samdizon

Last Month in China Since returning from Guilin my friends and I have been trying to see as much of Beijing as we can between classes and preparing for finals! Confucian and Lama Temples These two temples, though representing two very different philosophical ideologies that are predominant in China are situated right next to each other! When you walk through the gates of the Confucian temple you are greeted by Confucius himself. Stone white and about three feet tall; he represents the moral code that many Chinese today still lead their lives with. Confucianism emphasizes the importance of relationships and how one should act within each of those interactions. For example, a man is a son of his father, a husband to his wife and a subject to the emperor. Within all three of those relationships, ... read more

This past week (October 1-5) was China's National Holiday. Every Chinese citizen is off from work for this week and travels all over the country, especially to Beijing. My friends, Ben and Erin, and I decided to leave Beijing before it got too croweded and take the opportunity to visit two new cities: Hong Kong and Shanghai! Hong Kong Our flight to Hong Kong got in late last Friday night and we arrived at our hotel on Hong Kong Island around midnight. We were staying at the Cosmopolitan, which happened to be right next to a terraced cemetery but it was still nice (haha)! The next day we got up early and had breakfast in the “Times Square” of Hong Kong. It does look a little like a miniature New York there. We decided to test ... read more

I’m sorry for the lack of entries lately! For the past two weeks I have been traveling on the infamous Silk Road! I figured I would show everyone the places we went and the things we did one by one. I also thought some of you might like a little historical background and a sneak peak at what we learned while we were traveling! The Silk Road did not obtain it’s name until 1877- long after it became the means for transporting goods, technology and ideas from east to west and vice versa. It begins in the east in Xi’an, a city that served as the capital to many of China’s dynasties. It runs west until it hits the Taklamakan desert, where it splits into a north and a south route. Taklamakan translates into: “you go ... read more

Day two in Beijing! We started our morning with a five minute traditional exercise routine. I could handle the stretching and breathing but tai chi was very fast and difficult to do! The moves we did symbolized five spirit animals but I was too focused on staying balanced to remember them! We also did patting exercises which is exactly like it sounds- you pat yourself from head to toe to benefit your circulation. I'm not sure if it helped my bloodflow but I was certainly more awake afterward! I've seen a lot of patting while walking and even hoolahooping! After the morning of exercise and orientation we departed for the Mutianyu Great Wall! It took us about an hour by bus to get there and another half an hour just to climb to reach the actual ... read more