Industrial Revolution in China

I was very amazed when we visited the Shanghai Tower and watched an animation of the development of the Shanghai Bund skyline. The amount of growth that occurred in under 40 years in amazing. Less than 40 years ago, Shanghai was a very rural, farming city. Now it is an economic hub. An industrial revolution is a great way to describe what China is going through right now. So much opportunity. China in the near future will no longer be a country where cheap labor can be found. The lower middle and upper class are all getting more rich. The GDP per capita will most likely be comparable to that of the United States in the coming years. A consequence of this growth is the multitude of different nationalities traveling to China to seek new opportunities. This is very similar to people traveling to America in the early 20th century for the same reasons. Their are still many people who are very poor in China but with the economic growth that China is going through people will have more opportunities and more money going forward. Certainly a substantial part of the advancements in the future on a global will come from China.

Technology

As far as technological advances go, China is right there on the same level as the US. The fact that the Three Gorges Dam produces 1/9 of the energy for a country of 1.4 billion people is mind boggling. The largest dam in the world, the tallest observation deck in the world and the biggest, busiest cities in the world all reside in China. I was also impressed by the use of electronic payments in China and its prevalence by the people. For the people that live in China all you need to walk around with is your phone that’s all you need to pay. There are similar electronic payment methods in America but it is nowhere near as common as it is in China. Also, China’s system of surveillance is very surprising. Maybe a strict measure by the government but at the same time a very effective way to use facial recognition to track traffic violations and reduce the need for police. The system in China if you run a red light goes as: the camera takes a picture of the plate, they connect that to the driver of the car, and the fine is taken out of the personal account of the driver. China has made it that simple. The project I am most impressed with is the Hanergy nuclear fusion project. This is something scientists in the US have gotten wrong since 1989 when Martin Fleischmann and Michael Pons suggested they have a solution for nuclear usion on Earth. 30 years later the United States still hasn’t figured it out but China’s Hanergy is knocking on the door. The implications of harvesting nuclear fusion on earth is essentially limitless clean energy and could begin huge advancements in society.

 

Natural Talents

Throughout this trip we were introduced to many aspects of Chinese culture including calligraphy and various foods. I found that the traditional, Americanized Chinese food was completely non-existent in China. This included foods from the Dragon Boat Festival. When visiting Middle School Number 8 we worked with mothers and grandmothers to cook a traditional Dragon Boat Festival Snack known as Zongzi or Rice Dumplings. As we worked with the rice and the leaves I was asked to make a lot of the rice dumplings because mine were turning out better than the those of the rest of the people at our station.

When we visited the China University I was able to visit friends who I took classes with at Penn State. They were international students from China who spent a semester at Penn State. I was able to practice some calligraphy as I wrote my nickname “Yummie.” As a practice calligraphy the students around me kept saying that I have a natural talent for art and that I was very good at it. My name translated to “Elegant Bride.”

Paparazzi

China is a very homogenous country. As I walked around I noticed that there are only Asian people in China aside from the tourists. I could never imagine walking out of my home and only seeing the same ethnicity. As a result, being an African American in China was very strange for both myself and for the Chinese people I interacted with. Often random Chinese people came up to me and asked for photos. I loved to entertain the photos. When we went to the carnival Olivia, Marisa and I were taking photos together and a circle formed around us as people took photos of us taking photos. 

When we visited the Temple of Heaven a family with two children walked up to me and asked if I could take photos with their children. This made me realize that for a some Chinese people they won’t travel outside of China meaning they won’t ever see an African American again. This is why I entertained the idea of making photos with everyone. Although at moments it was overwhelming, I recognized that many have never and will never again see an African American in their lives. I often felt like a celebrity walking around China. 

Bargaining

After arriving in the first city, Beijing, we realized that China had lots to offer besides culture. The country’s capital was full of merchandise and eager to sell workers. As we toured the city, we were often approached by sellers with small trinkets that would be suitable to bring back to our Aunts and uncles as souvenirs. Dr. Wu and TA Jason suggested that we bargain for anything that we wish to buy. As we toured around Beijing, everyone had personal and varying experiences shopping and bargaining. 

When I arrived art Silk Street I went in with goals of buying a fake Louis Vuitton purse. However, after surveying the quality of the purses I realized it wasn’t work it. There were clear signs of bad quality. However, that wasn’t true for all of the stores in Silk Street. I bargained a sweatshirt for 90 yen while my friend bargained for the same sweatshirt for 95 yen. They were both of good quality. I also bought Nike Off-Whites sneakers (pictured above). In America, the shoes are worth $1,800. However, I bargained them down to $40. When I posted them on social media a lot of people responded and thought that they were real. I also bargained a very large suitcase from 500 yen down to 200 yen. 

I’ve seen my father bargain when we travel to Mexico and I used his strategies to save some money. Bargaining is essential in China because tourists can easily be spotted and tricked. 

Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam has affected many communities. When we stopped in at the Shelling Stream, our tour guide reminisced on times before the dam was built. “My father had a house just along the river. We used to fish in the water. And there were beautiful rocks at the bottom. And you could see your feet in the clear water,” she remembers. The dam affected the China communities in many  ways. 

The Three Gorges Dam was built to produce electricity and manage the large amounts of rain. It is the largest hydroelectric project in the world. Although it has helped China’s pollution and electricity flow, it has changed the communities along the river.  

Due to the Three Gorges Dam, the villages along the river had to relocate or change their way of living. The water was clean, shallow and clear enough to wash clothes, swim, and fish in the river. When we visited the Three Gorges Dam Museum in Chongqing, the various rocks from the bottom of the river, different fish, and trees along the river were displayed. However, the river’s wild life and natural contents have changed due to the dam. 

Feng Shui

 

Every city throughout this trip had unique qualities and were very different. This included different foods, different people, and different cultures. The Beijing, Dalian, and the cruise cities all had various qualities that distinguished them from each other. There were very clear differences between the rural areas and the cities. 

Feng Shui is the The cities we visited during the cruise displayed Feng Shui as their homes were lined along the river and had views of the river and the mountains. The same goes forProfessor Wu hometown in She County. Feng Shui adds balances and serenity to areas. We understand that our surroundings affect our energy. This was evident in the big cities and rural areas.  

Beijing’s city culture was crowded and aggressive as the people always seemed busy. The city was not based on a river as in the other cities. China’s capital was full of tourists that were excited to explore their nation’s history. However, there were many street sellers who were aggressive and often yelled at tourists. The crowded atmosphere affected me as I seemed to always be in a rush to keep up with the group. Opposite to Beijing, the towns along the Three Gorges Dam cruise and Professor Wu’s hometown were relaxing. The small villages along the river were situated inside of the mountains and were not bothered with many tourists and aggressive behavior. As I travelled throughout these cities I felt the Feng Shui as my heart settled into the energy of those villages. Although there were vendors in the small towns along the  river, they did not force their products at you. They sat there and allowed you to come if you were interested. Specifically, Professor Wu’s hometown was a small village nestled into the mountains along a river bank. Everyone seemed calm and safe. 

People of China Feeling Toward American People

I was very surprised by the treatment of our group by the people of China. A majority of people were very friendly and sometimes approached me to speak English with me. It was not uncommon for students in the program to be asked for pictures taken with them by locals.  Xinli’s friends and family paying for banquet-style dinners for every one of the students several times during the program also showed me how highly the Chinese people think about Americans. The people are typically extremely willing to help and it seems like in general Chinese people treat foreigners very well. Even from the international students, all of them were very kind and treated me with the utmost respect at all times. This is just Chinese culture, it revolves around respect. For example, when touching drinking glasses with someone whom you highly respect, you put the rim of your glass lower than theirs. Unfortunately, American people typically do not treat foreigners with the same gratitude. This is something America could learn from China. It’s a shame that recent tensions have left a bad taste in the mouth of the Chinese people. I fear that if tensions continue to rise that there will not be so much kindness towards Americans visiting China.

 

Blog – The Three Gorges Dam

On May 15, the cruise ship arrived at the sandouping port, and we went ashore to the world-famous Three Gorges Dam tourist area. First, we visited the simulation room of the Three Gorges Dam project. Many tourists, including many foreign visitors, filled the front of the engineering simulation model.

Then we took the elevator to the best position, the Tanziling Ridge, to see the panorama of the Three Gorges project. the Tanziling Ridge is more than 260 meters above sea level. There are river closure stone and dam cornerstone on Tanziling Ridge, so that visitors can have a preliminary understanding of the difficulty and the condition of the river closure. The body of the observation deck is decorated with large relief sculpture. It embodies the traditional cultures of ancient Ba and Chu areas. Follow the stairs to the top of the observation deck, you can see the lock of the dam. Next, there is 185 observation deck. The Three Gorges Dam can be seen more clearly here, it just like a dragon lying on the Yangtze River.

I heard from the tour guide that before the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, the water flow in the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze river was very turbulent, and large ships couldn’t go up against the current. However, after the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, the Yangtze river has become smooth and can be crossed by ships of more than 10,000 tons. This great achievement is an embodiment of the wisdom and endeavors of all participants of the work and will render benefits to the future generations with its comprehensive functions in flood control, power generation, and navigation improvement.

Blog – Hongyadong, Chongqing

After visiting the Monument to the People’s Liberation, the central business district of Chongqing, I went to the Hongyadong. Hongyadong is not far from the Monument to the People’s Liberation, just cross a road and you’ll reach an entrance of hongyadong. We followed the stairs and entered the scenic area.

In Hongyadong fourth floor, there was a food street. Carson, Jason, Harry, and I experienced some Chongqing local food, like Dan Dan Mian, Chongqing Xiaomian, etc. Along with the flow of people, we went to the Hongyadichi. The first impression of Hongyadicui was magnificent. The rushing water flowed down from the top. Listening to the sound of the waterfall was like listening to light music. The sound was so pure, without any impurities. Looking at the lights, trees, and buildings on the cliff wall, it was very pleasant.

The Hongyadong was bright like a fairy palace under the lamplight. The outline of the house was embellished with lights, which was particularly magnificent and elegant. The brilliant lights, golden lanterns, and classical avant-garde shops, which attracted numerous visitors. No wonder why there were so many tourists stopping here and taking pictures.

Blog – Forbidden City

After Tiananmen Square, the first thing that came into view was the Forbidden City. There used to be 24 emperors living here. It was the palace of Ming and Qing dynasties and has more than 500 years of history.

The Forbidden City had magnificent palaces, decorated with exquisite wood carvings, stone carvings, painting, and shining tile roofs. All the buildings in the Forbidden City were brilliant, with golden glazed tile roof and white stone base. The Forbidden City was so large that I can’t tell the direction. Visiting the Forbidden City was to shuttle among the crowd, to saw the hundreds of uniform palaces that rise from the ground, and to saw the endless stream of tourist beside me, which made me mistake myself for being in the same place.

We followed the central axis of the Forbidden City to the inside. This axis crosses through the entire Forbidden City, and it is also the central axis of Beijing City. The three halls, the latter three palaces, and the imperial garden are all located on this central axis. On both sides of the central palace, there are many palaces symmetrically distributed, with a rigorous and orderly layout.

The Forbidden City gathers countless precious treasures of the land of China from the ancient time to the present. If we want to find a representative building on the land of China, it is the Forbidden City, which is magnificent and solemn.

Blog – the Terracotta Warriors Museum

On May 14, After breakfast in the hotel, we took a bus to Lintong to visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum. The Terracotta Warriors Museum is one of the eight wonders of the world, and it has three pits.

What impressed me most was the pit 1, which was the largest pit. There were about 1000 pottery figurines unearthed. The pottery figurine was laid out according to the positions before the excavation. During the excavation, the existing terracotta warriors still retained bright colors partially when they were unearthed. After the excavation, due to the drying of the air, the colors gradually fall off. The face, hairstyle, and posture of the terracotta warriors are different. The second pit and third pit are on the left and right sides of the first pit. The second pit is smaller than the first pit and the third pit is the smallest.

The most amazing exhibitions in the exhibition hall are the No.1 copper carriage and No. 2 copper carriage. The copper carriage was unearthed on the west side of Qinshihuang Mausoleum, which has a history of more than 2,200 years. They were made according to the one-half ratio of the real cars at that time.

Blog – The Architectural Design – Combination of Modern Design and Chinese Culture Elements

In recent years, China’s economic development has been rapidly and substantially improved. With the gradual acceleration of the urbanization process, China’s traditional buildings have seriously impacted in the process of development. During this class, one thing that impressed me the most is the architectural design. I didn’t see this kind of design when I went to China last time, so it is a big surprise for me. I believe the long history of China has formed a special culture that affects China in many aspects, even under the effect of the modern era.

The picture above is the Hongyadong. As you can see, The tall modern buildings and the exquisite traditional structures combine together to form a novel beauty. The design takes the hanging-feet building as the main design language and expresses the unique cultural characteristics of Chongqing.

This picture was in Xian. The modern elements like the large area of glass and the traditional elements like Chinese style eaves mix together to perform an amazing night scene. They made me notice that those buildings have historic significance, which contains the cultural heritage of China for thousands of years. As China becomes a superpower in the world, Chinese people are more and more proud of their culture. They attach more importance to the use of traditional art and apply traditional art elements to the concept of modern architectural design to improve the influence of Chinese culture.

Dining Culture

I was very excited to try real Chinese food. Many people have always told me that food is much different than “Chinese food” is in the U.S. If someone asked me the difference between the two I would have trouble explaining because it is like comparing apples to oranges. Yes in China you can find rice, dried noodles, and chicken with a sort of sweet and sour sauce just like in the U.S. but there are so many foods in China that you can find nowhere in the U.S. My impression is that there is much more variety in what the Chinese eat. Meat in the U.S., for the most part, is pretty standard: beef, chicken, pig, fish. Commonly eaten meat in China are chicken, beef, rabbit, squid, pigeon,  duck, frog, and so many others that I know I am forgetting. One thing I know I will not regret is my open-mindedness towards food in China. There were so many firsts as far as food goes: scorpion, sea cucumber, stinky tofu. These are things I will never eat in America.

An interesting thing about China that I noticed is that, for the most part, breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the casual level are not different from each other. In the U.S. it is slightly weird to eat foods that are meant for breakfast, for dinner. In China, you can have a bowl of noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it is not weird. Another interesting thing about Chinese culture is the levels of dinner. There is the casual dinner where you just go out and buy a plate for yourself and your friends buy plates for themselves typically. There is the business-type dinner where there is the spinning table in the middle and dishes are spun around; this typically lasts an hour. Then there is everyone’s favorite: the banquet-style dinner. Some sort of alcohol is required for a banquet and it is much more formal. During this sort of dinner, there is a host, first VIP, second VIP, etc. and the staff assistant across from the host. The seating is very important, the host sits facing the door and the first VIP sits to the right of the host. For the host to have a good dinner there literally needs to be way too much food for everyone to consume. Even after everyone is full and stops eating, new dishes are put on the table even though the original ones are not finished. This is Chinese culture: the host wants to make sure everyone is full and happy. To show respect to the host typically one by one everyone must stand up, say some words to the host, and toast up. These banquet style dinners can last 3-4 hours.