Confucius, Ferraris, Feet and Fido

Education from Confucius to Today

Historically the Chinese people have valued education. They are proud of their history, poetry, art, music and scientific discoveries. They discovered or invented paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass. From the 2^nd century BC until 1905 when it was eliminated, clever non-aristocrats could obtain a government appointment from the Emperor by a good performance on the Imperial Exam. Until the 700s AD the Imperial Exam was based on the teachings of Confucius and memorizing his four classics. Next, the candidate was required to compose original poetry. Over the centuries the exam added mathematics, calligraphy and philosophy. So there is a long history of memorization and study to pass an important examination.

Like the rest of the world, education is the ticket out of poverty in China. Education is free and mandatory through the 8^th grade. High school is public but the student pays for it. Of course, private schools are available and are costly for all grades. Parents (and grandparents) make huge sacrifices to educate their children for several reasons. Firstly, every parent’s wish is that their children do better than they did. Secondly, the care and cost of aging parents falls to their children. There is a mandatory retirement age of 55 for women and 60 for men when they must move aside to give their job to a younger person. The vast majority of workers have little or no pension system and they will then live on their savings and help from their children. With the one child policy of today, this increases the pressure on the child to become educated and get a good job to be able to not only support their young family but also to care for two sets of parents. The pressure is tremendous. As we visit with our students, many of them worry about the prospects of getting a job to fulfill their responsibility and, in their words, “to live a happy life.” University seniors take no courses in the last semester in order to actively job hunt. Presently, of the 7 million graduates of 2013, only 38% have secured a position.

Assembly before morning classes

Primary School associated with our university

Primary school is the time for students to learn music, dance or other extracurricular activities. Middle school starts the intense study and preparation for the dreaded College Entrance Examination. All other activities are halted, unless a student is singled out as a gifted musician or athlete headed for competition like the Olympics. Middle schoolers are in class from 7:00 to 17:30 five days a week. Then comes homework until late.  Many students have private tutors on Saturday and Sunday. The family is focused on a good performance on the Entrance Exam, which is much more important than SATs in the U.S. The score on the exam determines not only the university they will attend but assigns them their major course of study. Every high school senior takes the exam on the same day all over China. On a side note, a man proctoring the entrance exam in some remote province last year ended a section of the exam 4 minutes early; thus lowering the scores of the students in his examination room.  He was convicted and sentenced to several years in prison for public negligence with no adjustment for those student’s scores. One of my speech students gave a speech criticizing the Chinese system. He stated that, “Interest is the best teacher”.  He claimed that he would perform better at university if he was studying a subject of his choice. What do you think?


 

Main entrance to Xi'an International Studies University

In our university there are two styles of teaching. The Chinese style is for the professor to sit at the front of the classroom and lecture from his notes. The students frantically try to catch every word. They will record the lecture on their phones, transcribe it and memorize it for the exam.


40 of Suzanne's students




New Grads - Go set the world on fire!

Most western trained teachers are quite a contrast. We roam about the classroom and expect interaction with the students. We encourage independent thought, which is new for most of them. I tell my students that I’m not here to share my knowledge, but to challenge them to think independently. It took weeks for them to adapt to this style. Even now, with only weeks to go in our second semester, most of the students will not respond to an open question in class. 

Typical low tech classroom. We have colored chalk!

University Library

China has experienced several “Great Leap Forward” events. The current great leap is to produce college graduates. Most universities and high schools were closed during the Cultural Revolution (’65-’76) so folks could get a real education planting rice, and other back breaking physical labor. This produced a generation of people that have had very little formal education, and now the government is trying to remedy that. Our new university campus (8 years old) is the result of the push to produce college graduates. Our school increased enrollment from 5000 to 30,000 and added an entire campus. There are as many bright kids in China as anywhere else, and they are entering university in record numbers to the tune of 7 million graduates a year. They all just hope their growing economy can reward them for their efforts. 

Signs of a growing economy

We encounter several indicators of a booming economy every day here in Xi’an. The “wheels” of society are attached to cars, buses and things that go. Several of the foreign teachers have been here for 5-10 years. They claim that even 5 years ago, a person could ride a bike along the ring road and hardly see a car. Those days are gone. Traffic is bumper to bumper. Reports say that there are 37,000 new cars on the road every day in China. I think they are all here in Xi’an. Fortunately the vehicular speed is not quite up to Atlanta standards but it is crowded.

Very Important Person - Water delivery man

Police Interceptor for high speed chases

Traffic Cop, although most
drivers ignore him.



It is good to see where you have been.

There is a completely different set of rules for driving here. So far in 9 months, I have determined two of the rules. First rule: the bigger the vehicle, the fewer rules apply.  Second rule: pedestrians never have the right of way, even if the sign says walk. Corollary to rule two: pedestrians must look 360° before taking a step in any direction. Needless to say, I'd never attempt to drive in this wild and crazy free-for-all.  Rides at 6 Flags are less thrilling than crossing the street or riding a bus in Xi’an. However, even with all the craziness on the road, there is big money in Xi’an. 

Aston Martin my favorite

His and Hers scooters

Bicycle Repair on the street while you wait

Horn blowing is an art form here. There are several horn blows to recognize. 1. I'm coming don't step right or left. 2. I'm coming get out of the way. 3. I'm coming, I'm bigger than you.

FTD delivery

I don't think he could have gotten one more on the bike.



I wouldn't park my Ferrari on the street!
Someone like me would leave his
fingerprints all over it.

Does this belong on the same planet as a Lambo?



You choose 1/2 BHP or V-10 525 BHP Lamborghini out for a drive

Trouble with your spouse? Just sleep ON the car.

Telescope on a bike.

     

Who needs a hood & fenders

 

 A fifteen minute walk from our house gets you to the Rolls Royce dealership. A block further is the Lamborghini dealer. On the road I have photographed a Ferrari and an Aston Martin DB9. Porsche 911s and BMW 3s and 5s are everywhere. But the vast majority of cars on the Chinese road are local brands with some Audi, VW and Fords. It is interesting that a Buick made here in China is a real status symbol.  Occasionally we see a real pickup truck.


About $5/gal for 97
octane

 Fuel is priced a bit more than America – a little shy of $5/gallon. All of the buses and taxis run on compressed natural gas instead of gasoline or diesel. The CNG is much cleaner burning. However, our air is very polluted from industry and auto exhaust. Can you imagine living in Salt Lake or Denver with air so thick that you can’t see the mountains? After arriving in Xi’an it was months before we could see that there are mountains only 20 miles away.

$110 for 4 qts of motor oil
I pay $23 for it at Walmart in GA

No Commercial Bike Zone

Line is about 2 blocks long to get fuel at the Shell station

A still photo does not show the complete chaos of a bus doing
a u-turn in the intersection

Fashion or Function?

Basic multi hue snakeskin

Fuchsia Fashion

A new meaning to "Spiked Heels"

Now here is something for the girsl. A second sign of disposable income is fashion footwear. As you probably know, most of the shoes in the world seem to be manufactured in China.  Fashion sometimes comes before function, even when walking is still the primary mode of transportation for the masses. Have these styles found their way to your neighborhood?  I plan to get some for Suzanne as souvenirs.  

The custom of foot binding is an ancient practice that would ensure that common girls would marry into wealthy families.  Small feet were very desirable-the smaller the better. The toes would be broken and folded under the foot and the binding would hold everything tight and not allow the foot to grow.  The process would begin when the girl was between 3 and 5 years old. Even though it was banned in 1912, in many areas of China it continued to be practiced for a few more decades. Some of our students have grandmothers whose feet were bound. Of course, any money that the families had was redistributed during the Cultural Revolution. Even today, many Chinese believe that small feet are desirable, and many adult women's shoes are found in quite small sizes. So its not unexpected that shoes are such a fashion statement here.


Don't wear these after Labor Day



 

Without Shoes

 


With shoes

 

Another sign of affluence is that the Chinese are starting to have dogs as pets rather than have them for dinner. I am amazed that even the dogs here understand Chinese! Some are quite pampered and are status symbols. Dogs even accompany their masters into restaurants, grocery stores and shopping malls.

Take your poodle to lunch day after you dye their ears.

 This store sums it up. How are you? We are doing well as we wind down our China experience.

 

 

The River, the Wall and Visitors from Home

Chongqing and the Flying Tigers

 A look at the largest city in China, Chongqing (34 million people – second largest city in the world and most Americans have never heard of it). It is huge. We stood high on a hill at a bend in the Yangtze River as it wound through the city at the General Stillwell Museum. There were skyscrapers up and down the river as far as the eye could see in all directions to the horizon.  Noticeable difference from other Chinese cities – scooters are banned in the city.

Chongqing from the General Stillwell Museum

Best Cotton Candy in the World

This was a population and manufacturing center even pre-WWII. It was a prime target for the Japanese. They invaded China in 1937. The city still has the remains of bomb shelters cut into the mountain sides. The Allies were supplying the resistance forces here from India and Burma as they flew the “hump” over the Himalayas into China. British and Australian troops did the heavy lifting with American air support. The 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG), famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States, recruited under presidential authority and commanded by Gen. Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters staff were also recruited from the U.S. military, along with some civilians.

 

P-40 Tomahawk "Flying Tiger"

The group consisted of three fighter squadrons each with about 20 P-40 Tomahawks. They trained in Burma before the American entry into World War II to help defend China against Japanese forces.  The members of this privatized group of airmen had lucrative contracts with salaries roughly three times what they had been making in the U.S. forces, plus the pilots were paid a bonus for dog fight kills.


The Burma Road used to get supplies into
China from India

"I'm an American - Help Me"

 

The group first saw combat on 20 December 1941, only 12 days after Pearl Harbor. They achieved notable success during the lowest period of the war for U.S. and Allied Forces, giving hope to America that it would eventually succeed against Japan. They scored over 300 enemy aircraft destroyed with a loss of only eight pilots. The photo shows a message that the pilots had sewn into the inside of their flight jackets. In Chinese, it said that these are the good guys; give them medical treatment, give them food and hide them from the Japanese. It is said that over 250,000 Chinese (often entire villages) died in sheltering, hiding and caring for downed American pilots.

 

The Flying Tiger Museum was a total bust! I expected to see airplanes and memorabilia from the war, but it was one room with a few canteens and helmets. There was a great collection of photos though. The museum is mostly an art gallery and shop to raise funds to build a real museum. Across the street from the Flying Tiger Museum is the General Stillwell museum He was a United States Army four-star General known for service in the China Burma India Theater. His caustic personality earned him the nickname "Vinegar Joe. " He was Gen. Chennault’s boss.

Vinegar Joe's Jeep

 

Vinegar Joe

Yangtze River and Three Gorges Dam

This was a must see area for us. The dam has been controversial since before it was built. I teach a debate class and even now the wisdom of this project is questioned by the students. There are benefits, but there are always two sides of a story. The landscape was breathtaking. Time will tell if the environmental and human cost was too high. We cruised down the Yangtze for three days from Chongqing to the Three Gorges Dam.

Along the way we visited Fengdu, an ancient sacred Taoist site claimed to be the entry into the underworld  and the afterlife. The path leads the living to the gate of the spirit world. Here you can assist your ancestors in their struggles in the spirit world. There are numerous deamons and depictions of things instore for those who are not nice to their neighboors, who lie, cheat or commit a host of sins. This temple site was attacked during the Cultural Revolution but was saved by the monks. It stands as the only black temple in China. 

Gate to the Underworld

 

The Black Temple




 



Scene of Judgment Day

 

Abandon Village cut off by high water

Local boats are hand powered

The Three Gorges Dam is 610 feet high and runs 1.3 miles across the Yangtze River. The reservoir extends 360 miles upstream. The dam produces the electricity of 15 nuclear plants. Its cost was over $37 billion. It will help control flooding along the river which is one of its major benefits. The floods of 1998 cost $24 billion, 4000 dead and left 14 million homeless. Thirteen cities, 140 towns and 1300 villages were submerged by the rising waters (which rose 400 to 600 feet) with 1.3 million people being displaced.  Over 1360 known archeological sites were lost. It is estimated that 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are presently dumped into the upper Yangtze each year. Now that the dam is completed, this all ends up in the reservoir. In addition, 1600 factories and abandoned mines have been submerged. Do you think that there may be a few pollutants leaching into the water? Care to go fishing? Over 360 million (more than the population of the USA) live downstream of the dam. This is an earthquake area, so I hope it is stabilized. The recent earthquake near Chengdu was not far from this area.


A test boring to check the
bedrock - granite

 

 

 

Just like a skater can slow down a spin by extending her arms, it is claimed that the redistrubution of water in the reservoir will slow the spin of the earth. No wonder, I've been getting up later!

The reservoir when full is 175 m above sea level. We were there in April. In anticipation of spring snow melts in the Himalayas and spring rains, the water level was lowered to 162 m. The band of rock visible in every picture is 13 meters (~40 feet). Notice that there is no vegitation below the high water mark. It is difficult to determine distances in such vast landscapes. The scenery was beyond the ability to photograph it. I’m sure that it was just as magnificent when the Yangtze was still running free-it was just harder to access. Time will tell if the Three Gorges Dam is a blessing or a curse to the people of China.


System of 5 locks to allow ships to go past the dam
Each lock can raise a ship over 100 ft.
Notice the staircases zigzaging along the face.



Three Gorge Dam - 1.3 miles across

Visitors from America

When you are far away, a few things ease the longings for home: your favorite companion (Richard & Suzanne), your pillow and your favorite foods (Snickers & Dr. Pepper). But a familiar face and voice lifts the spirits like nothing else. We had a visit from Bryan Dunford in December who visited Xi’an as part of his MBA. We had a great evening and showed him our favorite spot in Xi’an – the Muslim Quarter. He was a master at bargaining with the vendors. Perhaps he and Suzanne are related.

Jones & Mullins at the Grey Wall of China



 

Bryan Dunford our first familiar face

 

Our traveling buddies, Andy and Karen Jones, visited China in March and spent three days with us in Xi’an. We then took the bullet train with them (and Andy’s sister, Alice) to Beijing to hike the wall and buy stuff! In Xi’an they experienced life in our ghetto, saw the Terracotta Warriors up close & personal (better than the traditional museum view), rode Chinese busses and visited our beloved Muslim Quarter. We showed them many of the special offerings of Xi’an, as mentioned in the last blog. We ate as much American food as we could find, after all, they had been eating Chinese for a week! (Just try it for a year!)  Our only regret was that we didn’t drag them around to see more of our city and introduce them to our students. But time flies when you’re having fun.

The bullet train hits just over 300 km/hr (just under 200 mph). Xi’an to Beijing in 5 hours. I wish we had one of these in the USA. You don’t have to go through security or arrive 2 hours early. Just get on and gooooo! You even have your choice of a western toilet or a squatty potty.

Very Fast and Very Comfortable

Andy and I opted to hire a private guide and car to visit a few sections on the Great Wall. In the west we look on the wall as a great archeological treasure. In China it has an additional title: The Great Wall of Death. Emperor Qin (remember him from the last blog?) conscripted workers to construct the wall. This was not volunteer work. Men were assigned to work on the wall for several years. If they escaped the work detail and were caught, they were returned to the wall and chained to it for the remainder of their lives. Estimates are that over one million men died in its construction as it was back breaking labor. Today there are chains draping the wall with locks in most of the links. Modern tradition is for a couple to bring a lock to the wall and hook it to the chain symbolizing their love. The original chain and locks serve as a reminder of a darker day in the Wall’s history.

The Wall was generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire from nomadic tribes such as the Mongols. In total it is about 5,500 miles long. Several walls were built as early as the 7th century BC; these were later joined together and made stronger. This was one of Emperor Qin’s contributions. Other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls, allowing the collection of taxes on goods transported along the Silk Road and the control of immigration and emigration. The defenses of the Great Wall were enhanced by watch towers, troop barracks, and garrison stations, signaling capabilities through smoke or fire.

It was great to see the wall with snow falling; but the many patches of ice complicated our climb. There is no building code in modern China, so I guess there was none in Emperor Qin’s time either. There is no consistency to either the tread width or the riser height on the steps of the Great Wall. You have to watch every step or over you go! But, I guess that would slow down any invading army.

Suzanne, Karen and Alice also visited the Great Wall and the Sacred Way, the path walked by emperors of old to admire and remember their predecessors. And, of course, we went shopping in the jade and cloisonné factories! We left our visitors in Beijing and we returned to Xi’an rejuvenated for our last few months. That touch of home was just what we needed!