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Deirdre HarrisHi Johnny, As I was reading your comment above, it was very disturbing to me also to hear that during this very divisive and political time in our country's history, that there are Americans who are pushing their right-wing agenda, through the guise of religion and Christianity to people in China. Who knows where else this is happening for that matter. I feel that so many people around the world are so easily swayed by the most outrageous ideas and beliefs. It's very disheartening to think that large groups of people could be taught "fake news" so to speak, and it could be printed, and possibly and passed off as truth to the young or conform non-believers to a new way of thinking. We are living in dangerous times in so many ways, and it would be a shame if someone is trying to teach non-truths to anyone, in any country, would be a risk, as you say. I do hope that the State Department does monitor religious activities with possibly political agendas in order to help a particular interest worldwide.
Deirdre HarrisHi Daniella, I also found the readings and the webinar very interesting, and caused me to do further research as well. I found various articles that talked about how a growing number of women in China are secretly adopting Christianity as their new religion. More women than men are adopting it, possibly because of the repression of religions in the 1960's and 1970's. At that time many Christians were imprisoned. It arrived after Buddhism and before Islam. People had to go underground to follow their beliefs. Some say it's China's fastest growing religion now in the 21st Century. It would take a lot for someone in China or Japan to believe that their savior, who lived over 2,000 years ago, died for their sins in a country so far away. From my readings, it says that most present-day Christians are women, and mainly live in the developed Eastern Coast.
I find this interesting to compare that in the West, some say that approximately 1% of the population claim to be Buddists, and follow Buddism. I think that many Westerners want to share in the Eastern religions, and learn about the ways of Buddhism. Like you say, learning the teachings of famous teachers like the Dali Llama, and Thich Nhat Hanh, as their messages are needed at such a difficult time, in our present day. We all need to find some peace, and through many of the beliefs of Buddhism, we are trying to heal ourselves, stay calm and joyful, and lead a balanced life during these times of difficulty. Luckily we have freedom of religion here in the West, and don't have to go underground to practice our religious beliefs.
I also find it interesting that Buddhism was so easily accepted into Japan coming from China, but based upon Indian practices. It seems that it found it's way into Japan via the Silk Road with travelers and immigrants in the first half of the six-century. Monks arrived with scriptures outlining Buddhism and was finally introduced to the Elite Ruling classes of Japan. At the time, the emperor had to ask his officials if they thought they should worship this Buddha. They were worried it would upset the Kami of Japan, by worshiping a foreign deity. It was tested, by only a small clan, the Soga clan, to test its efficacy. Ultimately, Shotoku was seen as an accomplished bodhisattva, who is now seen as the true founder of Buddhism in Japan.
I think that as teachers of upper grade students, we can show how various religions have spread all over the world, from "pole to pole" and that people want to be free to choose their own belief systems, and what a valuable a freedom this is.
Deirdre HarrisI just read an article about how the workers building this One Road One Belt, as many call it, are not being treated well at all by Chinese companies that employ them. It states that many workers had falsely been promised specific wages, and then being paid less than promised. That once they arrived, their visa's and passports were taken, and held unless they paid a fine to the company that hired them. Their living conditions were very poor, and they were being watched by security. They also worked up to 12 hours per day, seven days a week. Many workers who needed medical help were declined such assistance, and one worker from Indonesia who developed Covid-19, was left alone, and was found dead 20 days later. This is the way the Chinese seem to be treating the workers who are building the new Silk Road.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17403/china-belt-road-forced-labor
Deirdre HarrisOBOR is President Xi’s most ambitious foreign and economic policy initiative to date. There is little doubt that the objective of this initiative is helping China to achieve geopolitical goals by financially binding China’s neighbouring countries more closely to China. But there are many more economic objectives that should not be overlooked. The most achievable of OBOR’s goals will be its contribution to upgrading China’s manufacturing capabilities. Given China's ability to finance projects and its leverage over loans to other countries and their factories, Chinesemade high-end industrial goods such as high-speed rail, power generation equipment, and telecommunications equipment are likely to be used widely in OBOR countries. More questionable, however, is whether China’s neighbours will be willing to absorb its excess industrial capacity. The lack of trust between China and some OBOR countries, as well as instability and security threats in others, are considerable obstacles. Chinese bankers will likely play a key role in determining the success of OBOR. Though they have expressed their public support for President Xi’s grand vision, some have urged caution both publicly and in private. There is a general recognition that this initiative will be a decade-long undertaking and many are treading carefully. Many of these countries don't trust President Xi's words, and are playing the wait and see game.
Deirdre HarrisI agree with you Sean about what Professor Dube said about how we as teachers can find a way to bring these issues we're learning about in China into our curriculum. It's a bit more of a challenge for a 4th grade class, as opposed to a 7th grade class or higher, but even a 10-year-old can understand about the "New Silk Road" BRI and it's impact on endangered species, pollution caused by coal plants, to make steel, and how a government can manipulate and try to pretend to be something it's not through politics and how this might affect other cultures. I especially enjoyed the writings of Jessica C. Liao. I feel that her analysis is deep, critical, and hits right at the heart of where the US should put pressure on China, in order to make them live up to the promises they have made, and the committments they say they will follow through on. "How to reconcile the contradiction between China’s push for a green BRI and its investment record at the same time? It seems that China seems to say one thing, but do another. The answer lies in the fact that a mercantilist China on the one hand, is touting eco-friendly and renewable exports, yet, on the other hand, it remains reluctant to close up regulatory loopholes and phase out environmentally detrimental ones in order to maintain Chinese state-owned firms’ global foothold." I feel that Liao tells it like it is, and holds China accountable. They seem to be looking to the future, and we need to be doing this also. China seems to be looking out for themselves, but trying to show the International world they are focused on a Green BRI. Thank goodness for experts like Jessica Liao.
Deirdre HarrisI very much enjoyed learning from and listening to Professor Pitelka's first video where he begins to explain the System of the Ruling Elites in Japan in the 12th -13th Century. By using the several blocks who seemed to have a checks and balances kind of way of ruling, the Emperor shared power with the Shogun Kamakura, the Imperial Court, and the Buddist Temples. Facing threats from the Mongols after thay had done their damage in China, had decided to try their luck on conquering Japan's island. They had successfully crushed Korea, so why would they think they couldn't do the same in Japan? From what Professor Pitelka shares, the Japanese are very aware and know what is coming, and prepare very well to repel and defend their islands both by sea and by land, and are successfully able to resist this attempted takeover. Twice, (once in 1274, and again in 1281) the Mongols attempt to conquer islands like Kushu, and with the help of the Divine Gods who supplied the typhoon, helped destroy the ships with the bad weather. People look for proof of this by the art of the time, where Professor Pitelka shows a Japanese painting depicting the shoguns boarding the Mongul ships, and definitively turning the tide with the weather's help, and defending Japan both times.
He goes on to explain that the Monguls were not a proper Navy, and didn't normally attack by sea, but had a history of winning wars by land more often. Sadly, the Japanese leadership do nothing to reward their hard-working shogun warriors, who soon become dissatisfied with lack of payment, or any type of recognition. The shogun leave, and sone of them become bandits, and others drift off and ultimately lay in wait for innocent travelers who, by the 1400's are complaining of attacks by "Evil Bands" of robbers, who were these retired shogun most likely.
Finally, Emperor Go-Daigo decides to resolve Japan's government problems, and is able to restore the Imperial Rule with the help of the Warlord Ashikaga Takauji, who soon betrayed him. He then creates a different shogunate leadership consisting of 3 temple complexes in Kyoto. It seems that the government shifts back and forth from Imperial rule to multi-system rule a few times, before things settle down. When the leaders of the Three Temple complex flee to the mountains, some go north, and some go south, each claiming to be the authentic leaders. The South it seems had taken three sacred items, a sword, a mirror and a bead of some sort. This North vs. South back and forth seems to have gone on for 26 years according to the Professor until finally in 1385, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu reunifies the government once again. He managed to do it by offering compromises of alternating power between the two, which did the trick. He became a very effective ruler and a patron of the arts. He built his palace in Kyoto, where he entertained cultural and social rituals, and built the infamous "Temple of the Golden Pavillion" which still stands to this day in Kyoto. It is supposed to be very ornately decorated with gold foil, with 3 different levels. It does make one reflect on how the governments struggle to find the best way to rule, and how different skill sets need to be in place for Imperial Rule, versus groups of people. So many factors play into leadership success, but it's very interesting when told by a skilled teacher. Thank you.
Deirdre Harris@ 14:40 You speak about the Great Wall of China. We've all heard about The Great Wall of China, and it was interesting to me to learn from your lecture who built it, and how the Chinese Emperor was able to mobilize his people to create such a defense system. You explained that the great wall was constructed over a long period of time, and not all at once of course. It's purpose was to defend itself from the Mongols, or any other invaders. But what stands out to me the most was how the empire under the leadership of Emperor Qin, ordered all of the walls previously built, to all be connected. This was strategic of course, and made the most sense in order to protect the empire, thus becoming the Great Wall of China. These walls were constructed near the borders. I find it mind boggling to think about what a great feat of "civil engineering" this was, as you say. Gathering the supplies necessary to pull this off took much planning, and manpower. They had to think about the stones being brought in, the food needed for the workers, and they worked in the mountainous ranges which all told, was a true marvel. This is why this site is now been deemed not only one of the seven wonders of the world, but also a Unesco Heritage Site. Being around 13,000 miles long, going from east to west, is built over all types of terrain. Even though some of it's sections have disappeared or been rebuilt, it remains an amazing piece of history spanning over 2,000 years, remaining one of the fascinating attractions in the world due to it's historical significance and architectural wonder. How very cool that you have been there many times, no doubt, and were able to share not only photos, but personal experience with us. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Sharing this with my students will be easier with the knowledge gained, and with greater enthusiasm from me as their teacher.
Deirdre HarrisHello,
https://preply.com/en/online/chinese-tutors?tags=ch_beg&campaignid=376597462&network=o&adgroupid=
I found a website that has many tutors available for those students who want to learn Chinese with the help of a tutor. The prices vary, and each tutor is rated, and has a photograph. It shows how many active students they have, and how many lessons they offer. It also allows you to see the availiable schedule of said tutors. It may be a good resource for someone wanting to travel to China, and to prepare by learning a bit of the language is always a good idea. I hope that this might be useful for beginner like me.
Deirdre HarrisI enjoyed learning about the warriors from the Chapter 12 reading, from earliest times to 1600, offered by Professor Morgan Pitelka. It was fun to read about how the Japanese Emporers wanted their military leaders to explain how they would defeat the enemy. From what I remember from the reading, each province had a gundun, a military group of footmen to protect the area. Extra units were placed in the North to protect from invasion. Much of what we know about the war came from these writings called "war tales", or gunki-mono. I loved reading about a young warrior "Yoshie" who was fast, and accurate with his arrows, and the writings tell of his great almost non-humanlike prowess at defeating almost a whole army, one evening single-handed. He had nothing to gain but his stature, and boy did he become well known.
I also enjoyed hearing the story where the younger warrior is explaining to the Emporer how he will destroy the enemy, and he says he will surround them on 3 sides of the palace with fire, lighting each side, and forcing them to flee in one direction, where they will have their entire group of soldiers waiting for them at this last possible exit. It seems that the older audience listening to his plans don't approve of his methods, and explain that these types of rash ideas are unorganized and not the type of winning strategy they were hoping for. But this is exactly what did happen, in the story. They do exactly as the young, skilled warrior described, and it was successful.
Again, I think even though the reading would be a challenge for my 4th grade students, I think they would enjoy having learned about these Way of the Warrios tales. Discussing war strategies, reminds me of the game battleship that so many of the young boys love to play as children. Again, using geography would be an added dimension for showing where these battles happened, and teach history at the same time. Comparisons could be made to WWII battle strategies.
Deirdre HarrisThank you so much for sharing this wonderful Haiku lesson above. My students learn about Haiku's in 2nd grade and on up through their formative years, but this is much more structured, and specific to a learning goal, subject matter, etc... I appreciate how you list the specifics, It must be about nature, be positive, etc... and then how to display these poems perhaps with a picture that you painted. I have done something similar when I taught a 2/3 split one year, with Haiku's about nature, and we all did leaf rubbings, and paintings with watercolors. Not only did it brighten up the environment, but the children were learning and felt a sense of pride with their finished work hanging up on the wall. I don't grade art, as I believe that it's interpretive but it's nice that you have students who put so much thought into their work. Thanks again for sharing this idea.
Deirdre HarrisI was very interested in learning about these Oracle Bones practices. From what I have read, and learned just recently, it sounds like this ritual has dated back all the way to the Neolithic era in China, where they used unburned tortoise shells found in graves from the Neolilthic Jiahu site in Henan province. It's so interesting because these shells had some similarity to later chinese characters. Then later in the Shang Dynasty other methods of using animal bones, with various types of heat, caused the bones to crack, whereupon they were then given to a Shaman to interpret the future. I think my 4th graders would love hearing about this type of practice, and it would be a fun activity to try to replicate, in a safe way, plus having them point out on a map where these practices took place. Even though I teach the young ones, compared to many other teachers taking this class, I still think I will be able to create fun lessons to help spread understanding between the US and Asia. That's my goal at least.
Deirdre HarrisI enjoyed learning about the symbols of Yin and Yang, and realized that they are used here in the West in many logos on businesses such as martial arts, clothing, and tatoos. Upon further investigation, reading and researching, I found that In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin-yang generally referred to in the West as (yin and yang) is used to describe how polar or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only exist in relation to each other. The concept lies at the origins of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine, and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as baguazhang, Taijiquan (tai chi), and Qigong (Chi Kung) and of I Ching divination. Many natural dualities – e.g. dark and light, female and male, low and high, cold and hot – are thought of as manifestations of yin and yang (respectively). It reminds me that despite our differences with Asia and many other cultures, we are all interconnected, and must find ways to not only work together for the global good, but possibly hope to understand, respect and care about each other's differences through mutual interests. Thank you for introducing us to this interesting thought process.
Deirdre HarrisWhat priorities and values are evident in the proclamations of the Hongwu Emperor? What philosophical ideas do they draw upon?
Emperor Hongwu was a cruel, suspicious, and irrational leader. His priority was to promote good behavior and to punish bad behavior. Wanting to rule his people "On A Budget" he seems to be implementing a horrible way of life for all of his people with his system of lijia, having the Elders police the villages, and watch people's comings and goings. Asking the Elders to do their community service and police their own people, made for the legalist type of philosophy that we discusssed in earlier sessions.
This would make everyone suspicious of everyone, and be just an awful, and oppressive way to have to exist. He appears to have been possibly paranoid to some extent, and desperate to find a way to govern the people from the top, all the way down to the peasant farmer without having the manpower to do it.
His life experience taught him that government corruption was the biggest evil that oppressed the poor peasant class. Being that he came from this humble beginning himself, caused him to target government corruption at all levels was therefore the biggest priority of his reign. He organized rural China into communities and this lijia organization asked Elders of households to watch the farmers, and peasants, and incentivize their good behavior.
The Placards that were later posted to keep even the Elders in line, caused fear as well. He seemed concerned with the way people would perceive him as a leader.
His philosophy appears to be “legalist”, the philosophy that people are selfish so they must be ruled by clear laws & fear. This is shown by the passage “With the exception of the righteous person, the true gentleman, and the sage, no one is able to avoid the temptation of money." He assumed people were bad by nature, and the proclamation was a scathing judgment by Hongwu of his people.
He organized rural China into communities and this lijia organization asked Elders of households to watch the farmers, and peasants, and incentivize their good behavior. The communities were responsible for collecting taxes and report criminal activities. The emphasis seemed to be on agricultural work, and he didn't want them to be disturbed. He believed their work was very important for growth and expansion.
Not a fun society to live in by any means.
Deirdre HarrisAfter learning a bit about culture heroes from China, and being a novice to Asian history, I have heard that with over 5,000 years worth of Chinese history and legends, China has way too many heroes for people to try to remember. Some of the most notable that I came across, that are shared with us here in the US for their virtues are 1) the General Yeu Fei. He is a symbol of loyalty. As the legend says, in the 12th century, he wanted to do his duty, and fight in the war, but didn't want to leave his ailing mother behind with no one to care for her. The solution proposed by his mother was for him to get 4 tatoos, jing zhong bao guo, (This ties into our discussion of tatoos and Chinese symbols from your class.) "Serve the country loyally" was what they meant. Now he felt that he could both fulfill his duty to his country and carry out his mother's wishes. As it turned out, he never lost a battle, and was a became a culture hero. He even wrote a poem called "The River is Red." 2) Mulan - We all know the story of Mulan from the Disney Movie with the same name. About a girl who takes her father's place in battle, as he is elderly, and frail. She is said to be a hero of "Filial Piety." She served for 12 years without anyone learning her secret, and after returning home with many offers of awards and commendations, (which she declined), she was only discovered to be a woman when visiting soldiers came to her home unannounced. 3) Monk Ji Gong is the next culture hero who is well known. Ji Gong wan't your ordinary monk. He dressed in rags, and carried a magic fan, and broke the rules most monks were supposed to follow. But because he had magical powers, he used them to rescue people who needed help. He became a cultural hero for these acts. He would often teach the "bad guys" lessons and punish them or embarrass them in public. 4) Han Xin was a hero not only for his military expertise, bur for his tolerance as well. The story is told that After the collapse of the Qin Dynasty, the great Xiang Yu and Liu Bang both wanted to rule China, but only one could. With the help of General Han Xin, Liu Bang became the Emporer. Han Xin grew up an an orphan but studied hard, and studied martial arts, always carrying a sword. One day, a young man challenged him on the street, The young man dared him to cut off his head or crawl beneath his legs to pass by. After much thought, he slowly crawled between the man's legs and suffered humiliation in front of the crowd. The young Han Xin knew that this was a small sacrafice to make on his road to the bigger picture of greatness that was meant for his life. 5) Lady Mu Guiying is our final heroine, and some doubt she really existed, but the story goes, that she is known for her courage. Her family, the Yang Clan, had fought courageously in over four generations of wars. Known for their fierce battle tactics and bravery, the time came when most all of the men of the family had been killed. Lady Mu Guiying is said to have gathered together all of the, maids, widows and other willing women. They took over the military forces, and defeated the enemy. They are said to have been courageous and skilled fighters and became heroines of their time.
I love these stories of heroism, and find that our country's history doesn't seem to have these types of heroes to look back on and to feel proud of. China having such rich culture, and legends to pass down to their next generations, make it easy to feel proud of your heritage. Something that our children could use a bit more of. I would use these stories in my classroom to ask students to find US comparable heroes from history, and to see if they could make any comparisons. This would be a challenge, but I think it would both teach Asian Culture, and have students use their higher-order thinking skills to find such comparisons.
Deirdre HarrisHi Cynthia, As I read your comments about access to clean water, and how the US is not the only country dealing with droughts, and water conservation issues, it made me realize how much we as Americans focus mostly on what goes on around us. Living in California, and teaching a 4th Grade Class, we do teach students about the Great Depression, and the the Dust Bowl of the 30's, but how even into the 1970's, when I was a teenager, I remember having Governor Jerry Brown making water restrictions part of our lives. Not being able to wash our cars and leaving the hose turned on (without a water-saving nozzle), not being able to wash-down our driveways to clean our property, and when things got really bad, having to only be able to water our lawn on certain days of the week. We don't think about how China, Japan and other East Asian Countries also have water issues too. It was interesting reading the article about how a cultural tradition in Japan in the summer-time is to sprinkle the water on the sidewalks outside, to cool things off. https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/water-tradition-and-innovation-flowing-through-japans-cultural-history/ (Uchimizu) It's interesting to note that Japan has been trying to conserve water for years, and they only carried out this cultural tradition with not fresh water, but with their recycled water. This tells me that they have a respect for nature, their environment, and preserving their traditions and culture, in a way that we here in the US do not. I remember my mother going to Japan a couple of years ago, and she told me that she couldn't believe how "Clean" everything was. She said there was not one piece of trash on the ground, or any part of the city she saw that looked uncared for. We need to teach our children to treat our environment respectfully, something that Japan has been able to do for many years. We have much to learn from each other, and taking classes like this one is a great way to begin that process. Thank you.
