GETTING TO KNOW XUZHOU

Sorry I haven’t posted a blog in a while, it has been busy getting prepared for school to start in a few days.

In the 2 weeks that I spent before arriving at Beijing, being in Xuzhou was by far my favorite. It was so nice to be with a family and have a short home stay type experience.

My family got to know two UW Madison students who were from China when I was in middle school. We’ve always stayed in contact with them and got together for a few holidays. In Xuzhou I stayed with Jianshen’s parents.

I called them ShuShu (uncle) and AYi (aunt). I loved it because instantly I felt welcomed into their home and it was a great feeling to have after some of the experiences I had in Hong Kong and Shanghai. I can’t put into words how gracious they were, and they will never understand how much I appreciate them.

The first day in Xuzhou we explored the park next to their apartment.  It was a huge park, and the park connected their area to many other parts of the city.

I have some great memories at this park. Shushu practices Tai chi every day in the park. He showed us part of his Tai chi routine. Throughout my stay he taught me a few things, and showed me books on studying Tai chi. He said that I should try to start a Tai chi club at my American College 🙂

After the park, we went to lunch with other members of the family. It was nice to meet so many welcoming people, and the woman in the picture gave me a beautiful Chinese necklace from Xuzhou. It is evident that a large part of the Chinese culture is a strong family bond.  After lunch, we explored another very famous park of Xuzhou. The next park was built around Yunlong Lake. It was a breathtaking area filled with mountains, plants, and the lake.

It was fun to see another Chinese park with other members of the family. We climbed a very small mountain and saw a beautiful small Buddhist temple. I learned that Xuzhou played a big part in the Han Dynasty of China. Most museums focus on that time of Chinese history.

One of my favorite memories from that day was being able to see a small selection of Terracotta Warriors. It was breathtaking just to see a small amount, and I someday hope to visit Xian to see the full exhibit.  Other museums in the park showed the Han Dynasty history through ancient rock carvings, scrolls with traditional characters, and statues. It was mind-boggling to see beautiful artifacts that were from the Han Dynasty, which is 206 BC – 220 AD.

After our fun-filled day and a good home cooked dinner, Shushu, Ayi, and I went to a different neighborhood park. Every night at that park there are various organized groups that exercise. There were countless groups of women dancing and men doing Taichi. Shushu and I decided to join the speed walkers for one lap. It reminded me a lot of “mall walkers” in the US.

I had a wonderful day in Xuzhou, and I’ll be sharing more pictures and stories soon!