[Dawn Linden-Wright]

I had not heard of the forest prior to doing some research.  I am interested in seeing how the Chinese are preserving this area while at the same time modernizing in every conceivable way.  

[Dawn Linden-Wright]

 

In advance and short, my apology for not posting in this forum. I did listen when in the application it was noted this was not an opportunity to go to China to shop.  The introduction could not have been aware of the demands of being in a brand-new school for a first year.  The demands of building community and curriculum have gotten the best of me in the last month and I have not been as conscientious as I should have been about posting.  That is not to say I have not been doing research along the way and using many of the resources on the USC page in my classroom study of China. 

From studying China with my students for the past ten years I probably did not need to know anymore.  Seeing football field size terra cotta warriors (that are not terra cotta) would be enough for me but so much more to Xian.  As I am sure you have noted in your own research, Xian is credited as being the birth place of the Chinese civilization.   When Emperor Qin in short order organized the Warring States under his control.  If I were to venture a guess, I would say he was a prototype of a modern dictator very self-serving.  Maybe you have to be to be an emperor.  In any case, he did assemble an army to protect him in his afterlife and hence the Terra Cotta warriors. He died young although in his life he was always searching for the key to immortality.    One of the amazing things about the Terra Cotta warriors is that they were not discovered until the 1970s so unlike many other archeological finds the warriors were not destroyed by vandals and have not been appropriated to museums across the world.  They are all still intact in their original country and location In addition, the late discovery has allowed numerous missteps in archeology to be avoided -technology in archeology just keeps getting better.  It is interesting to note that they have yet to open the actual tomb of Qin and there are no public plans to do so now.  It piques my curiosity to see what is inside the actual mound.   Maybe Qin will have a last laugh on us and nothing is inside. 

Obviously the most recognizable artifact to witness in Xian is the Warriors but not the only one.   Qin was the first to lay the foundations of what would eventually become the Silk Road.  Xi’an was a major hub along the way.  That is evident in the nine-mile wall that was built around the Imperial Palace and restored in 1370 CE. 9 Miles wow, wonder what the imperial palace was like.  

Intersectionality of cultures is a major theme in my classroom and there are two areas of Xian that I think speak well to this theme.   First, the Muslim Quarter, Friends have told me there is amazing street food here and great market shopping.  However, I have to say what interests me more is the Great Mosque which was built during the Ming Dynasty.  While it has classic Chinese architecture on the outside, it houses Islamic art inside.  Something I hope to get a peek at during our visit.  It’s not very far from the city walk so maybe just a quick peak.  The main prayer area is not open to the public so it will be a limited view.   The second interesting intersect from my perspective is The Big Wild Goose Pagoda or Temple of Kindness and grace.  It was constructed in 652 AD in the hope of brining Master Xuazang a noted interpreter of Sanskrit sacred text in India back to China.  The pagoda was built with bricks and uses no cement.  To stand the text of time is amazing.  

 

[Dawn Linden-Wright]

What a great idea Barbara can't wait to see what you come up with!

[Dawn Linden-Wright]

Hi Kristen,

Glad to see I am not the only one with limited outside the country travel experience.   Should be an amazing experience.  

[Dawn Linden-Wright]

Hello,

My name is Dawn Linden and I have been a teacher for twelve years while raising three sons and a previous career as a waitress.  Interestingly, I made more money doing that than I do teaching! I currently teach world civilizations to 6th and 7th graders in Seattle Public Schools.  This year I have switched from teaching Highly Capable students to teaching both HCC students and Scholars. This has been quite an adventure to differentiate all of my curriculum and one I continue to perfect.   Probably my favorite content is Asia and specifically China so I look forward to the hands on experience. 

As with most teachers, I do not  have much free time during the school year but when I do I love to read, dabble in art and get out and experience the world.  Looking forward to "meeting you all" tomorrow and seeing you all in June. 

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