Understanding with The Center for International Understanding

Thus far, we have left North Carolina in four groups, two from Raleigh and two from Charlotte. In total, we are 33 with the Center for International Understanding, all going to Jiangsu province after Beijing to visit our partner schools and to meet the school leaders. The time in Beijing permitted us to get used to the time zone and to get a feel for China as it is in 2010. After passing through Newark or New York airports we joined together in Beijing becoming part of 413 people on the 2010 China Bridge Delegation. Educators from across the US were divided into various groups headed off to different provinces after our intro group intro to Beijing. Jessica Garner, NC Teacher of the Year, and Dr. Bobby Hobgood of LearnNC, were headed to Jilin, north of Beijing on the Korean border.

We stayed at the Beijing Hotel that is very centrally located. In one direction, we could easily walk to Tiananmen Square where the Great Hall of the People houses their Parliament, where Chairman Mao lies at rest in a large mausoleum for tourists to visit daily and where two 10 x 60’ color digital screens advertize the world fair presently in Shanghai. In the opposite direction from the hotel is a main boulevard closed to through traffic. Lining the center of the closed street are exhibits and ads in honor of the World Cup in South Africa. The boulevard is a main street like the Champs Ellyssee in Paris or the Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Cartier, Rolex, Gucci and other name brands span the door portals and large window cases. In second floors and basements are fast food restaurants including McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks and Dairy Queen. On the side streets are street vendors with meat, fruit and corn on a stick as well as tourist souvenirs of silk dresses, Beijing Opera masks, chopsticks, papercuts and Chinese brush paintings. The multi-lane boulevard includes late model BMWs, Hondas, Fords, VWs, Toyotas, Mercedes as well as Chevy sedans. There are pedestrians as well as bicycles, pushcarts, pedicabs, mopeds, motorcycles, electric buses and taxis.

Our first meeting welcomed us and introduced us to the upper echelon of Hanban and the sponsored programs: HS student summer study in China, teacher training for US Chinese and world history teachers; student scholarships, the China Bridge program teaching materials, etc. College Board also introduced key people in this Chinese - US collaboration that was envisioned just five years ago. The first China Bridge delegation came to China in 2006. Hanban and College Board spoke of their efforts and their shared vision that through people to people exchange that the US and China would better understand each other .

Our Beijing introduction to China included a visit to the Lama Buddhist Temple and the Confucius Temple, both within blocks of each other. The Lama Temple houses numerous statues of Buddha including one that is 59 feet tall and made from a single tree Confucius was born Kǒng Fūzǐ; in 551 BC and is revered as a great philosopher. He extolled the virtues of study is considered the great teacher. Hanban’s Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms are named after Kong Fuzi, or Confucius as the west calls him.

The evening event held a banquet of Chinese food and everyone learning to use chopsticks. Madame Xu Lin, Executive Director of Hanban welcomed us and spoke to the guests. Thomas Skipper of the Department of Public Affairs at the US Embassy also spoke, commenting on the divergent history and cultures of the US and Chinese people and their present efforts at mutual understanding. Entertainment by middle schoolers included singing in Chinese and English, a mini-opera representative of the Beijing Opera, calligraphy demonstration and playing the banjo-like instrument, the pipa. My favorite quote of the evening was Language is a bridge to enhance friendship. (yu yan shi zeng jin you yi de qiao liang).

Prior to departing for Nanjing, our group visited the Juyongguan Pass section of the great wall where the wall blocked the passage of invaders in a steep opening between the mountains. The steep incline was not for the week. Donna and Bill Cook were two of four in our Jiangsu group who made it to the top! As I descended, I ran into Bobby Hobgood of Learn NC and Jessica Garner of Union County pushing upward and counting steps “345, 346…”

Links:
1. Lama Temple http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/China/Beijing_Shi/Beijing-1024960/Things_To_Do-Beijing-Lama_Temple_Yonghegong-BR-1.html
2. Confucius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius
3. Confucius Temple http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/confucius.htm
4. Madame Xu Lin http://www.enewsbuilder.net/iacusf/e_article001444976.cfm?x=b11,0,w
5. Hanban http://www.hanban.ca/index.php?lang=en
6. Great Wall- Juyongguan Section http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/scene/beijing/juyongguan.htm