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Kristen WaltzI'll be doing a lesson on Chinese-Taiwanese relations soon in a Contemporary World class, so this should fit in nicely!
Kristen WaltzI've been using Duo Lingo, but it's not the easiest language to grasp there. Still, it makes practicing a few key phrases fun and easy. Let me know if anyone has any other suggestions.
Kristen WaltzI'm a combination of anxious/excited when I think about traveling via high-speed train on our trip. I have traveled extensively in the U.S. via train, but I'm curious to see how it works in China. I was surprised to read this piece about Japan's rail system last week:
It's hard to imagine something like this happening in the US, especially when I think of Philly's SEPTA system. I wonder if China's high speed rail system is similarly strict.
Considering our travel itinerary, I'm excited to get outside in Kunming and explore Green Lake as well as Stone Forest. Green Lake is known fot its lotus flowers that cover the lake in the summer. After reading your description of Stone Forest, I was interested to research more and get an idea of what to expect when we visit. The photos I found were stunning! I chuckled to myself when I saw "the elephant" rock formation. The myths connected to Stone Forest are also compelling. One of the most famous attractions in the forest is the Ashima Stone, "which legend says was formed after the beautiful Sani girl, Ashima, ran into the forest and was turned to stone after being forbidden to marry the man she loved." The Sani people hold a Torch Festival every year on June 24 at the site, honoring the Ashima Stone through "traditional performances such as wrestling, bull fighting, pole-climbing, dragon-playing, lion-dancing, and the A-xi Moon Dance." Although we miss that ceremony by a few weeks, I'd be curious to learn what dragon-playing and lion-dancing are while we are there. As I learn more about our trip, I continue to be fascinated by China's diversity and "hidden" treasures (at least hidden to me).
Kristen WaltzXi'an Cuisine sounds delicious based on the review you linked! Authentic Chinese food is definitely one of the top 5 things I'm excited to experience on our trip. I can't wait to learn more about some of your points at the Shaanxi History Museum. I hope to learn a lot more about the diffusion of religion in China. I'm also curious to see what the Tang Dynasty Show entails. As you mentioned at the beginning of your post, the Terracotta Warriors will be a major highlight of our time in Xi'an. If anyone is interested, check out this NPR piece honoring the archaeologist who discovered them. He passed away earlier this week.
Kristen WaltzThis looks fantastic! Thank you Catherine for coordinating everything. I can't believe that in a little over a month, we will all be in China! Can't wait to meet you all and explore : )
Kristen WaltzThanks for getting the conversation started Tara! I'm a foodie, so I was excited to read that Kaohsiung has the biggest night market in southeast Asia. I can't wait to try some of the pan-fried noodles, hotpot, smelly tofu, and whatever else tempts me! Check out Tara's second link if you're wondering how smelly smelly tofu is, and if you'd be willing to try it.
I'm also excited to check out some of the seriously impressive art installations throughout the seaside city.
Catch a few of these sights on Kaohsiung's City Government "Arts & Culture" page. Click around the tabs for the best experience. I particularly liked the "Dome of Light" at Formosa Boulevard and the Pier-2 Art Center pieces.
While they're fascinating to behold, the story behind Kaohsiung's public art project provides a deeper layer of cultural significance (source). Approximately NT$185 million (converted, $6.2 million US dollars) went into the project, making it a contentious public issue. The argument rests in a clash between the traditional manufacturing sector that built Kaohsiung and its reinvention as cultural center and tourist attraction. The controversy boils down to one question: what is the "right" way to represent Kaohsiung?
I found the debate to be best summarized by an artist who teaches in Kaohsiung: "[My colleague] asked me as a Kaohsiung native how I thought about all the new, fancy, glittering architecture we have been getting in Kaohsiung. I think she felt a little awkward about posing this question, but she said: ‘Don’t you think they seem to be very out of place? They don’t really represent Kaohsiung.’ In return, I asked her, in her opinion, what represented Kaohsiung. She didn’t explain it explicitly but said, ‘After all, Kaohsiung is a working-class, industrial city.’ If this is her image of Kaohsiung [as a transplant from Taipei] … What she said actually makes me think of hei-hua [literally “black painting”], advocated by a group of Kaohsiung artists 10 or so years ago. Behind hei-hua was also the idea that Kaohsiung was a city of heavy industries. Black was its color because it was heavily polluted; and [the density of] the black color captured the soul of the city’s population that was predominantly hard-working, blue-collar labourers. I understand [the hei-hua artists] tried to depict Kaohsiung City and its people in their most true light while at the same time use their art was a way to underscore the injustice Kaohsiung had endured - and the high price Kaohsiung had paid - as Taiwan’s heavy 33 industrial base. I used to agree with them and their artistic expressions. However, more and more I feel otherwise. Times are always changing; and the city is changing… rapidly. Even if Kaohsiung has been an industrial city and the city’s residents have had a working-class culture and identity, it doesn’t mean that they will always be so. Who is to say the new architecture doesn’t represent Kaohsiung or exemplify its working-class identity? Maybe Kaohsiung people genuinely like the new architecture. Are we then to say they are not true to who they are for liking such architecture?"
This is just one example of Kaohsiung's rich history and culture. I'm excited to explore the city and learn more! In the meantime, I pose a few questions. What foods are you hoping to try? What are your thoughts on Kaohsiung's public art project? Do you resonate with the artist's take in the quote above? What do you think about the goal of representing a city the "right" way?
Kristen WaltzDoes "very comfortable walking shoes" include sneakers? Or should we bring something a bit dressier?
Kristen WaltzMe too! Everyone I tell about the trip thinks I'm crazy for going to China and Taiwan before anywhere else outside of the US. I can't wait to go!
Kristen WaltzI'm getting a physical later this week for the medical letter. Is there a form or specific information we need to include in the letter? What is everyone doing for this?
Kristen WaltzHi, I'm Kristen. I teach 9th grade World History and 11th grade U.S. History at PA Leadership Charter School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I'm also a graduate student at Villanova University, concentrating on the history of empire. Like many of my students, I didn't have many opportunities to travel when I was growing up. Although I have traveled throughout the United States, the tour of China and Taiwan will be my first international trip! I am thrilled to share this experience with my students as I broaden my own horizons. 5 things I love outside of school? Hiking, live music, museums, page-turning novels, and great food. Hopefully we can all experience some of these things together in China and Taiwan.
