ballet. I sat next to a serene lake and watched the exhibition until I nodded off. The more I nap the more I want to sleep. I guess the walking in the woods and the cool mountains breezes made for a good restful atmosphere.

Incense burner at the Nanyan Temple in the Wudan Mountains

We loaded up the bus and went even further up the mountain to a Daoist shrine that is something like seven hundred years old. It is in the middle of restoration so there was a lot of work going on at it. In a way it seeing the older more worn areas of the temple gave it a more authentic feel.

The roofs are usually red, a like the green better.

We got back on the bus and still went higher. I am not kidding here folks the views were spectacular and we were really up high. We finally arrived at the top and took a path to this Daoist Temple called the Nanyan Temple that was built right into the side of this mountain. So we took this path that was as arduous as it was stunning. There seemed to be as many steps as there are people in China. But after every turn or landing of steps there was some dazzling view of the mountain or temple. We finally reached the main part of the temple and the trip was worth it. In the side of the cliff there were rooms and worship areas.

The sky was clear we were literally in the clouds

What you have to appreciate is the fact it took us nearly three hours, by bus, to get the top. Can you imagine when there was note mechanized modes of transport. Holy crap, what kind of journey was that like? People still use the temple to pray in. Every spring people head to the temple to light incense on this spot so precarious that only in country free from the litigious west would let people climb out to this dangerous perch without a waiver form.

Stuff like this is around every corner

Despite the fact the temple is still used there are people hawking every kind of food, drink, and craft ware under the sun. They even have groups of guys who will transport you in a gondola like contraption. After hounding one of group members halfway up the steps he relented and let them carry him. I am big guy and so is my colleague and they got him up and down with no problems. Capitalism is alive and thriving in China.

After the steps I purchased a, “hen pijo” or cold beer. So I sat on a bench overlooking these magnificent mountain views and enjoyed a cold beer. Life is tough folks. After a nice dinner I called it night. Early rise in the morning.

More photos of the day, click HERE

Tai Chi, were it was invented on the Wudan Mountains

Wuhan, China
Friday, July 25, 2008

Today we “completed” our training in the eight steps of Tai Chi. I am certain that none of us, besides me of course, is ready to go out and practice this Chinese art form but it was a lot of fun to learn. After our morning session we were taken on a tour of the gyms facilities. The place has bowling, a climbing wall, squash courts, a gymnastics room, an indoor track and a ping pong/table tennis hall.

Dr. Mei does a demonstration for the class

I felt the need to show off some of tumbling skills at the gymnastics hall. I did a few rolls and then closed the session of with an impromptu performance of rhythmic gymnastics. In the absence of a proper ribbon I used a towel. If the Olympics had a Clydesdale division I would certainly be a medal favorite. I channeled my inner Will Farrell. I am sure that the many witnesses of my performance feel I am completely demented and without reason.

Will Farrell could not handle my skills on the mat

After lunch I took a quick nap. I have foolishly started napping in the afternoon before the second class. Foolish, because I will not be able to do this once I return to work. Our afternoon session was on acupuncture and other Traditional Chinese Medicines. Our instructor gave a lecture and showed us a short film of the methods of TCM and specifically, acupuncture. It was awesome.

The model

He took us to the on campus clinic after the first part of the lecture to demonstrate acupuncture. You have to know already that I volunteered to get stuck. He worked on my right ankle which really has not been the same since by car wreck nearly eleven years ago, has it been that long? So he stuck me with three needles in different points and then left them in for about twenty minutes after occasionally twisting and/or pulling on them. It did not hurt at all. I can honestly say that my ankle has more flexibility than it did yesterday so no complaints here.

Two in, one to go

The ankle really feels better

I spent the bulk of the night catching up on lesson plans, cleaning up the room, and packing to take off to the Wudang Shan Mountains for the weekend. We leave Hubei U. at 7:30am to catch a five hour rain to the mountains. The mountains are famous for their scenery and the prevalence of the Daoist culture. I grabbed a nightcap at our “local” with some of the gang, it is Friday night. It is nice to be recognized at a spot.

I will be out of pocket from the old internet this weekend so I will check back in with you on Monday morning.

There are more photos of the acupunture here

Wuhan, China
Thursday, July 24, 2008

So far in classes we have exercised the brain with history, economics, and geography. We have challenged our philosophical side with the path Daoism and the sayings of Confucius so today we worked in another area of culture, the body. Today we learned the basics of Martial Arts. There is no video, thank God but there are pictures. Needless to say we and I provided some entertainment for hosts and ourselves.

We learned from the associate professor of martial arts instructor for the school, Mr. Mei Linqi. We learned four of the eight basic movements of Tai Chi. The stretching out in the beginning was a work out enough. I was glistening, like pig during the workout. We got to quick, hit the bags, and generally learn from him. The movements of Tai Chi take on a dance like quality. These basic moves form the basis of self defense techniques. It was a lot of fun and quite a workout.

Dr. Mei insrtucts trains Kung Fu Pete

The next US secret weapon

After a much needed shower and lunch we heard a lecture from Dr. Yang Ying, who I believe is head of the School of International Studies, who gave us a fascinating look at the Chinese educational system. I took photos of the power point which give the basics of the lecture. Dr. Yang was in the group of secondary school students who took the first national exam post cultural revolution. He had many fascinating stories to tell about the pressure of the test. Only @five percent of students who took the entrance exams for university were allowed to enter university. Talk about pressure. That makes the SAT/ACT something you do for fun on the weekends. He also discussed some of the differences between the US and Chinese educational systems from the Chinese standpoint. I learned a great deal from the lecture.

Dr. Kung and Dr. Yang during a break

After the lecture Paul and I were about to head to dinner on campus when Ashley and Alexis came by and twisted are arms into going to the Brussels Café across town in Hankou. We did not know exactly where the place was so we were able to combine the power of Google, and Wuhan expats web site, and my Lonely Planet “China” book into coming up for a rough guestimate of where the place was. Anyone who has traveled with me overseas knows how dangerous it is to give me a map.

I know its around here somewhere

We caught a cab over to the area and as we got close, I felt, being a resident of Wuhan all of two weeks, that we were going the wrong direction. Unfortunately the other four in the cab agreed with me so we had our cabbie drop us off. He did so gladly. We were able to read the signs of the streets in both Chinese and English and were able to find the place.

What a treat. I had some Belgian beer, a fruity one then split a small pitcher. We had some cheese as an appetizer and then I dove into a beef tenderloin that was smothered in a blue cheese cream sauce. Everyone’s meals were wonderful and the service was impeccable. We finished off the meal with some apple pie and deep fried bananas. I really felt guilty skipping our meal on campus but it was nice to get some western comfort food. Oh and by the way the whole meal, drinks, appetizer, main course, and dessert cost me less than thirty dollars. We spoiled ourselves. After an easy cab ride home I hit the sack for some much needed rest.

Good eats

The crew enjoying a frosty Belgian treat

Link to more photos of the day

Wuhan, China
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

I woke up this morning and felt awesome. I am not sure if it was the sleep or the pizza or maybe some combination of the two but I was raring to go. We had an awesome class today. It was every statistical geeks dream. Dr. Feng graced our group with a repeat performance. It was basically a two hour lecture/discussion of the Human Geography of China. Here goes my best middle school speech tactic. Webster’s Dictionary defines Human Geography as a branch of geography that focuses on the study of patterns and processes that shape human interaction with the environment, with particular reference to the causes and consequences of the spatial distribution of human activity on the Earth's surface.

I love charts!

Here was a small sampling of topics that we discussed population growth and relative density and reasons for pattern shifts over history, population growth policies, family planning policy, fertility rates, climate change as it relates to shifting patterns in population, the 4-2-1 problem, and the little emperor/empress phenomena as it relates to the one child policy. There were charts and graphs, patterns and statistical anomalies, and abstract and concrete numbers. And yes I realize that I am total stat geek.

Could these two twins be any more awesome!

The post lunch portion of the day was spent on a tour of some of Wuhan’s historical and cultural sites. We first went to the Yellow Crane Tower. The whole area was pretty much destroyed during the Opium war in the middle 19th century. It was painstakingly rebuilt and has a great folk tale that explains the reason for its original construction. Here is a link to the folk tale. The day way cool by Wuhan standards and the height of the tower plus the cool breeze of the day made for a pleasant visit.

Yellow Crane Tower

The hall of fame of communists

Notice the contrast of green and city

Yes, that a coal train heading past the pagoda

One thing that I have not really adjusted to is the staring that people do at us. It was not as common in Shanghai and Beijing due to the numerous western tourists in both areas but despite Wuhan’s size it does not have many westerners at all. I can count on one hand how many other westerners I have seen in my two weeks in Wuhan. An older lady just stared me up and down today fro about two minutes without even blinking or turning away. I do not find it rude but just interesting. There are a handful of us who really get the stares the big guys, the African-Americans, and the blondes. Not an annoyance, merely and observation.

Lost in translation (Please come again)

After the Yellow Crane Tower we visited the Guiyuan Buddhist Temple. This temple was more interesting than the other temple we saw in Xian due to a number of factors. One is that it is an active temple and it contains more monks and those studying to be monks. Also it has a collection of over 500 Buddhas to see. I would have more photos but you are understandably not allowed to photograph in the temple proper. It was a very neat place and reminds me of other monasteries from different denominations that I have visited.

Pete and some incense respect the temple

After the temple we all got dropped off at the night street market in a different section of Wuhan that we had not been to yet. The market was filled with people. We wandered the street for a while. Some of the others really got into the shopping. I walked so I could say I had been there and then hopped a cab with a few of the others back to campus so I could grab some shut eye. I felt much better but I didn’t want to press my luck from the other day.

Do you think the NBA's marketing is doing OK in China?

Link to more photos of the day

Wuhan, China
Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Today’s morning class was done by Dr. Feng Wei and the topic was Geographical features of China and the city of Wuhan in Hubei province. The initial lecture was on the physical features of the area. She spoke a great deal about the Three Gorges and some o the impacts of the Three Gorges Dam Project.

Dr. Feng also spoke at length about the cultural and physical tourist resources of the area. To be honest I had no idea of the vast amount of archaeological discoveries in China and this region. Some of the topics were the Daxi Culture, Wushan Man, and Changyang Man. There are several well respected opinions of the origin of not only the Chinese people but of humanity in general. It was a very thought provoking lecture and discussion.

After lunch I got hit with, let’s just call it a little bug and decided to call it for the day. I slept and slept hard for the next four hours. I only woke up only to inhale the Pizza Hut my roommate Paul brought for me. Which reminds me, I wanted mention is also blogging from China and takes much better photos. He recently went to the clinic for some sickness and the event was quite a story. I have a link to his blog on the right of my page, but you can also click here for the clinic story.

After I inhaled the pizza I napped for a bit then I began a book, Russia House by John Le Carre. I have really enjoyed it. Remind me when I get to the states to tell you a great story from the other day. Let’s just say I got some unwanted attention.

I went to sleep pretty early and slept pretty late. I must have really needed it. Sorry no pictures. I just pretty much slept.

Wuhan, China
Monday, July 21, 2008

It was great to wake up at old Hubei U. After a quick breakfast our morning class was an introduction to the Development of China’s Economy by Dr. Rong Qian. It was a great class that talked about the development of the Chinese economy in general. He then focused on the role of the city of Wuhan and the province of Hubei.

Dr. Rong and Bret further discuss Economics during a class break

The similarities of Memphis and the Mid South to Wuhan and Hubei are striking. There are both centrally located and both receive a great amount of national economic attention due to transportation hub status. Another unique similarity is that both cities have a number of universities therefore many young educated students. The problem they share is keeping those young educated students in the area and away from larger more metropolitan cities. (Mind you Wuhan has 8 million people but Shanghai and Beijing have more appeal to the young people).

After the lunch we worked on a different side of our brain, with calligraphy. The professor Dr. Zhou Houhong made each of us our own stamp with our Chinese name on it. I am telling you the people of China in general and Hubei University specifically have really rolled out the red carpet for us.

Dr. Zhou explains the brush holding and stroke technique

As many of you know my handwriting is well …, challenged so one cannot conceive of the artistic damage I did to Chinese calligraphy. Let’s just say I struggled. It was quite enjoyable and gave us another way to appreciate the beauty and art work of yet another part of Chinese culture.

Top picture, the professor. The bottom, Pete.

It is supposed the say, "Chinese and American Friendship"

In the evening we made a bus and short ferry trip across the Yangtze River to the Hankou section of Wuhan. It is the Manhattan of Wuhan. The views of the city from the river were awesome. We strolled along the Bund (river area) and even went to a western style restaurant for our meal. The name of the place was the Bordeaux Bar. It was pretty nice but a bit pricey by Chinese Standards, three bucks for a bottle of Heineken. However they had grilled cheese sandwiches with ham, tomatoes, and cucumbers for less than three dollars so who can complain. Afterwards, Sabrina, Bret, Celeste, and I cruised around the back alleys of the Hankou section of Wuhan. We had a beer outside a local shop and just basically chilled out.

Check out the "pea pod" right next to the big boats on the Yangtze River.

The crew on the ferry ride back to Wuchang section of Hubei.

It was good to get out and see a little more of the city. It was nice to get to get back to the Hubei University area though. A few of us rolled over to the “Quarter” for a nightcap at out local. We split some street potatoes, see earlier blog entries, and hung out for about a half an hour.

Bret enjoys a Coke at the local.

Another great day. If this makes any sense but it some ways it seems like we just got here and in other ways it seems like we have been here a long time. I mean this in good ways. This university, city, and country are teeming with life. It has and continues to be an awesome experience.

More photos of the day

Three Gorges Dam Project to Wuhan
Sunday, July 20, 2008

Lost in translation

Relatively calm day today because it involved travel by bus back to Wuhan and our “home” at Hubei University.

We left the boat early in the morning and took the 275 steps up to meet our original bus. We were taking off to see the massive Three Gorges Dam Project right up the road. This massive hydroelectric plant with its 32 generators can provide electricity for China in a one thousand kilometer radius around the area. Incidentally, the area covers most of the densest population areas of China.

A model of the three gorges dam project

The dam that is being built there for three main reasons;

1. Flood control, a major problem on the Yangtze River.
2. Increase the navigable areas of the Yangtze River.
3. Hydro-electric power.

Another dam model, okay I am immature.

The dam will eventually displace 1.13 million people. Those who are being displaced by the project will receive a monthly stipend for the next twenty years. The stipend is not much by US standards but more certainly adequate by Chinese standards. The children of the displaced families will also receive free education. Free education is only guaranteed until the equivalent of the ninth grade.

Today was quite overcast and foggy which greatly limited the visibility of the dam itself. Even though I could not see the whole thing one can not mistake the massive size and scale of the project. We saw the some of the dam from an observation point and later went to a museum which showed and interesting film strip about the construction of the dam.

A view from the observation deck.

The project is scheduled to be totally completed by 2009. Here is the amazing thing. The dam has cause significant portions of the Yangtze River to rise, specifically near the Wu, Qutang, and Xiling Gorges. Despite the rise of the river the views are still spectacular. I can not fathom how the views were when the gorges were a football field deeper.

After that we rode on back to Yichang City for lunch. We ate the Innca Hotel as guests of the President of Three Gorges University. The meal was buffet style and had many western “style” dishes. Our group kinda…, went nuts. I mean come on. We had access to French fries, ice cream, and really good coffee. I always say you covet what you can not have and well we “gorged” ourselves. Sorry bad pun but it was just sitting there to be used. The bathrooms were some of the nicest we had seen since being in China. Anyone who has traveled overseas for any length time understands that at the coming across of good clean bathroom facility is as much akin to the discovery of the Ark of Covenant as a traveler is going to get.

Our Fulbright group were then guests of the University for a Welcoming Ceremony with the usual power point and then a short tour of Three Gorges University (3GU). The campus is quite nice and then buildings were all very new. I think that when a university that specializes in engineering and hydroelectric energy has the world biggest Dam Project built down the road from it said university is going to benefit. Overall I was very impressed by Yichang City and Three Gorges University.

From there we stopped at a little on campus grocery to get provisions for the five hour bus ride back to Wuhan. To say that we were the center of attention at the store would a drastic understatement.

The ride back was pleasant enough. We discussed education and schools. It was great to have so many different backgrounds and situations sharing in a conversation about the field of education. My program mates are truly professionals and I feel honored to experience this program with them. I ended up napping the final two hours of the trip, thank you ipod.

When we finally saw the hotel/dorm at Hubei University we all truly felt we were “home”. Hit the bed and slept well.

Yangtze River
Saturday, July 19, 2008

Bret, enjoying the cruise on the Yangtze. BTW, his SPRINT phone works on the Yangtze River in the middle of nowhere!

The bell rang early on Saturday morning. And by bell I mean the young girl on the loudspeaker that was unable to be turned off by any legal means that was positioned right over the head of my bed on the boat. The first couple times it was fine but it began to take on a, quoting someone else here, “A Tokyo Rose” sort of quality meant to break our spirits. It actually was not all that bad but her both her voice and the timing of it took on a humorous quality as the cruise went on.

After the early rise and breakfast we transferred to another, smaller ferry boat for a cruise down a tributary of the Yangtze River called the Shennongxi Stream. You can tell the difference between the Yangtze River and the Shennongxi Stream by their color. The former is brown and the later is a much clearer green.

Notice the changing of the color of the water.

Shennogxi Stream

More Stream views.

Kind of awesome!

The views of the Shennongxi Stream were breath taking. The cruise was aided by the fact that the weather provided for one of the clearest days we have had in China yet. The water was so calm and beautiful you can see the reflections of the mountain vista in the pictures I took. That part of the cruise lasted about an hour. At that point we transferred to these small wooden boats, called “Pea Pods” that were powered by native trackers, who are part of the Tujia minority in this area. Up until 1991 these trackers did their job in their “birthday suits”. These guys and our guide took us up stream were it way too shallow for the ferry boats to go.

The water took on a beautiful light green jade like color. The water was freezing cold which cooled the entire journey. They even got to a few places where they had to pull the boat over shallow areas. These guys worked their tails off. Especially since they were pulling us chunky Americans, read me. Out boat tipped them graciously for their efforts. The views were beautiful and one of our guides and the captain of the trackers sang a Tujia folk song for us. It was beautiful.

Tujia boat men

Pulling the boat, they used to do this naked!

We then returned to the ferry boat for the cruise back down the Shennongxi Stream to rendezvous with our main boat on the Yangtze. The trip back downstream was just as breath taking. It was definitely one of those, “I can not believe I am getting to do this!” moments. We just cruised and stared up at the mountains and the terraced farming. It was a shame to think that Three Gorges Dam project will cause the water rise. The water has already risen the depth of a football field. These views were awesome to begin with. I can not fathom them three hundred feet higher.

Another view
Once we returned to our boat we grabbed a quick lunch and then began a serious of naps. It was oppressively hot on the observation deck of the main boat as it cruised down the Yangtze. “Tokyo Rose” woke us up whenever there was a main sight to see, about four times. The rest of the time we spent in napping as a matter of self-preservation. The rooms had AC but the little units were fighting a losing battle. I simply skipped dinner and kept napping till the sun and temperature went down enough not to fry on the deck. The Yangtze is absolutely massive. Using my keen academic vocabulary from years of teaching Geography called it, “A big honking river!” I felt the terminology appropriate for the situation. We even saw the scene that is on the back of the Chinese 10 Yuan Note. See in pictures.

Around seven in the evening we docked at an area, that took us to a bus, which took us to a path, took us to some steps, that that swallowed that fly…, I mean took us up to the White King Temple. The temple guards the entrance to the Qutang Gorge and was the home of the Ba kingdom. What was awesome was that I was traveling in the ancient lands of things that we studied in class and saw a movie about. I know I am being redundant here but it is very cool. The whole experience is out of scene from some Indiana Jones movie. The place was so beautiful that many poets of the Tang and Song Dynasties visited the place and were inspired to write poetry here. It was well worth the two hundred some steps to get there. We found a different more scenic path down, shocker I did not follow directions.

On the way back to the main boat we walked through a small section of the town. There were fireworks going off, the streets were teaming with people; there was music and chatter everywhere. It was awesome. We bought a couple of provisions for the boat and just mingle till the boats horn beckoned us aboard.

Pete, uses some skills to open a "Juice"

By the time the boat pulled away, night had fallen and the observation deck turned into out living room. The sky was so clear you could actually see stars and a nearly full moon. The scene was indescribable. We sipped our beers and hung out while we enjoyed the cool evening breeze along the Yangtze River. I have not felt so carefree in a long time. Hell, we were on a, “Slow boat IN China!” How could it get any better?

Great Wall.., Check. Yangtze River…, Check. I guess my life is not that bad at all. Thanks, Fulbright!

More photos and videos of the day