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#111 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ( HARBIN: Part 2, World of Ice & Snow, Stalin Park, Buddhist Temples and Confucian Temple!)

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Asia » China » Heilongjiang » Harbin
January 14th 2009
Published: January 14th 2009
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THIS IS PART "TWO" OF MY 2009 WINTER-VISIT TO HARBIN, THE "FROZEN" CAPITAL OF HEILONGJIANG, THE NORTHERN MOST PROVINCE OF CHINA: MY PRIMARY REASON FOR BRAVING THIS 24 HOUR TRAIN-JOURNEY FROM TAIZHOU TO SUB-ARCTIC HARBIN IS THE ANNUAL "ICE AND SNOW FESTIVAL", WHICH INVITES VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, DURING THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY, TO ONE OF THE GREATEST SNOW- AND ICE-CARVIN... Read Full Entry



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Hans J. Schneider
Hans
Hans
After 38 years as a Foreign Language Teacher and Foreign Language Dept. Chair at Coral Gables Sr. H.S., and A.J. Professor of German at the University of Miami, I have left Florida in June of 2006, where my home is in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. I have just signed another year's teaching-contract (my 8th year now) with Taizhou University in the city of Taizhou, located about 3hrs north of Shanghai, in Jiangsu Province, CHINA. I thought it would be informative for others and rewarding for me personally, to log the progress of my efforts from beginning to end, as a Travel and Photo Jo... full info
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Wenmiao Jie: Confucian Temple, Photo #11Wenmiao Jie: Confucian Temple, Photo #11
Wenmiao Jie: Confucian Temple, Photo #11
This photo captures the glory of the Confucian Temple under the arctic winter sun of Harbin, as I leave this wonderful temple-compound, dedicated to China's greatest and most honored teacher. Confucius has impacted Chinese culture and life for the past 2,500 years. His philosophy is just as important today and continues to shape modern Chinese thought and way of life.
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #1On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #1
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #1
It is a 24 hour train-ride back home. Chinese people like to eat on-time. The dining-car is especially crowded during lunch time and dinner time.
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #2On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #2
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #2
I love the little skirts on the "Baijiu" bottles, China's favorite hard liquor. The drink is clear, made from rice and very "potent".
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #3On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #3
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #3
A view from the train-compartment window shows a difficult life in these harsh winters in China's Northeast.
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #4On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #4
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #4
I am sure, that many of these simply Chinese farmers watch the trains daily, wishing they could travel beyond their simple surroundings. I count my blessings every day.
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #5On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #5
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #5
Similar scenes of simple homes passed me on the train for hundreds of miles. The northern provinces of China are still lagging behind the modernization efforts and boom of the central eastcoast Provinces, such as my province of Jiangsu.
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #6On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #6
On the train back from Harbin to Taizhou, Photo #6
The train on the way back to Beijing and Taizhou from Harbin passed miles and miles of fields. The main crop here is corn, and the fields will be ready for the next spring planting.
Good Bye from Harbin,China !Good Bye from Harbin,China !
Good Bye from Harbin,China !
My Winter-trip to Harbin was one I had been planning for some time. Being located so close to Siberian - Russia I doubt, that I will make this journey during the coldest time of the year again. But the experience of this visit was worth the effort. I will not quickly forget the size, the artistry, and the fantasy of the "Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival", Harbin offers visitors from around the world.



14th January 2009

yunyan
non-member comment

wow
Harbin...ice world...fantasyland...thanks show those pic from Harbin,,,, ;)
14th January 2009

karon
non-member comment

It's so cool.
14th January 2009

Correction.
non-member comment

Chairman Mao, in anticipation of war with Russia, dismanteled the huge and wonderful imperial wall and fortifications which surrounded Beijing in the 1950's. --------------------------------------- The leaders decided to demolish the Beijing City wall, because they wanted to build a "NEW" Beijing. This was a vast mistake. Otherwise, Beijing would have its own wonderful citywall like Xi'an. In 1950s, the relations between China and USSR was good. But from aboud 1960, it became worse and worse. At 1969, it reached the worst. Small military confrontations happened in both Northeast and Northwest. USSR put great pressure to the Chinese leaders, bacause USSR had more than 1million army in China-Mongolia border and the China-Mongolia border is only 4-hour away from Beijing. So I guess most Chinese are happy to see the collapse of USSR, just like US.
14th January 2009

About Manchu/Man
non-member comment

Your history knowledge is amazing. But there are some mistakes. Long story, so I just provide some links. There were several key persons creating the earlier history of Manchu. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurhaci http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huang_Taiji http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunzhi_Emperor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chongzhen_Emperor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Zicheng http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Sangui
14th January 2009

Hans
Hans J. Schneider

Of course it is a long story for the Manchus!
It is not possible to entertain all of the detailed history of thousands of years, and so I appreciate the links. It would take books, as there have been written, to entertain all of these much earlier details. But in fact, the general idea as I have presented them are what has been written in my blog. For further reading, history books will offer year by year accounts of the Manchus. Thank you for the observations and links.
14th January 2009

Hans
Hans J. Schneider

Bricks diverted for both, above- and below ground construction!
It is true, that much of the wall has been used to build a new Beijing by Chairman Mao, and that included a whole underground city for the safety of the citizens of Beijing, and for the leaders, against the expected attack by Stalin. Small battles were already taking place between Russia and China on the northern borders, as the two countries drifted apart from earlier co-operation. And so, believing an attack by the Russians on Beijing would take place, and having little time to lose, Chairman Mao constructed, with millions of the bricks diverted from the ancient city wall, a whole underground city that stretches for miles, that has not yet been fully explored. Visitors are able to take underground tours to visit some of this enormous complex and amazing facilities. Along with thousands of others, I have been one of these visitors.
15th January 2009

Sue
non-member comment

Happy Holidays!
Heh Hans, great blog as usual. Trust that you will thaw out adequately during your annual trip back to Florida! Starting post grad studies next week and have my name down for casual teaching at the major Language Institutes here, and have a place to stay rent free until my place becomes available, so everything going well. Also hunting for good places for my Mum to relocate to on the Gold Coast, so no rest even for the not-so-wicked! Miss you all. Hope Stef gets things sorted for herself. Suexx
15th January 2009

Your reply
non-member comment

It is true, that much of the wall has been used to build a new Beijing by Chairman Mao, and that included a whole underground city for the safety of the citizens of Beijing, and for the leaders, against the expected attack by Stalin. ----------------------------------------- Against Leonid Brezhnev not Stalin(Otherwize do you think the Stalin Park could be named after Stalin?). Actually Mao and Stalin had a good relationship. The relationship between Mao and Nikita Khrushchev was not good, but also not that bad.
16th January 2009

June
non-member comment

An amazing display of ice sculpture show! What takes my breath away is the creators' passion of devotion and the long-lasting solid frieze of that unique environment. What a wonderful dazzling world!
16th January 2009

June
non-member comment

According to memory, there were students' exchange programmes kept going on since the 50s until the early 60s. Photos of beautiful blond Udssr students were even displayed in the windows at the Taizhou Middleschool. How about that? But, people were later told that government of the Udssr had become either terribly corrupted or betrayal against communism: difficult to comprehent!
7th November 2010
Harbin: The Big World of Ice and Snow

Jeans Ping
non-member comment

A happy man
Whenever I see you,you always wear a happy smile, look so kind.I am afriad of talking with foreigners.but when I see you, I always cannot help to talk with you.which is exciting. You make me more confident,and I want to say:Thank you !

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