April 11, 2011

Back to Beijing!!!

It is sad to leave the fair city of Xi'an and to say farewell to Richard Wang, but we look forward to the adventures and treasures awaiting us in Beijing!

After arriving at the Beijing airport the Pennsylvania group was separated from the rest of the CEI delegation who will not be going to the Hebei Province for their school visits as we are. We were greeted by our new tour guide and host, Mike, a representative of the Hebei Provincial Education Department.  Mike escorted us to the regal Wang Fujing Grand Hotel where we will stay through Wednesday afternoon. After checking in we dined with our Pennsylvania friends at the Wahaha Hotel and ended our day with a walk in downtown Beijing, where we were enchanted by the sights, sounds and smells of the city!!

Scroll down to see pictures of some of the snacks featured at the food bazar!

April 10, 2011

Although several activities were planned for today, including shopping at the jade market and a tour of a beautiful mosque, none can compare to the morning we spent visiting the Pangliu Village and school. The time spent here was both humbling and inspiring. I doubt that I can adequately describe this visit. Pangliu, is a poor rural village with a population of 2500 people and is home to about 630 families.  It is the birthplace and home village of our tour guide, Richard Wang. He brings tourists to the area so they understand what life is like outside the modern cities of China and to honor and support his former school and community. As we entered the village, we were greeted proudly by the Pangliu School band. This group of elementary school students came to school on this Sunday morning to welcome the American friends of Richard. Richard is in many ways the hero of this town and now of this delegation.   In his early sixties, Richard’s mission is to ensure the future success of Panglui students. Through his generosity the village has a brand new medical clinic and the school a beautiful library. We were fortunate to hear and record Richard’s heartwarming story.

Our village visit included a visit to the brick factory, a privately owned company employing many of the Panglui residents. We especially enjoyed spending time in the school, where we received a warm welcome from the principal and spent precious time with the students. One boy stood proudly to entertain us with his version of BINGO!  We responded by singing our best rendition of Old MacDonald had a Farm. At noon we split into three groups and were treated to lunch in various village homes. We agreed that this, by far, was the best meal in Xi'an! All in all, this was an amazing afternoon. We will not forget the wonderful spirit and joy of Panglui!

Here are some pictures of the students at Panglui school.

Panguli school band

Panguli school classroom

Panguli school library

Panguli school principal

Panguli school student

April 9, 2011 – Evening

What an awesome day! It began with a visit to the Banpo Village. This 6000 year old village was unearthed in 1953. The settlement consists of a residential area, a pottery making zone, and a burial-tomb plot.  Artifacts include pottery and early fishing and farming utensils.

Prior to our long awaited trip to the terra cotta warrior excavation site, we visited the Terra Cotta Pottery Factory. Here we watched local artisans create model terra cotta army figures and had the opportunity to purchase miniature warriors as keepsakes.

Our highlight of the day, and most likely of this past week, was seeing the terra cotta army! Ordered to be built by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, the tomb is known as the eighth wonder of the world.  Construction began when the Emperor was only 13 years old and continued for 37 years until he died at the age of 50. It is estimated that   700,000 laborers worked to construct the tomb. Over 500 pits were discovered, with three currently excavated. It is believed that 8000 life size warriors, horses, and chariots are buried there!

Terra-Cotta warriors

Taking a break!

Banpo Village

Banpo Billage craftswoman

Banpo Village

April 9, 2011

Last evening we enjoyed a wonderful dumpling banquet and a music and dance performance at the Tang Dynasty Theater. We were treated to over twenty different dumplings which were baked, steamed, boiled, and deep fried. The steamed ones were formed into the shape of the dumpling filling.  For example, the pork dumplings looked like a pig, and the cabbage dumpling was shaped like a cabbage. The duck and tomato dumplings were among my favorites. The music and dance show was truly breathtaking! I hope you have an opportunity to view the pictures and videos.

Next stop-The Terra Cotta Warriors!

                                     

4/8/11 Xi'an

It's spring in Xi'an! The sun is shining and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom - quite a change from the windy and rainy weather we experienced  in PA this past week.

 Xi'an is the oldest town (5000 years) in China and has a population of  8 million people. Considered the birthplace of  China, it served as the capital for 1000 years. It is surrounded by the City Wall which was built during the Ming Dynasty (1370)  to protect the city from invaders.  It is a beautiful  brick wall surrounded by a moat and lined with large watch and bell towers.  At the wall entrance we were treated to an excellent drum and guard performance. One of the highlights of the day was surviving a bike ride along the perimeter of the top of the wall which is about 12 miles long. Other activities included a hot pot lunch - where we cooked our own food in boiling water and a trip to the Shaanxi History Museum where we saw artifacts from the Qin, Hang, and Tang Dynasties. We look forward  to a dumpling banquet and dance performance this evening!

outside Shaanix History Museum

Hot Pot Lunch

  

Bell Tower, Xi'an City Wall

riding a bike made for two!

Xi'an City Wall

April 7 -Travel to Beijing

We're almost in Beijing!  With the exception of a  bit of a rocky start, travel has been extremely enjoyable. We arrived at Philadelphia airport at 6:30 AM yesterday . Upon check-in I was shocked to learn my ticket had been cancelled. Luckily, the seats on all of my flights were still reserved, and I was able to purchase another ticket! Talk about anxiety!

The flight from Philadelphia to Chicago was smooth and short. The trip from Chicago to Beijing was also smooth but certainly not short-about 13.5 hours. We flew over the Arctic Circle, the North Pole and Mongolia  - just amazing (sorry - no pictures)! It's hard to believe we left Philadelphia at 6:30 AM and will be arriving in Bejing at 2:30 PM - losing a day is is not an everyday occurrence!

I'm lucky to be traveling with great folks from our region. Darrell Markley, Beth Lambi, Michelle Saylor,  Leah Christman,  and I have already had great conversations, discussing our homes and families, educational philosophies, but most importantly how fortunate we are to have this opportunity to forge relationships with our sister school partners. I can tell we will have lots of stories to share!

Off to China!

The bags are packed, the travel arrangements are confirmed, and all the last minute details are taken care of (I hope). Gosh, there is so much to think about!! Will my luggage be too heavy? Will the flights take off as scheduled?  What will the weather be like? Will the technology work? I could go on and on. There is one thing of which I am certain ~ tomorrow is the beginning of a great adventure!! First stop Xian.....