Occasionally, two people meet and afterward they realize it was chance
or fate (yuánfèn 缘分) that brought them together. How often in this world
does one get to meet a person who has lived through the first six
decades of a government and country’s growth? While riding the high
speed rail from Shanghai to Beijing, the train hurling along the track
at an average of 300 kilometers (186.3 miles) per hour, the kind
grandmother seated next to me and I had a riveting conversation. At
eighty years old, here sat a woman who has seen her government and country grow in so many ways over the past six decades.
She
was seventeen when the Chinese civil war ended and the People’s
Republic of China (P.R.C.) formed in 1949. She was in Shanghai with her
family then, still a girl attending school. She moved to the new
capitol, Beijing, in 1954 and began her career in the foreign trade
bureau (wàimàobù 外贸部). It was there at the foreign trade bureau, in the
worker’s canteen, she met her husband. He passed away a few years ago,
just after their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
I asked her many
personal questions; several times fearing she might not answer them.
When I asked about her feelings on the Cultural Revolution, I thought
she would hesitate. She did not. Instead, she turned toward me enough to
make eye contact and stated soberly, “Insanely violent” (fēngkuáng 疯狂).
Her words carried enormous weight and articulated the numerous pained
stories which her eyes could not bear to utter aloud. “Everyone makes
mistakes,” she continued on. “The difference is, not everyone recognizes
their mistakes.”
When I asked grandmother who she sees as the
best leader in the sixty year history of the P.R.C., she eagerly
replied, “Deng Xiaoping!”
“Uncle Deng?” I asked. Her face lit
with a broad smile as she laughed softly and explained, “Yes, Uncle
Deng. Look at the economic growth China has seen since 1982. Only he had
the courage to speak out and lead us forward to develop as a nation.”
We reminisced about Shanghai. “Everything is so different,” she explained. “As a product of the growth.”
“Do you recognize the city you grew up in? Haven’t all the road names changed?”
“Some
have changed more than once. For instance, Yafei Road is now Huaihai
Road. It’s all different. And so many skyscrapers! Totally different
from the city I grew up in.”
Having noticed grandmother was
wearing a pair of faded jeans, I remembered once my own grandmother had
told me one of her favorite changes she had seen in her lifetime was the
acceptance of women wearing pants. I inquired, “How old were you when
you began wearing pants?”
“I must have been in my twenties. Before then, since I was a little girl, I wore traditional Chinese dresses (qípáo 旗袍).”
As
our train reached its destination, I was sad to see grandmother go. I
still have so many questions racing through my mind much faster than 300
kilometers an hour. What a chance encounter it was to speak with her
about her life and modern Chinese history. In this fast-paced world of
ours, you never know when life will slow down just enough for you to
meet someone with their own fascinating story to tell, if you are
willing to ask and listen.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Monday, June 9, 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Final Thoughts
Blog #4 - Final Thoughts
The 2.5 weeks we spent in China have been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Not many Americans have or will have the opportunity to see as many sides of China as we did in such a short time. My perception of China and the Chinese people has changed in so many ways since we landed in Beijing. Mostly I saw that the government is very different than the people. We are so similar as individuals in so many ways that that the differences in culture, history, and language do not hinder our ability to share common desires and life dreams. The Chinese people are receptive to the American people and have been eager to engage with us, just like we have enjoyed getting to know them, and it has been a heart warming experience.
However, the unfortunate truth of the matter is that governments go to war, not individual peoples. Despite the warm feelings and hospitality of our lovely hosts, great power politics does not forecast sunny skies for the future of our nations. It is my sincere hope that our generation can get into government jobs and make a positive impact on Sino-American relations before Christopher Layne's WWIII predictions become a reality.
I am optimistic that cross cultural relations, like our trip, and economic ties can greatly increase the friendly relations between our countries and look forward to sharing the amazing experiences we have had with my friends and family back home! Thank you for the trip of a lifetime we will never forget! Thanks and Gig 'em!!
Cheryl Landry
3 June 2014
Culture Shock
Blog #3 - Culture Shock
I want to take one blog post and dedicate it to the various things that have been most shocking or unexpected to myself and the rest of the group. Many of our posts have been about experiences we have had, so I want to express some of the observations we have made while in China.
1. America - SO many people wear clothes with the American flag on it! I can't think of any time where I saw an American walking around in anything with the China flag on it, but we have see everything from t-shirts and shorts, to bags and even shoes! I did not expect the average Chinese to wear the American flag so frequently.
2. Babies - in some ways I think parents are troopers compared to American parentsw. At home, parents pack everything but the kitchen sink and prepare for battle every time they leave the house. However, in China, parents rarely had any diaper bags, and in most cases left home without even a stroller. Babies are simply carried in hand. This is very different, but the streets are already crowded as it is, I can't imagine adding thousands of giant baby strollers to the mix as well! Also, parents allow their children to use the sidewalk as their personal restroom. I saw children squatting in parks and on trees by the side of the road.
3. Physical Contact - this one is very difficult for Americans to comprehend, and on many occasions members of our group had frusrations with this. Chinese people are physical in public and will not hesitate to shove or push you, specifically when you are waiting in some sort of line. I was repeatedly annoyed by this because they don't even find this rude (and they don't really believe in lines). At home when people shove, at least society looks down upon it, but in China there is nothing culturally unacceptable about pushing someone or even cutting in line (because lines aren't really a thing, they are a suggestion at best). This takes getting used to and Americans should be told this before visiting the country. It is much more tolerable if you understand this going in.
4. Traffic - one of the Chinese students put it best: driving in China is ANARCHY. The streets are literally insanity. Nobody follows the signs or stays in their lane. Motor bikes and bicycles are driving every direction imagineable, including on the sidewalks. What is most shocking to me is that despite continually coming within centimeters of colliding at any point during a trip, there were surprisingly few accidents. I believe we only saw 3 total. It is hard to believe that in such a controlled society like China there is such pure chaos on the roads. There is just no law and order, which makes being a pedestrian a little bit like the game Frogger.
5. Haggling - this was an expected culture shock, but at times exhausting none the less. I walked away from every purchase feeling like I got ripped off. If they were willing to agree to my price, I likely could have gotten them lower. Some of my classmates loved it and saw it as a challenge, but I just found it exhausting and stressful.
6. Spitting - on our first day in Beijing I saw an adorable little old woman in the streets spit the most disgustingly phenomenal loogey that I may actually have been more impressed than disgusted. The whole world knows about the awful air pollution in China and the increased potential for lung cancer, but I never thought about how the air impacted their daily lives. People spent so much time coughing and spitting in public and it seemed painful.
There is so much more, but I will end this blog post with that lovely imagery.
Cheryl Landry
3 June 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Shanghai
Shanghai
They say that Shanghai is the Paris of the East. In reality, however, New York is probably a better comparison. Shanghai has many of the characteristics we often attribute to the Big Apple. The skyscraper office buildings of the Pudong reminiscent of Wall Street, flashing lights and jumbo screens like Times Square, the high-end shopping on Nanjing Street you might find on 5th Avenue, and even a good touch of historical buildings in the Bund to even it out. The streets around the Bund were packed with excited Chinese and foreigners enjoying the cool air along the river. A short boat cruise on the Huang Pu River between the Pudong District and the Bund gave us incredible views of both areas, including the Pearl Tower, the convention center, and the nearly completed Shanghai Tower, which will be the tallest building in China. We have all been trying to decide on our favorite city in China now that we have had a good taste of three very distinct areas. Each city has its own unique character that has made it a great place to visit. Beijing with its ancient and political history and great markets, Chengdu with the laid-back lifestyle and surrounding rural communities, and Shanghai with its impressive skyline.
Shanghai seems like the center of the world with its vast blend of eclectic flavors, all mixing to give an incredible experience. The city has so much to offer and beckons to all throughout the world to join its blend of nations. The majority of foreigners you see around the streets of Shanghai don't appear to be the usual tourists like you find in Beijing or even Chengdu. The foreigners in Shanghai don't seem out of place at all. They appear to belong there, an integral part of the city's character. These foreigners are businesspeople or ex patriots who have claimed Shanghai as a new or second home. The city has enveloped them and made them its own. This is Shanghai, its beauty, and its character. A place everyone should experience, because seeing could never be enough.
Sean Larsen
26 May 2014
They say that Shanghai is the Paris of the East. In reality, however, New York is probably a better comparison. Shanghai has many of the characteristics we often attribute to the Big Apple. The skyscraper office buildings of the Pudong reminiscent of Wall Street, flashing lights and jumbo screens like Times Square, the high-end shopping on Nanjing Street you might find on 5th Avenue, and even a good touch of historical buildings in the Bund to even it out. The streets around the Bund were packed with excited Chinese and foreigners enjoying the cool air along the river. A short boat cruise on the Huang Pu River between the Pudong District and the Bund gave us incredible views of both areas, including the Pearl Tower, the convention center, and the nearly completed Shanghai Tower, which will be the tallest building in China. We have all been trying to decide on our favorite city in China now that we have had a good taste of three very distinct areas. Each city has its own unique character that has made it a great place to visit. Beijing with its ancient and political history and great markets, Chengdu with the laid-back lifestyle and surrounding rural communities, and Shanghai with its impressive skyline.
Shanghai seems like the center of the world with its vast blend of eclectic flavors, all mixing to give an incredible experience. The city has so much to offer and beckons to all throughout the world to join its blend of nations. The majority of foreigners you see around the streets of Shanghai don't appear to be the usual tourists like you find in Beijing or even Chengdu. The foreigners in Shanghai don't seem out of place at all. They appear to belong there, an integral part of the city's character. These foreigners are businesspeople or ex patriots who have claimed Shanghai as a new or second home. The city has enveloped them and made them its own. This is Shanghai, its beauty, and its character. A place everyone should experience, because seeing could never be enough.
Sean Larsen
26 May 2014
Soft Power
Soft Power in China
For this, my final blog post, I want to look back over the entire three weeks to discuss our experiences directly related to the Chinese and especially our interaction with the Chinese students at the various universities and institutes we attended. The first thing I noticed about the Chinese is how happy they all seem to be. Aside from their crazy, aggressive driving, they are very friendly to one another and to foreigners. Especially in cities like Shanghai, Chinese and foreigners seem to coexist and blend well together.
One of the greatest experiences while in China was the opportunities we had to converse with the Chinese students at their school or those who came on the daily excursions with us. Each had a unique life story and interesting views concerning their country, it's past, and the current and future relationship between the United States and China. In general, after speaking with the students, I felt optimistic about the future relations of our countries. Most of the Chinese youth speak English very well, watch American TV shows, play American sports, even eat American food. Most have a great desire to visit the US, and most probably will at some point in their lives. They mostly have favorable views towards the US, even if they don't totally agree with our government. They know, as we do concerning them, that the youth of today see things very differently than our leaders. I have hope that the ability of the youth to look past differences and their desire to continue cultural exchange may be what keeps the partnership between our nations.
Sean Larsen
3 June 2014
For this, my final blog post, I want to look back over the entire three weeks to discuss our experiences directly related to the Chinese and especially our interaction with the Chinese students at the various universities and institutes we attended. The first thing I noticed about the Chinese is how happy they all seem to be. Aside from their crazy, aggressive driving, they are very friendly to one another and to foreigners. Especially in cities like Shanghai, Chinese and foreigners seem to coexist and blend well together.
One of the greatest experiences while in China was the opportunities we had to converse with the Chinese students at their school or those who came on the daily excursions with us. Each had a unique life story and interesting views concerning their country, it's past, and the current and future relationship between the United States and China. In general, after speaking with the students, I felt optimistic about the future relations of our countries. Most of the Chinese youth speak English very well, watch American TV shows, play American sports, even eat American food. Most have a great desire to visit the US, and most probably will at some point in their lives. They mostly have favorable views towards the US, even if they don't totally agree with our government. They know, as we do concerning them, that the youth of today see things very differently than our leaders. I have hope that the ability of the youth to look past differences and their desire to continue cultural exchange may be what keeps the partnership between our nations.
Sean Larsen
3 June 2014
Word of the Day: China Dream (中国梦)
What is the word? No, in China, “the bird” is not the word.* “China dream” is
the word in China today. Echoed in the media, on screens in Tiananmen Square,
in Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefings, in lectures, in children’s art
displays at local museums, in posters hanging in hotel lobbies or fences
surrounding construction sites, the message rings clear: “China dream” is here
to stay. The scions of the national vision are none other than the leadership
of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Propaganda includes variances of “China dream,” including “the people’s dream” and “my dream,” effectively tying society and the individual together into one sweeping theme sponsored by a CPC-led nationalist narrative.
The poet Li Bai (李白) declared, “I will mount a long wind some day and break the heavy waves. (长风破浪会有时， 直挂云帆济沧海。)” President Xi Jinping has referenced the line in an effort to inspire the Chinese people to pursue the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation (Liu 2014).
A variety of opinions exist as to what exactly the China dream is and signifies. This week I asked a municipal bureaucrat in Shanghai what he thought of the China dream. “It’s critical,” he replied. “If a country has no dream, then it doesn’t exist.”
When asked whether the China dream campaign is mere rhetoric or will translate into tangible derivatives, one American diplomat smiled wryly. The diplomat went on to explain that, unlike in the U.S. where policy-makers write and pass detailed, down-in-the-weeds legislation before implementation, in China policy-makers are prone to unveil a sweeping vision and then go on to define the program along the way.
Although there can be no doubt the China dream is sweeping China, what deliverables will result in businesses, communities, schools, and elsewhere is still unknown.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Propaganda includes variances of “China dream,” including “the people’s dream” and “my dream,” effectively tying society and the individual together into one sweeping theme sponsored by a CPC-led nationalist narrative.
The poet Li Bai (李白) declared, “I will mount a long wind some day and break the heavy waves. (长风破浪会有时， 直挂云帆济沧海。)” President Xi Jinping has referenced the line in an effort to inspire the Chinese people to pursue the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation (Liu 2014).
A variety of opinions exist as to what exactly the China dream is and signifies. This week I asked a municipal bureaucrat in Shanghai what he thought of the China dream. “It’s critical,” he replied. “If a country has no dream, then it doesn’t exist.”
When asked whether the China dream campaign is mere rhetoric or will translate into tangible derivatives, one American diplomat smiled wryly. The diplomat went on to explain that, unlike in the U.S. where policy-makers write and pass detailed, down-in-the-weeds legislation before implementation, in China policy-makers are prone to unveil a sweeping vision and then go on to define the program along the way.
Although there can be no doubt the China dream is sweeping China, what deliverables will result in businesses, communities, schools, and elsewhere is still unknown.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Monday, June 2, 2014
Overview
30
June 2014
I joined this group at the last minute, and I am so glad that I did. Before this trip, I was asked if I had any career interests in China, and the answer was no. After this trip, the answer is a definite yes. Before joining the study abroad, I never thought that I would spend so much time in China, or that I would know so much about the country.
I wish that every Bush School student could have this same experience. I have learned so much over the past three weeks. The lectures allowed us to understand the social and historical context of Chinese foreign policy, and the interaction with Chinese students and scholars was invaluable; the Chinese students gave us real insight into distinct perspectives and reminded us that even though we live half a world apart, we are essentially the same.
I feel that this trip was especially enriching for me, an IDEP student, since I have never studied China academically. Most of what I knew about Chinese foreign policy and Sino-US relations before this trip came from various news outlets and publications. This made me quiet in our discussion based lectures, since I was constantly absorbing new information. I am heading back to the United States with half of a notebook filled with notes from our lectures.
I am so grateful for this experience, and I look forward to coming back to China many times in the future.
- Andrea
I joined this group at the last minute, and I am so glad that I did. Before this trip, I was asked if I had any career interests in China, and the answer was no. After this trip, the answer is a definite yes. Before joining the study abroad, I never thought that I would spend so much time in China, or that I would know so much about the country.
I wish that every Bush School student could have this same experience. I have learned so much over the past three weeks. The lectures allowed us to understand the social and historical context of Chinese foreign policy, and the interaction with Chinese students and scholars was invaluable; the Chinese students gave us real insight into distinct perspectives and reminded us that even though we live half a world apart, we are essentially the same.
I feel that this trip was especially enriching for me, an IDEP student, since I have never studied China academically. Most of what I knew about Chinese foreign policy and Sino-US relations before this trip came from various news outlets and publications. This made me quiet in our discussion based lectures, since I was constantly absorbing new information. I am heading back to the United States with half of a notebook filled with notes from our lectures.
I am so grateful for this experience, and I look forward to coming back to China many times in the future.
- Andrea
Rural Sichuan
21 May
2014
We had lunch at a small restaurant, and after lunch, the entire staff came out of the kitchen and into our room to take photos with us. It really sank in that many of the locals of Pengzhou never see foreigners, since tourism in the area, which consisted mainly of domestic tourists, even before 2008, has greatly suffered since the earthquake.
After lunch, we visited a small, family run farm. Though the facilities were rudimentary, the flowers they produced were absolutely beautiful. At the end of our visit, we were all very humbled when the farmers gave us each a flower and did not accept payment.
Following the farm, we went to a primary school, where we interacted with a small group of children. We decided to give our fresh flowers to the students, and everyone in our group took turns handing the children a flower. I wonder what those kids were thinking as we handed them flowers and took pictures of them in the middle of a school day—even I thought it was kind of weird. Among the children we saw, the sex ratio mirrored China’s overall sex ratio of 117:100 (m:f). Though I know the sex ratio is unbalanced, it is harder to detect when you are constantly interacting with locals in a big city.
As a bonus, the long bus rides with the SWUFE students were great. I learned a lot about Chinese society and average Chinese teenagers. Vanessa also showed me how Chinese speakers send text messages!
Also, this is really embarrassing, but today we totally thought we had a fan club following us from the restaurant, to the farm, to the school, to Bailu… but it ended up being our guide.
- Andrea
Today,
we went to Pengzhou, a small rural area outside of Chengdu that was devastated
by an earthquake in 2008. Despite the ecological upset, the drive was
beautiful, and I was really surprised at how much the land looks like rural
Nicaragua.
We had lunch at a small restaurant, and after lunch, the entire staff came out of the kitchen and into our room to take photos with us. It really sank in that many of the locals of Pengzhou never see foreigners, since tourism in the area, which consisted mainly of domestic tourists, even before 2008, has greatly suffered since the earthquake.
After lunch, we visited a small, family run farm. Though the facilities were rudimentary, the flowers they produced were absolutely beautiful. At the end of our visit, we were all very humbled when the farmers gave us each a flower and did not accept payment.
Following the farm, we went to a primary school, where we interacted with a small group of children. We decided to give our fresh flowers to the students, and everyone in our group took turns handing the children a flower. I wonder what those kids were thinking as we handed them flowers and took pictures of them in the middle of a school day—even I thought it was kind of weird. Among the children we saw, the sex ratio mirrored China’s overall sex ratio of 117:100 (m:f). Though I know the sex ratio is unbalanced, it is harder to detect when you are constantly interacting with locals in a big city.
As a bonus, the long bus rides with the SWUFE students were great. I learned a lot about Chinese society and average Chinese teenagers. Vanessa also showed me how Chinese speakers send text messages!
Also, this is really embarrassing, but today we totally thought we had a fan club following us from the restaurant, to the farm, to the school, to Bailu… but it ended up being our guide.
- Andrea
China Household Finance Survey
20 May 2014
Today was our first lecture day at Southwest University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) in Chengdu. We had two lectures this morning. In the first, we talked about the Chinese economy. I wish we had had more time; the lecture could have easily been two hours longer, since China’s economy has such a complex history. After the lecture, Cheryl, a Bush School graduate now working at SWUFE, introduced the China Household Finance Survey, a representative survey designed to determine financial details of Chinese households, such as how much they are saving for their child’s future, how much insurance they have, etc.
The general findings of the survey were very interesting to me, especially since I just had completed Dr. Mu’s Advanced Economic Development class a few weeks ago.
The survey found that the households who were among the poorest shared three characteristics: self-reported poor health from the head of household, a low level of education, and no insurance.
The “self-reported poor health” characteristic was interesting because in class we read articles about several development interventions in which self-reported health was used as a dependent variable. Findings showed that individuals who had better early childhood nutrition self-reported better health than those who did not have adequate nutrition in the earliest stage of life. Additionally, they reported higher hourly wages, up to 40% higher in some cases! The link between poor health and wages is strongest in physically demanding, low skilled jobs, which are common among the poorest.
Additionally, while writing the research paper for this class, I found articles that claimed that unmarried males in China self-report lower levels of health and lower wages. This has implications for China, since it is predicted that due to the distorted sex ratio at birth, anywhere from 30 to 50 million males (depending on the scholar) will be unable to find a spouse in the next twenty years.
The survey also reported the average wage of heads of household after having completed a certain level of education. These results were as follows:
High School: 60,927 RMB
When we studied education among the world’s poorest in Advanced Economic Development, we talked about the perception of an S-shaped curve in returns to education. An S-shaped curve would imply that returns are higher at higher levels of schooling and that it is better to send one child to high school than to send two children to primary school or middle school. Though the S-shaped curve does not exist, it is perceived, and many households in developing countries will focus all of their energy on the education of one child, hoping they will reach the highest levels.
The results of the finance survey support all of the evidence disproving the existence of an S-shaped curve and demonstrate steady and even returns on education at each level of schooling.
- Andrea
Today was our first lecture day at Southwest University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) in Chengdu. We had two lectures this morning. In the first, we talked about the Chinese economy. I wish we had had more time; the lecture could have easily been two hours longer, since China’s economy has such a complex history. After the lecture, Cheryl, a Bush School graduate now working at SWUFE, introduced the China Household Finance Survey, a representative survey designed to determine financial details of Chinese households, such as how much they are saving for their child’s future, how much insurance they have, etc.
The general findings of the survey were very interesting to me, especially since I just had completed Dr. Mu’s Advanced Economic Development class a few weeks ago.
The survey found that the households who were among the poorest shared three characteristics: self-reported poor health from the head of household, a low level of education, and no insurance.
The “self-reported poor health” characteristic was interesting because in class we read articles about several development interventions in which self-reported health was used as a dependent variable. Findings showed that individuals who had better early childhood nutrition self-reported better health than those who did not have adequate nutrition in the earliest stage of life. Additionally, they reported higher hourly wages, up to 40% higher in some cases! The link between poor health and wages is strongest in physically demanding, low skilled jobs, which are common among the poorest.
Additionally, while writing the research paper for this class, I found articles that claimed that unmarried males in China self-report lower levels of health and lower wages. This has implications for China, since it is predicted that due to the distorted sex ratio at birth, anywhere from 30 to 50 million males (depending on the scholar) will be unable to find a spouse in the next twenty years.
The survey also reported the average wage of heads of household after having completed a certain level of education. These results were as follows:
Primary
School: 22,271 RMB
Middle
School: 38,692 RMB High School: 60,927 RMB
When we studied education among the world’s poorest in Advanced Economic Development, we talked about the perception of an S-shaped curve in returns to education. An S-shaped curve would imply that returns are higher at higher levels of schooling and that it is better to send one child to high school than to send two children to primary school or middle school. Though the S-shaped curve does not exist, it is perceived, and many households in developing countries will focus all of their energy on the education of one child, hoping they will reach the highest levels.
The results of the finance survey support all of the evidence disproving the existence of an S-shaped curve and demonstrate steady and even returns on education at each level of schooling.
- Andrea
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Tibet, Taiwan & The Lama Temple
18 May 2014
Today, Professor Xiong Zhiyong gave us some great insight into the Chinese perspective regarding Tibet and Taiwan. He also showed us some nuances in the Sino-US relationship that were incredibly interesting and reveal the tough history China and the US have had. This might have been old news to everyone else, especially those who have taken Chinese Foreign Policy, but since I have only taken one NSD class, the required theory course, I found this incredibly interesting. Now that I know more about the issue, I am anxious to see how the Taiwan issue continues to develop in the future, and if policies towards Taiwan play a role in the next presidential election. Unfortunately, the time limit was short, and the Tibet issue did not receive as much detail as the Taiwan issue received. This may have been on purpose, however.
After the lecture, the group split up and spent the afternoon in different places. Claire, Jason, and I went to the Lama Temple in downtown Beijing. We learned from our lecturer earlier that afternoon that the Lama Temples is one of only two ancient temples in the region that survived the Cultural Revolution, because it had served as a military headquarters. I have been to the Lama Temple before, and I was eager to go back because I knew Claire and Jason would like the site. Though it is a tourist attraction, the Lama Temple is a very active religious site, and one gets a glimpse into a religious culture that we do not often see in the United States. The temple is expansive, and the crown jewel is a Buddha statue that is eighteen meters high (and three meters deep); it was carved from a single piece of sandalwood. From the size of the statue, it looks like it could only have been carved from a California Redwood. I really cannot imagine a tree being that big.
After the Lama Temple, we went to Nanluoguxiang, a narrow alley full of small boutique stores, and sat in a café to rest and people watch. We kept an eye out for shirts in English that make any sense. My personal favorite had a picture of an apple and said, “chocolate.” Luckily, we found our entire group there, and we all went together to Hohai, a recreational lake area. We were supposed to meet at the front gate, but I really doubt we would have been able to find each other since it was a good distance away from the metro stop. The area was really nice, but it clearly catered to Westerners. Nevertheless, there were many Chinese enjoying the weather and the lake. Thanks to Ben’s Mandarin skills, we were able to find a reasonably priced restaurant after being led through several layers of hutongs. I’m surprised anyone who is not a local can find this place. After dinner, I stayed in Hohai with Ben, Caroline, and Sean for a little while before heading back to the hotel.
- Andrea
Today, Professor Xiong Zhiyong gave us some great insight into the Chinese perspective regarding Tibet and Taiwan. He also showed us some nuances in the Sino-US relationship that were incredibly interesting and reveal the tough history China and the US have had. This might have been old news to everyone else, especially those who have taken Chinese Foreign Policy, but since I have only taken one NSD class, the required theory course, I found this incredibly interesting. Now that I know more about the issue, I am anxious to see how the Taiwan issue continues to develop in the future, and if policies towards Taiwan play a role in the next presidential election. Unfortunately, the time limit was short, and the Tibet issue did not receive as much detail as the Taiwan issue received. This may have been on purpose, however.
After the lecture, the group split up and spent the afternoon in different places. Claire, Jason, and I went to the Lama Temple in downtown Beijing. We learned from our lecturer earlier that afternoon that the Lama Temples is one of only two ancient temples in the region that survived the Cultural Revolution, because it had served as a military headquarters. I have been to the Lama Temple before, and I was eager to go back because I knew Claire and Jason would like the site. Though it is a tourist attraction, the Lama Temple is a very active religious site, and one gets a glimpse into a religious culture that we do not often see in the United States. The temple is expansive, and the crown jewel is a Buddha statue that is eighteen meters high (and three meters deep); it was carved from a single piece of sandalwood. From the size of the statue, it looks like it could only have been carved from a California Redwood. I really cannot imagine a tree being that big.
After the Lama Temple, we went to Nanluoguxiang, a narrow alley full of small boutique stores, and sat in a café to rest and people watch. We kept an eye out for shirts in English that make any sense. My personal favorite had a picture of an apple and said, “chocolate.” Luckily, we found our entire group there, and we all went together to Hohai, a recreational lake area. We were supposed to meet at the front gate, but I really doubt we would have been able to find each other since it was a good distance away from the metro stop. The area was really nice, but it clearly catered to Westerners. Nevertheless, there were many Chinese enjoying the weather and the lake. Thanks to Ben’s Mandarin skills, we were able to find a reasonably priced restaurant after being led through several layers of hutongs. I’m surprised anyone who is not a local can find this place. After dinner, I stayed in Hohai with Ben, Caroline, and Sean for a little while before heading back to the hotel.
- Andrea
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Shanghai Institute of International Studies
Tuesday May 27, 2014
The lectures we have had at SIIS have been really interesting and more interactive than the past two universities. The Chinese students sit in on the lectures too, although they are not as vocal as us (most likely because it is hard to debate politics in your second language).
Today's lecture was especially stimulating because the professor conducted it more like an actual class. Instead of lecturing and having a Q&A at the end, he asked us tough questions and forced both the Chinese and American students to not only answer the question, but to think through the logic of our answers and provide logical reasoning. He also gave us all push back on the answers we gave, essentially playing devil's advocate. This approach was just like our classes back home and I think it is the best way to learn. If you aren't put on the spot and forced to think through these issues it's easy to just give any answer and not really understand the depth of these issues.
The first question he posed, which we spent a significant amount of time on was "is China becoming more assertive?" The Americans generally answered that yes China is, while the Chinese all agreed they weren't. However I think this divide is largely due to how each side views the word assertive. I think the Chinese students view it with a negative connotation, therefore it would not apply to them. I also think they do no see how their military modernization, regardless of their intentions, appears inherently threatening to the US and the region.
There were so many great comments, I wish I could regurgitate them here, but there is not enough room so I wii have to end here!
Cheryl
The lectures we have had at SIIS have been really interesting and more interactive than the past two universities. The Chinese students sit in on the lectures too, although they are not as vocal as us (most likely because it is hard to debate politics in your second language).
Today's lecture was especially stimulating because the professor conducted it more like an actual class. Instead of lecturing and having a Q&A at the end, he asked us tough questions and forced both the Chinese and American students to not only answer the question, but to think through the logic of our answers and provide logical reasoning. He also gave us all push back on the answers we gave, essentially playing devil's advocate. This approach was just like our classes back home and I think it is the best way to learn. If you aren't put on the spot and forced to think through these issues it's easy to just give any answer and not really understand the depth of these issues.
The first question he posed, which we spent a significant amount of time on was "is China becoming more assertive?" The Americans generally answered that yes China is, while the Chinese all agreed they weren't. However I think this divide is largely due to how each side views the word assertive. I think the Chinese students view it with a negative connotation, therefore it would not apply to them. I also think they do no see how their military modernization, regardless of their intentions, appears inherently threatening to the US and the region.
There were so many great comments, I wish I could regurgitate them here, but there is not enough room so I wii have to end here!
Cheryl
To ‘Avoiding Entrapment’
While out at dinner with graduate students from
the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) tonight, the
world’s favorite dictator came up in conversation. Namely, the tradition
of
memes begun under Kim Jong-il, entitled “Kim Jong-il looks at things,” which has been so nobly continued by Kim Jong-un, under the auspicious label “Kim Jong-un looks at things,” came up.
One of the SIIS students bemoaned the Chinese-North Korean relationship as an embarrassing nuisance. We shared our concerns that North Korea’s precarious political leadership and penchant for provocations could lead to conflict on the peninsula. In comparison, I observed, “The United States worries about entrapment by Japan in the same way China worries about entrapment by North Korea.” In other words, both China and the United States could be pulled into armed conflict because of long-term allegiances and promises to two nations which recently increased in feisty-ness. In a semi-solemn moment, we gladly raised our glasses to ‘Avoiding entrapment.’
If the students we ate dinner with tonight reflect the thinking of China’s next generation of diplomats, then there is hope China will at least refuse to be drawn into another peninsular debacle stemming from the Kim family’s hunger for power and perhaps even clamp down on the
North Korean regime’s erratic behavior.
Look on, little Kim. So long as looking is all you do.
Benjamin J. Hayford
memes begun under Kim Jong-il, entitled “Kim Jong-il looks at things,” which has been so nobly continued by Kim Jong-un, under the auspicious label “Kim Jong-un looks at things,” came up.
One of the SIIS students bemoaned the Chinese-North Korean relationship as an embarrassing nuisance. We shared our concerns that North Korea’s precarious political leadership and penchant for provocations could lead to conflict on the peninsula. In comparison, I observed, “The United States worries about entrapment by Japan in the same way China worries about entrapment by North Korea.” In other words, both China and the United States could be pulled into armed conflict because of long-term allegiances and promises to two nations which recently increased in feisty-ness. In a semi-solemn moment, we gladly raised our glasses to ‘Avoiding entrapment.’
If the students we ate dinner with tonight reflect the thinking of China’s next generation of diplomats, then there is hope China will at least refuse to be drawn into another peninsular debacle stemming from the Kim family’s hunger for power and perhaps even clamp down on the
North Korean regime’s erratic behavior.
Look on, little Kim. So long as looking is all you do.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Monday, May 26, 2014
Chinese Television
Watching Chinese TV is an interesting experience. Unlike in the US where we have telenovela, every single channel is in Chinese. Not that I expect them to accommodate us, we don't have any Chinese channels in the US. But it really hits you how much you are cut off from the world without news when you get email that Thailand (where I am going after this trip) has declared martial law and absolutely no one on the trip knew.
My favorite Chinese show, hands down, is a show called something like "Sing With Me." Basically it's like The Voice except judges vote by deciding to sing along. It's all very dramatic when a judge pushes a button and a microphone comes swinging around and they burst out in song. The interesting part is how much they have taken form American TV vs how much they have added. They have shows that are literally The Voice China, but once they find a good idea they take it to a whole new level. It results in a whole group of American students talking about the great Chinese television rather than some of the less appealing aspects of China like extreme inequality or lack of human rights. Well played China, well played.
Caroline Rothrock
My favorite Chinese show, hands down, is a show called something like "Sing With Me." Basically it's like The Voice except judges vote by deciding to sing along. It's all very dramatic when a judge pushes a button and a microphone comes swinging around and they burst out in song. The interesting part is how much they have taken form American TV vs how much they have added. They have shows that are literally The Voice China, but once they find a good idea they take it to a whole new level. It results in a whole group of American students talking about the great Chinese television rather than some of the less appealing aspects of China like extreme inequality or lack of human rights. Well played China, well played.
Caroline Rothrock
Tian'anmen Square
Tiananmen Square was an interesting experience. In America you hear about the event involving the students in the 1980s, however much of the population seems unaware that there were any deaths there just a few decades ago. Much like the other sites, we were treated like super stars. People came up to all of us to get pictures with the tall Americans, which is still a novelty to them.
One thing that surprised me about Tianamen was how open the area was. For some unknown reason I assumed the area was somewhat blocked off. Instead it was surrounded by rather busy roads. We were able to walk to the square from the Forbidden City and then right over to the national museum afterwards. Seeing the squares surroundings explains why that location was chosen. Not only was it right next to the historically important Forbidden City, but it was also directly in front of the People's Congress. We didn't get too close to the giant picture of Mao, but honestly we didn't need to. It was just a wall next to the street. For a place with such intense history the scenery was surprisingly underwhelming.
Caroline Rothrock
One thing that surprised me about Tianamen was how open the area was. For some unknown reason I assumed the area was somewhat blocked off. Instead it was surrounded by rather busy roads. We were able to walk to the square from the Forbidden City and then right over to the national museum afterwards. Seeing the squares surroundings explains why that location was chosen. Not only was it right next to the historically important Forbidden City, but it was also directly in front of the People's Congress. We didn't get too close to the giant picture of Mao, but honestly we didn't need to. It was just a wall next to the street. For a place with such intense history the scenery was surprisingly underwhelming.
Caroline Rothrock
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Honest and Brave Intellectuals are Needed for the U.S. and China to Become Good Friends
In the United States, academics and businessmen from
time to time receive political appointments and serve at the pleasure of the
President. Various roles throughout the administration are filled by women and
men with experience leading Universities and corporations. The revolving door
between administrations and think tanks is not replicated in the Chinese
governance system. In China, political reliability is highly valued and
politicians are advanced based on performance measures, with an emphasis on
economic performance over the past thirty years. However, the Democratic and
Republican parties value political reliability as well. The Communist Party of
China and the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States groom
individuals who are politically reliable. To be an honest and brave
intellectual while remaining politically reliable can be a difficult task in
the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.).
This morning we had the distinct privilege of
hearing from one of the most honest and brave intellectuals in the P.R.C., Yang
Jiemian. His words renewed my hope for a bright future between China and the
United States. Yang believes, “The best way for peace is to do business.”
He spoke to us about the recent Conference on
Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit, which was
held in Shanghai last week, on the 20th and 21st. Yang
noted, “We need a new momentum of building Asia into a more secure, more
peaceful, and more prosperous region of the world.”
Looking forward, he is confident China and the U.S.
can become good friends. His poignant words left a lasting impression on our
combined group of Bush School and Shanghai Institutes of International Studies
graduate students. “We are all human beings,” he said. “We want a happy life.
We want to educate ourselves. We want our children to be better than ourselves.
We want peace.”
Following the lecture, Dr. Mu observed, “Sometimes
intellectuals must be brave and say what they think.” Indeed, Yang Jiemian is
the type of brave and honest intellectual China desperately needs as it rises.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
21 May 2014 Pengzhou, Sichuan Province
Today we left the bustling cities, smoggy air, and heavy traffic behind as we headed to Pengzhou, a rural community north of Chengdu. On our way we picked up several undergraduate students from the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) and enjoyed the opportunity of conversing with and learning much from them. Pengzhou was a beautiful mountainous region full of lush green trees towering over a quiet riverbed. Among the solemnity lay a few scarred remains of the 2008 earthquake that killed about 70,000 people, a humbling thought for those of us who have never experience such vast tragedy.
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We made a few stops in the area to observe a little bit of the life of the rural Chinese. We paused for a bit at a little nursery with rows of greenhouses full of blooming Gerber daisies and corn drying above. Aligned in neat rows out front were fruit trees, various types of vegetables, and large hydrangeas not quite ready to make their show of beautiful pinks and blues. The little row of rooms where the caretaker lived were accompanied by pens of chickens and massive pigs. And a little old lady graced us with her presence and shyly allowed us to take some pictures with her. It is amazing to ponder the events that have transpired in her country over her 80 years of life and the changes she has witnessed.
With a hand full of daisies, we left the little nursery to visit a nearby primary school. A little class of six and seven-year olds joined us in the courtyard and sang a couple of songs for us. We presented each little girl and several of the bravest little boys with a daisy as they each told us their name. Fortunately they were willing to interact and speak with us and we greatly enjoyed seeing their excitement of having such strange visitors. We were impressed by how nice the school was, especially being in such a rural area. It is obvious that China does put a good amount of investment into at least some rural education programs.
This visit to Pegnzhou was a very rewarding experience for all of us and we were grateful for such an opportunity to experience a side of China rarely seen by foreign eyes.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Chinese Foreign Affairs University, Beijing
On Friday we had the opportunity to sit in with a graduate class at CFAU. This was probably one of the most memorable things we have done thus far. We walked into the room and I immediately noticed writing on the board that looked familiar. They had just been learning about deterrence theory, hand tying, costly signals, etc. This being my area of interest, I was immediately excited about the coming conversation.
As far as the students, I expected them to not necessarily be unfriendly, but rather more skeptical of Americans. They were actually the opposite. I first introduced myself to a male student who promptly found a different place to sit, (he didn't seem to want to be in class) but after that I found two girls, roommates named Susie and Sun shu. These girls were both first year students and were lovely. We chatted about school and our lives at home and realized that we have a lot in common. It was extremely surprising how similar our classes were, although as students in the same field we shouldn't have been surprised. They read Waltz, Mearsheimer, and my personal favorite Schelling. I think the experience made all parties realize how similar we are, even if our cultures are very different. It was also encouraging to have a conversation with the future government workers of China about the continuation of friendly Sino-U.S. relations in spite of differences.
I look forward to meeting the students in Chengdu and Shanghai next!
Cheryl
16 May 2014
The Great Wall
The Great Wall of China is a sight to behold, unless of course it's covered with tourists and surrounded by smog. On our third day in Beijing we went to the Mutianyu section of the wall and climbed for over two hours. By the time we reached the top our only company was a few brave athletic souls. Our guide/friend Edward is training for the equivalent of the US military PT test so he made quite the effort to run back and forth between different groups and take all the pictures we would ever want. Climbing up approximately 400 meters makes you really appreciate how good of shape the soldiers on the wall must have been. Having two people in the group with knee problems, myself included, places an extra focus on the physical demands that job would have had.
We have been very lucky with the smog. Being up high we were able to see how heavy the pollution was over Beijing. But even then, it just looked like we had picked a rather cloudy day to make our pilgrimage to the wall. Most of the days have been blue skies and easy breathing. We're beginning to believe it is over exaggerated or a flat out lie when people say that the air gives them an asthma attack or that they can't see the end of the street. We have a few days left, so I guess we'll see, but right now I don't hear anyone complaining.
Caroline
15 May 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Beijing
Today, on our second day here in Beijing, our group had the fantastic (and rare) opportunity to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to observe a live press briefing. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Miss Hua Chunying briefed the press on several recent and upcoming issues in which China is involved. Some of these included upcoming visits by Chinese dignitaries to Israel and Croatia as well as high level visits by the president of the Kyrgyz Republic. What was more interesting, however, was the discussion of recent tensions in the South China Sea where Vietnamese vessels have apparently been ramming Chines ships and oil rigs in an attempt to disrupt oil drilling in what China believes to be their "undisputed territory". We found this information very insightful has we were unaware of any current tensions between China and Vietnam.
We also greatly enjoyed the question and answer portion where journalists from various international news agencies were able to ask further question regarding other fascinating subject of which we had never heard discussed. A couple such questions involved the current construction of what is believed to be a Chinese airstrip along a reef that Indonesia claims is theirs but which China claims is indisputably their territory. Again, a very interesting topic we had never heard discussed before. Spokeswomen Hua simply stated that construction might be taking place, but the land belongs to China, making such construction perfectly legal. We enjoyed taking part in such a rich experience and were grateful for the opportunity we were given to observe and discuss such interesting topics in very current Chinese international affairs.
Sean
14 May 2014
We also greatly enjoyed the question and answer portion where journalists from various international news agencies were able to ask further question regarding other fascinating subject of which we had never heard discussed. A couple such questions involved the current construction of what is believed to be a Chinese airstrip along a reef that Indonesia claims is theirs but which China claims is indisputably their territory. Again, a very interesting topic we had never heard discussed before. Spokeswomen Hua simply stated that construction might be taking place, but the land belongs to China, making such construction perfectly legal. We enjoyed taking part in such a rich experience and were grateful for the opportunity we were given to observe and discuss such interesting topics in very current Chinese international affairs.
Sean
14 May 2014
798 Art District: China Dream on Display
By Benjamin J. Hayford
After climbing the Juyonguan section of the Great Wall, we headed to the 798 Art District. Walking through the refurbished factories-turned-studios, seeing the work of talented Chinese artists reminded me of my youth. Attending the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, a small (read 600 students in six grades) public school in Southwest Washington State, was a pivotal experience in my life. Although my focus was theatre and literary arts, I have many friends who focused on vocal and instrumental music, dance, film, and – of course – visual arts.
After climbing the Juyonguan section of the Great Wall, we headed to the 798 Art District. Walking through the refurbished factories-turned-studios, seeing the work of talented Chinese artists reminded me of my youth. Attending the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, a small (read 600 students in six grades) public school in Southwest Washington State, was a pivotal experience in my life. Although my focus was theatre and literary arts, I have many friends who focused on vocal and instrumental music, dance, film, and – of course – visual arts.
I felt a certain closeness to the artists and art in 798 today. I
love witnessing how people express themselves and their dreams through art. At
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefing yesterday morning, the press
secretary encouraged the journalists to understand the Chinese people’s dreams
and report the news objectively.
China dream or 中国梦 is on the tip of everyone’s tongue and the forefront of many
minds, but what does it mean? I am convinced one important manifestation of the
China dream is and must be through art, because art is one of the most
unfiltered mediums through which people’s dreams are articulated, explored and
illustrated.
I was particularly enthralled by the sculptures of artist Liu
Ruowang (刘若望). When we entered the Yang Gallery in 798, a bronze soldier
brought alive in still motion caught my attention. To me, Liu’s bronze sculpture
blended the strength of the ancient Middle Kingdom with the bold energy of a
determined and disciplined modern Chinese person. Traditionally, the Chinese
clay soldiers unearthed in Xi’an have unwaveringly stood guard. What about
today? Now, Liu depicts a clay soldier adaptive to an ever-changing world. It is
not enough for the Chinese to stand still and protect the old ways. The youth of
China, from artists to diplomats, will have to learn and move in the
twenty-first century.
I would love to see more of Liu Ruowang’s work and similar work by
other prominent Chinese artists on display in the United States, especially in
venues such as the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, which, along
with the George Bush School of Government and Public Service, is housed at Texas
A&M University and the Asia Society – Texas Center. Increased exposure
abroad will only advance the China dream’s reputation and
influence.
Liu Ruowang’s website http://www.liuruowang.com/
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