Hiroshima and the Peace Museum

This was possibly the hardest place for me to visit on our trip. It seemed that way for many.

It makes me sick to think that the United States, or any country, really, would inflict that much damage on another country simply to prevent the same from happening on its home soil. I do not in any circumstance believe that we are better or more important than another country of human beings. It is our duty to attempt to get along and keep peace without severely damaging our fellows.

I realize that we come from a long history of war and conquest. Japan is dealing with the guilt from events like the Rape of Nanking. In the past, they had denied these actions. Students would come to the United States and fall to tears saying that the lessons we were learning about such events were lies. But now, as stated on a panel in the Peace Museum, Japan is reanalyzing its text books and trying to take ownership of its actions. And, in a way, by doing this and calling attention to it, Japan is challenging other countries to do the same. The United States must take ownership for the bombing of Japan, for the slave trade, for numerous terrible deeds against fellow humans. Germany must take ownership of the holocaust. China must take ownership of the White Terror. Rwanda, the genocide. The Middle East and the Taliban, the terrorist attacks. Spain, the inquisition. We have caused so much damage and counted it as necessary for development, advancement, and survival. The Peace Museum was one of the first establishments I’d seen that attempted to call attention to the pain and the hardships – the damage – without placing blame on a country or group of people, and challenged all people to step up and make a difference. With the number of people who were moved by the peace museum and who signed the dialogue book with peace signs and kind words, it makes me wonder how many actually meant it and will follow through with it.  

I truly agreed with what Andy said as we discussed the experience later: It’s not that I feel responsible for the bombing in Hiroshima. I was not alive for the event and had no part in what had happened. My tears are for the fact that it seems there will always be war, and war will always lead to destruction and death of innocents, and war will always be horrible. My tears are because I wonder why we must even go there.

I fear for the new technology that we have developed. The atomic bombs allowed us to kill on a massive scale and took some of the personal aspect out of war. Now we have drone technology and automated weapons that further remove us from the battle field. As we forget what it means to kill another human being, I fear to what end we will lead our world.

I hope that all who walk through the Peace Museum at Hiroshima, or any war memorial, can also feel these thoughts and fears, take them to heart, and react by trying to make a difference. 

English Camp and Leadership in Japan

I was really nervous going in to English Language Camp. I wasn’t (and am not) really confident in my abilities to work with a group of students and make sure they get everything out of it that they are supposed to while still having fun. Also, being a technical theatre person, it makes me nervous to have to represent my theatre degree by getting up and leading a skit. But those turned out to be really minor concerns in the scheme of things.

I ended up having a really eager group. One of the girls had to go home sick, but the other two, Nagisa and Minami, and the boy, Tomoya were wonderful students and completely open to everything we had to do. We had a little bit of trouble communicating here and there, but ultimately we were making really good progress as the students shared their ideas and I helped them organize it in to a script, get the English down, and get it ready to perform. It turned out to be a lot of fun and a huge learning experience for me as I tried to work with each of them and keep them all engaged (and I am sure for the students as well!).

But there was one really interesting dynamic that I didn’t really notice until I started reflecting back on the project. Tomoya was the only boy in my group and it was really difficult to get him to share his input and stay involved with the other two students. He was just really quiet. I chalked it up to the possibility that he was shy or didn’t know the language as well as the other girls. But later, as I talked to Sean and Colin about their groups, they voiced a similar opinion about the girls in their group. Both also said that when their partners (Hailey and Megan, respectively) took over and tried to work with the girls, they were much more responsive). It made me wonder if having a male partner to help lead my group would have made Tomoya feel more comfortable. After having this thought I wondered if it was solely because of gender and if the effect was also intensified because of the way women are viewed in Japanese society.

My curiosity on the status of women continued to be sparked as we visited Shikoku University. We met with the president and chairman of the university before going to see the students and sit in on a class with the students we’d met at English Language Camp. This meeting was very formal and seemed a little uncomfortable for many of us as we didn’t know what to expect. After formal words and thanks were exchanged we were given the opportunity for a question and answer session. Our questions remained pretty tame. Monica’s, however, did not. She asked them if, since Roberts Fellows is a leadership class, they could outline the opportunities for leadership that women had at Shikoku University. After a roundabout way of discussing the history of Shikoku and briefly outlining the coursework available to women, the Chairman seemed to come to the conclusion that women did not really have leadership at Shikoku and to fill leadership curriculum, they invited in the male students. He of course didn’t say this bluntly as he had already learned that our leadership seminar was mostly women because women tried harder in the application process (as Dr. Swihart stated),  but it could be clearly deciphered from his answer to Monica’s questions.

This was the first time that I had really heard someone openly accept the limitations that women experienced in Japan. Robert had talked about it a little at our first lunch together, but his words had been in an unhappy light, hopeful that Japanese women could find opportunity eventually. He had stated that more Japanese women study abroad than men simply because the Women have no other opportunities for higher education. I hadn’t put much thought towards that statement until I heard the words of the Shikoku chairman. I hope the students we met at the English Language Camp take every opportunity they can to study abroad and create opportunities for themselves. They were too bright and eager to simply let themselves stagnate in Japan. 

On Entering Temples and Being a Tourist

Something that has really been bothering me on this trip has been the way we are able to simply pay a fee and then walk in to a sacred place like temples and shrines – temples and shrines that are still in use by patrons of each religion. In the United States, one couldn’t just walk in to a church while someone was praying and take pictures and discuss what was being seen. Most who were curious would go as a guest to a friend’s church, observe the service, and ask questions later. In Asia, although they don’t have regular ceremonies, people still use the temples and shrines regularly – and they just go about their business, disregarding the tourists wandering around. We did enter one temple – Temple #1 on the pilgrimage in Naruto – that had a service going on. And this did not stop us. We simply stood at the back and talked and wandered and were quite possibly extremely disruptive to the ritual or ceremony that the patrons were attending. It just seems so inconsiderate…but it also seems apparently normal to the culture. 

Nijo Castle and Natural Architecture

There is an intense serenity in all of the ancient sites we’ve visited in Kyoto – especially at Nijo Castle. Everything is made and decorated simply and naturally. The color tones and images are taken directly from nature. It all seems to fit and be at peace. There is not jumble of color or decoration confronting visitors at the door as in Baoan Temple. Everything just seems to flow together. The rooms flow from one to the next, the wood and stone seems to match each other, the gardens are delicate and peaceful. Even the fusion of Buddhism and Shinto seemed meant-to-be. There was no amalgamation, just a clean seam where each religion filled a place in which the other was lacking.

This even flow was more apparent when looking out to the horizon of Japan. We climbed to the top of a structure in Nijo Castle and looked out to the mountains. In the past, the mountains would have been all one saw. Today, there is a layer of forest, a layer of city, and then the mountains in the distance. But the city doesn’t look out of place. It just seems to blend in to the landscape as if it had always been there. Seeing this made it clear how easily and willingly Japan had developed. There was no rush to become a successful metropolis or modernize. There was no force to modernize from outside countries. It seemed to have simply happened as it was to happen in Japan. Perhaps this was another representation of the continuous pride in being Japanese? 

First Thoughts in Japan

After our brief time in Kyoto, I could already sense the strong pride that the Japanese people feel about being Japanese. This impression was so different from what I noticed in Taiwan and China.

In Beijing, I was consistently confused about what I was seeing and worried about making a generalization because my view was so limited (Beijing does not represent all of China). We saw the rundown downtown area, the New York-Esque shopping street near the night markets, the built-up high rises and financial district where the Olympic buildings were also placed, the hutongs ranging from well kept to poverty stricken, along with ancient temples and sites to see. I kept getting the feeling that there was a part of Beijing that we were supposed to see as tourists, and part that gets shown off to others to show the greatness of China, and a part that is generally kept hidden and can only really be stumbled upon by those wandering through, searching for alternate parts of culture. There was a clear eagerness to be on par with the Western world along with a part of the country that is lagging behind.

In Taipei, there was a wonderfully eclectic and lively feel about the city. It made Taiwan seem entirely welcome and embracing. The influence of democracy and western culture was also clear not only in the buildings and companies, but in our interactions with the universities and the natives. They were eager to come to the United States and learn about our culture, while also excited to teach us about theirs. There was a lot of pride in the opportunities that were available in Taiwan – they seemed eager to show us how similar Taiwan is to the United States, but also how much more there is in Taiwan. The pride was in how similar and successful both countries could be rather than in the native culture of Taiwan or China.

In Japan, the atmosphere is extremely different. There is power and order apparent in the city of Kyoto. The architecture is strong and stark, though often creative in an intricate but functional way. There is structure and formality in every action and interaction. There is a clear display of respect and hierarchy. But most importantly, there is no desire to be like the west. The Japanese are Japanese and that’s that…and it works. The cities are clean and organized, they’re well off economically, and their businesses are successful. They aren’t about to change any time soon. They may be welcoming and accommodating, but not to bring in change – it’s just to make a connection and continue on.

The whole comparison reminds me of a comment one of the Dow employees made when we visited: If you want a country that will be completely open to accepting changing and adapting to your corporate culture, go to China. If you want a country that will nod and say yes to your changes while implementing none of them, go to Japan.

Andy noted that many of the young people are more susceptible to change and are becoming more liberal, but even then change happens a generation at a time. It may be a stronger change as it will become engrained in the culture of Japan from the tart, but it is still a slow change. I’m not sure which is better: quick change that comes with impermanence and opposition or slow change that finishes with all parties on board?

Interactions with the Students of Ming Chuan and Shi Hsin Universities

Our interactions with the students have been my favorite part about the trip so far. This is the first time that I have really felt like I am in Taiwan and truly learning something. The history is important and it is extremely interesting to study, but seeing and experiencing modern dynamics has been equally insightful. It helped me to make connections between what we have been learning about and what is really going on.

At Ming Chuan, our interactions were intricately planned. We began at a formal meeting between professors, administrators, and students at Ming Chuan and our own students and faculty members. Formal words and introductions were exchanged between each party; we watched a video about Ming Chuan; and had an opportunity for a question and answer session with the students. Following this, we went on a formal tour of the university to see the various artifacts, cultural rooms, and other elements that Ming Chuan had to offer.

I spent a lot of my time at Ming Chuan with a student named Nina. As we toured the various locations of Ming Chuan, she continued to tell me that she was unfamiliar with these areas. The culture rooms were mainly used for tours that came through and educational workshops with students not from Ming Chuan. The museums and artifacts were simply extra (like Marshal Fredericks Museum at SVSU). She talked about how busy she was with her program and how she didn’t spend much time at extracurricular activities like the museum.

As we continued along, I asked her about her travels to the United States and the things he was most excited about. She really wanted to be able to site-see in Michigan and spend time on campus meeting students and become much immersed in our university, but she was very concerned that she wouldn’t have time. She was expecting to be in class from 8am to 5pm and then have homework until late in to the night. Although I understood that she will be participating in a brief, month long intensive summer program at SVSU, it seemed so strange that she was expecting to be in school all of the time. It reminded me of the intensity of schooling that ­­­­­­­­­­­Dr. Liu talked about at the Grand Hotel.

This look in to the intensity of schooling in Taiwan continued as we watched the Ming Chuan video. There was a point in the movie that stated Ming Chuan was comparable to Columbia and Pennsylvania State University. Saginaw Valley is not in the same league as those Universities by a long shot, and yet we are still a sister university to Ming Chuan. We have students coming to Saginaw Valley expecting rigorous school work and hard schedules—students who are excited to come and learn and become fluent in English despite the fact that Saginaw Valley may not be on the same level as their home university. It made me think about how much the universities like Ming Chuan are able to achieve when they have such a hard working base of students to draw from – and how far schools like Saginaw Valley in the United States have to fall if we aren’t careful.

At Shi Hsin, however, the environment was very different – it was more relaxed and informal, but still informative of Taiwanese culture. We met with the Shi Hsin students very briefly in their home university. Enough time to reconnect with Mimi and Timmothy (students who had visited Saginaw Valley earlier in the year) and meet the new students planning to travel to SVSU. We saw very brief presentations on Shi Hsin and food in Taiwan before parting to change and prepare to travel for a night out with the students in Taiwan. We were finally moving away from the schools and seeing what students actually did in their free time.

I spent most of my time with a student name Beatrice who would be attending a college in Wisconsin rather than SVSU (but despite this, she still wants to visit SVSU when she travels to the States). Beatrice was a lot of fun to talk to and get to know. She was really excited to show me her favorite parts about Taiwan, the shopping, the food, and the night markets. But what really stood out was how accommodating she was trying to be for me. We didn’t just walk around talking, she let me chose which stores we went in to. She was hesitant to choose where she wanted to go or what her favorite things were, instead waiting for me to say something looked interesting or tasty. I had to really push her to take me to her favorite locations and show me the things she personally recommended about Taiwan. This was most apparent at the night markets. Rather than showing me her favorite stations to eat or shop at, she took the time to call a friend and learn which stations had the best version of whatever cuisine we were about to try. She got the names of a few dishes that were extremely popular for tourists and extremely famous in Taipei. Along with these, we stopped at a few of her favorites too, but she was dead set on showing me the best parts of night market we were visiting. Although our visit with Shi Hsin was more relaxed, they were still planning our outings to show us the best parts of where we were going, just like Ming Chuan showed us the best parts of their university in the organized tour.

After receiving such wonderful hospitality and the concentrated accommodation of the students in Taipei, I began to realize how important it will be for us to return the favor when these, or any students, come to Saginaw Valley. We were extremely taken care of and extremely welcomed everywhere we went in Taipei. We owe it to these students to show them the best of Saginaw Valley when they come and try our hardest to make their stay worthwhile. I’m even more excited to greet these students over the summer and in the fall as they begin to come to our university. I can’t wait to reconnect with new friends and show them that we, too, can be great hosts. 

Chiang Kai-Shek and the Chinese-Taiwanese Conflict

The first thing I noticed about the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was  how much it looked like the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Carol told us later that President Lincoln was a favorite of Chiang. The second things I noticed were the inscriptions along the walls in Chinese characters. I asked Carol what they meant. The first were the words Ethics, Democracy, and Science. Chiang used these principles to fight against the communist party and work to unify China. He was a member of the nationalist party (Kuomintang or KMT) in China, but was also urged by the western countries (specifically the United States) to democratize. The second inscriptions instruct readers to continuously improve the life of humanity and to sustain life in the universe. The third inscription is Chiang’s will, challenging readers to continue his legacy and always look back in to history as they continue in to the future.

As we began to explore the ground level of the Hall and go through the museum, Andy explained to us some of the history and dynamics of the Chinese-Taiwanese conflict and how Japan fit in to the mix. What he found most interesting was that if Japan hadn’t invaded China, there may never have been communism in China because Chiang and his troops would have been able to fight strongly and successfully against Mao. But this was not the case. Japan invaded and Chiang retreated to Taiwan, hoping Mao would tire out his troops against Japan and allow Chiang to sweep through and take control. Instead, Mao became battle hungry and the plan backfired.

We also discussed the White Terror, a movement by many different governments in their respective countries to eliminate communism. In China and Taiwan, the White terror was led by Chiang Kai-Shek. There was a huge massacre in Shanghai following the push through all of China. On Taiwan, any people even thought to oppose KMT would disappear. This included communists, liberals for the democratization of Taiwan, Chinese mainlanders who had escaped to Taiwan, and many of Taiwan’s social and intellectual elite. It was this act that left many Taiwanese bitter towards the Chinese mainland, communism, and Chiang Kai-Shek.

It is curious to me that two of the words inscribed on the walls of the upper level of the hall are Ethics and Democracy. It was not until Chiang’s son, Chiang Ching-kuo and later Lee Teng-hui came in to power that democracy was really instated in Taiwan. Additionally, it seems hardly possible that ethics was something considered by Chiang Kai-Shek as he moved through the Chinese mainland, brutally purging it of communists and later doing the same (or worse) on the island of Taiwan. Perhaps it was Chiang’s view that anti-communism was ethical (a very ends-justify-the-means, utilitarian approach to ethically removing communism, though it may be), but once it came to destroying all opposition to KMT I feel the ethics of the matter were entirely lost.

It seems strange to me, then, that these two phrases would be elected to be inscribed on a memorial hall for Chiang Kai-shek. He did a lot to develop Taiwan and create success for the country, but a brutal history trails behind him. This thought also makes it curious that the inscription of his will would instruct readers to always remember the past as they move forward. It seemed like subtle way of cherishing how far Taiwan had come while also reminding visitors of the terror that came with this progress despite how little the real history is discussed in actuality (we discussed also how many Taiwanese will not discuss the Chinese-Taiwanese conflict and the White Terror beyond an academic setting—it won’t simply come up in conversation on the streets).

We also discussed that there would never be a public reconciliation for what had happened beyond the public apology from Lee Teng-hui in 1995. This just seems to continue to speak to the reality of how little the conflict is discussed. The hope is that it will simply fade in to history as Taiwan moves forward and becomes more successful. This, again, seemed so contradictory to the inscription in the Memorial Hall. To take it further, as we exited the bus to enter Taipei 101, we crossed paths with a group of protestors holding pamphlets and signs displaying the horrible injuries that were inflicted during the White Terror. Andy told a few of us that they would set up near the tower so that they could catch the mainland tourists as they exited their busses. There would be no way for the mainlanders to avoid the information. This if nothing else seemed like a cry for reconciliation, an act of remembrance, and a case of the people taking the issue to the streets—beyond academic discussion.

The unrest of the issue seemed clear to me. It makes me worried—or hopeful—for what might happen in the future. The conflict can’t possibly stay repressed forever. But then again, with the culture of saving face and staying quiet, it might. 

The Palace Museum and Ancient History

I always seem to forget just how old Asia culture is. We went to the Palace Museum and the pieces on display stretched way back to before the Common Era. But the techniques and designs never seemed rudimentary. They were working with chemistry (whether or not it was known to be chemistry) to age bronze, writing and recording analects on how to control water, painting with textures from fabric to fur, and clearly displaying emotion long before many of the more modern countries were even beginning to get started. There was so much to take in. It really made me realize how young the United States are. But also, it made me realize how removed Asia is from the rest of the world. When learn about art and religious history, we lump most of the word in to a progressive category, analyzing art and culture as it develops and spreads from its roots to neighboring countries and around the world. On the contrary, East Asian countries like China are given a completely separate and isolated category. The intricate artwork of China began in China and remained there. Their discoveries and records didn’t leave the country. Even in theatre history, we learn about East Asian theatre as a completely different tract than the rest of the world. Going through the museum was the first time I really focused on the deep separation of East Asia from the rest of the world. 

Dinner at the Grand Hotel

 I am unsure what I concluded from the dinner at the Grand Hotel.

It was definitely a chance to see how hard the students in Taiwan worked. As Dr. Liu described, his students would often get up at 5:30am and go to school until 9:00pm. Then they would go home and do homework until about midnight. Much of the work they did until 9:00pm was outside of the normal school day. This work consisted of workshops and classes to improve on their English – literature, drama, conversation, art, music, etc. Further, parents often do not get to see their children—and they simply accept this fact. If their children work hard, they will be better than the other children thus bringing honor to their families and saving face. Parents believe that their children’s long hours and hard work are necessary sacrifices in for this honor. They want their children to be the best that they can be.

I also couldn’t help but feel a little out of place as we continued to talk. I am a theatre major. Although I am taking management and Spanish language courses, I am planning to go in to the entertainment business. I sat at a table of other students who had prospects in Taiwan. Teaching students, nursing students, law students, business and accounting – they all seemed to have some degree that they could pursue in Taiwan or some way in which they could benefit from coming to teach in Taiwan. I didn’t feel like the same applied to me and the career I am pursuing. Ming Chuan in Taiwan didn’t even really have an art program. There were other universities that had art programs, but we didn’t hear much about them. It was simply something Carol mentioned in passing. Perhaps I was making myself feel uncomfortable by thinking too hard about what was being said or trying to find too much meaning in what was happening, but either was I found it difficult to dive in to the excitement that the others seemed to be feeling about studying abroad in Taiwan. 

Baoan Temple

I feel as if I missed out with Baoan Temple. I had a hard time understanding the tour guide, making it difficult to remain focused. I understood that it was an amalgamation of different religious beliefs with many gods to pray for about different things. What I missed were the explanations about rituals and symbolism behind the different paintings and decorations.

We did talk about Yin and Yang – the most prominent examples were the crescent prayer blocks and the bamboo barred windows. It was really exciting to see the religious elements we discussed in class actually used by the natives and to understand how they worked.

I would like to return to some of the Taipei temples and learn more about the architecture, layouts, decorations, and elements that are present. The display was so intricate and eclectic – it would be interesting to compare deeper to the other temples we visited in Beijing and will visit in Japan. 

Upon Arriving in Taipei

Taiwan reminds me of what I think Beijing would look like in ten years. The buildings were crammed on to the streets. There was an eclectic mash of colors, styles, signs, and languages. There were logos that we recognized and some that we did not. There were cars, people, and scooters everywhere. You could feel the rush of the city before even exiting the bus. But it wasn’t a hectic busy like Beijing—it was just a city and it was lively.

We made an analogy as well: Beijing is to New York as Taipei is to Toronto. Beijing was big, busy, and built up. It was very white in color but it was dusty at the same time. It felt manmade. Taipei was different. It was still clearly a city, but it fit so perfectly in to the mountains and the landscape that it didn’t seem out of place. There were trees everywhere and it seemed natural and inviting. It even had Taipei 101 to imitate Toronto’s CN Tower.

The temples are so much more ornate than in Beijing. Beijing was wonderfully painted and well kept. With everything so immense and intentionally placed the importance, power, and majesty of each location was deeply apparent. In Taipei, the intricacy of the colors and designs were the more eye catching aspects of the temples – especially Baoan. The decorations were beautiful and breathtaking, but there was so much to look at that it was hard to take it all in. 

Defining Culture

The Pearl Market, though not a traditional aspect of Chinese culture, was an exciting and eclectic experience. We walked in the door and there were vendors grabbing at us and calling to us trying to sell us cheap, worthless trinkets that were little related to anything truly Chinese—just junk you could enjoy for twenty minutes and then throw away because it broke.

What were even more shocking were the stalls upon stalls of counterfeit items like DVDs, video games, jerseys, and electronics. The government doesn’t regulate these items in China so they are easy to sell and rampant. I almost felt guilty watching the group and other tourists support the counterfeit culture. We are constantly searching for cheap things and will do anything to cut a deal. The vendors were clearly aware that we would buy anything as long as it was cheap and they played to that.

I wasn’t sure if I was more worried that the beautiful, ancient Chinese culture was falling prey to Western capitalism, or that our western culture was falling prey to the Chinese’ understanding of the way we function. Either way, the relationship seems unhealthy. Kyle told me of a family that goes on vacation to China with empty suitcases specifically so they can buy cheap Christmas and birthday presents, and with all the money they spend on the trip and vacation, they still save money on the cost of gift shopping, so they do it every year. Stories like that scare me and make me wonder where we’re headed and which culture will suffer the greatest loss (or if there will even be a loss at all). 

Lost Luxury

The vast size of Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven took my breath away. The intricacy of detail and color and the immensity of the structures (considering they used no nails!) are just incredible. I could only imagine what it would be like to see these places in their glory.

At the same time, it seems like intense luxury with no sentimental value. The young emperors lived in this giant, beautiful palace…alone. They were puppets to the Empress Dowager and were deprived of interaction with other children and the outside world – they deprived of many of the things that create what we consider childhood.

Our guide today talked about the emperor and his concubines – how he was “busy” because there were so many and he would often have to stop before he got through them all. It all struck me as so very empty. All of the women throwing themselves at the emperor in hope that they might bear his child and bring honor to their families, the emperor jumping from concubine to concubine simply out of duty rather than actual enjoyment or desire. Further, the Empress Dowager making decisions behind a screen in order to bestow power on the emperor and still get her way, the eunuchs, serving the emperor castrated so that he could be the only man in the palace, the emperor not even eating more than three bites of each meal so that no one could poison him.

I know that the ritual and honor of it all and the collectivist way of life is all part of the Chinese culture, but I can’t ignore the emptiness of it all. I feel that I would be lost in the endless luxury – luxury that hardly seems like it was ever actually enjoyed. It seems it would often be more of a burden than an honor and that the true glory of the buildings and the way of life would be lost.

As I write this, though, I am wondering if I am getting everything out of these paces as I could be due to the rush and the crowds. I feel that I miss a lot and cannot simply take everything in that would like to. Perhaps I was disillusioned going in – expecting something great and full of revelation. I keep hoping all of these things will culminate to one great, deeper meaning. The hope makes it seem as if I am over analyzing what I am seeing while I search for meaning. I’m not sure what the real answer is. 

Power in Arcitecture

Summer Palace was beautiful—the art and history in the architecture could take your breath away. It is incredible to me that it was burned down twice during invasions and rebuilt with such splendor each time. The paintings of the classics on the ceilings and structures are so intricate – I can only imagine the time and work that goes in to maintaining them (or the time and money that went in to creating them in the first place).

The marble boat is what really struck me, though. We’d learned about it in class and when we watched The Last Emperor, but to see it in person was entirely different. It was built by the Empress Dowager Cixi with embezzled navy funding in order to waste the money and prevent reform. I find it curious that in the United States we have checks and balances that are often so extensive that nothing gets done but in China under Cixi, there was one ruler with the extensive power to prevent things from getting done. They are on complete opposite ends of the extreme.

It was also strange to me to think that something full of so much beauty and intricacy—a site so appreciated by tourist and natives alike—could have been a part of a scheme to damage all of China.

The Ming Tombs were just as majestic. As we walked through the gate, the structures farther back in the tomb seemed to grow larger. You could feel the weight they carried. Inside the offering building, I was taken aback by the size of the support beams and the statue – the great architecture, though not as intricate as at summer palace, was powerful simply for its size and vastness. As we exited into the courtyard, the rear structure overlooking the burial mound loomed above us. As we climber to the top, the peacefulness was incredible. It was quiet and open – no tourist merchants hocking their wares or noisy cars beeping through the city. The whole set up seemed to demand respect as we stood gazing out at the mountains in the distance.

Once again, the same majesty and power was apparent in the great wall and our climb to the top. The crumbling stairs were massive as we mounted each, getting closer and closer to the peak and farther away from the city and countryside below. I was a long, exhausting climb but it was wonderful to look out over what seemed like all of China when we were through.

Just as it is inherent in the weathered, beaten look of the inner city hutongs, the age of the country and culture is clear when one stops to take in the architecture.

Thinking back, though, I am not sure that all do stop to take in the architecture—or perhaps it’s that we are not all given the opportunity to do so. Many have at least seen photos of ancient Chinese architecture—they could recognize a Chinese style building if it was showed to them. But few have been able to go and stand amongst the buildings and see the beauty and power in the walls and decorations or experienced how intentional the layout of each site is. Additionally, many have seen images of modern China, but they seen buildings that are meant to be seen. They see the structures built for the Olympics and the business districts of Beijing rather than the weathered hutongs or the dusty streets.

As tourists on a one-time trip to Beijing, I feel was saw the part of China that we were supposed to see. We saw a part of China trying to show that it could westernize despite the history and culture in its past. We saw tourism and westernized Chinese food, high class restaurants imitating Italian cuisine rather than the best of China, and fresh buildings and high-rises crowding out the ancient splendor of historic China. I want to see more. I want to go beyond Beijing and see the rest of China – the “real” China, or what it would be without tourism and buildings meant for show and tell. Even with our daily excursions, we are carefully guided by Alex and Parrol. We are taken to tourist-friendly restaurants where food is ordered for us to try. Even when we go as a group to restaurants like the Dim Sung restaurant, we still have food ordered for us so we don’t get the experience of fending for ourselves or falling heavily in to the extensive culture that surrounds us.

I would hope that if given a second chance we chose to run a little farther and hunt a little deeper for the pieces that truly make up China rather than just the surface of tourist-heavy Beijing. 

Seeing the City for the First Time

I am impressed with the number of people who are simply out and about in Beijing. We took a walk with Andy and Judy to find a 700 year old hutong street and ended up just wandering around the hutong area, walking through shops, and exploring some city parks. The first thing I noticed was that people weren’t shut up in stores or offices. They were out on the streets socializing with one another. Shop owners would set chairs outside their stores and sit with friends and family while they ate and talked. Bicyclers would stop and talk to each other or talk to walkers along their way. In the parks, there were groups of families and friends sitting out and enjoying the beautiful sun and scenery around them. It didn’t seem like something that would happen in the United States—maybe in a small town, but not in a huge city like Beijing. In the United States, people would be rushing to work, too busy to stop and chat. They would be shut in their cars with the air conditioning blowing before they shut themselves in their offices and stores, also with the air conditioning blasting. Beijing was busy with all of the people, but it seemed so much warmer and friendlier simply because people were so open with each other. 

Another aspect of Beijing that caught my attention at first glance was how dusty the city is. The city cars seem to be covered in a layer of dust or dirt. You can even taste it in your mouth. The hutongs seem dilapidated and there is garbage piled in the nooks and crannies. The laundry we saw hanging in some of the living areas looked stained and dirty. Even the people look warn and leathery. Nothing looked new or pristine, but used and broken in. It was as if you could see the age of the culture simply by watching the way people live.

The Things Parrol Said

There were a few things that Parrol told us in his introduction to Beijing that threw me off.

He noted that there were many towers in China that were left over after the walls came down. He said this was a symbol for China’s past tendency to be a closed country and that the walls coming down mean the country is becoming more open. Another guide told us that the walls came down to expand the city and that the towers were a reminder of growth and how far China had come. It seems to me that although China was very closed-off in the past, once it was realized that its privacy was damaging its ability to compete with the western world, an extreme eagerness to westernize, or at least appear westernized, developed. With this in mind, the latter symbolism of the towers seem more valid in that the people remember how far they have come and how far they must still go rather than reminisce of a time that hindered current success.

Parrol also told us that family wasn’t as important as Dr. Hinderer had originally said. He told us that many children hate their parents because they are pushed too hard in school. He said that’s why they go away to college or go to Beijing – to get away from their parents. He did admit that he ran from his parents but eventually went back to them because of how much they helped him. But it seemed like such a different presentation of family and respect than we had learned about in class. Even when we visited the hutongs, we saw a private family owned hutong that, although worth a lot of money, would never be sold because it was a family heirloom and family was of the utmost importance. Our guide told us many families also lived in the public hutongs and that young couples would move away from their families in those situations to get more space and privacy, but she did not say anything about disregarding the importance of family. I asked Yeyi about it later and she simply laughed and said Parrol was probably a bad student in school and that family was just as important as we had seen in the other situations. It made me wonder how many of the things Parrol said we should take with a grain of salt. 

Leadership and Culture in Asia: The Beginning

We just got to the Capitol Hotel in Beijing. I don’t know if it’s hit me yet that we’re here, ready to experience everything that we’ve been learning about. Right now, I think I am caught up in the newness and excitement of it all. I was so thrilled when we arrived at the airport in Bay City and I was ready to get going. The adrenaline carried over to the flight from Detroit to Beijing. I was caught up in the fact that this was my first international flight, that the plane was huge, that there were so many people and things to take in. When we got to Beijing, our tour guide, Parrol, gave us even more information to consider as we drove to the hotel. We were also busy figuring out rooms and phone numbers and tipping – there was so much arrival and preparation to deal with that I haven’t really thought about the fact that we are in Beijing.

I did manage to stop and observe on the plane, though. I looked out the window when it was bright as day and saw the perpetual sunrise over the snowy Arctic Circle. My photos don’t even begin to do it justice. Although this landscape is not directly related to our upcoming experiences in East Asia, it made me realize how excited I am to simply be immersed in everything that is Asia and is not Michigan. I’m ready to leave everything behind and go on an adventure. 

Respect through Effort and Attention

Kant states that all people deserve a minimum of dignity and respect. He continues to say that it is our duty as people to do whatever we would consistently wish everyone else in a similar situation to do. To act in a way alternate of this would be immoral.

I find it extremely hard to accept that it is possible for a person not to deserve some form of respect. Therefore I am inclined to agree with Kant. All people, regardless of what they have done or from where they have come, deserve a minimum of respect simply because they are people. The reality of the matter is that we cannot know the motivations of people the backgrounds of nurturing that make them act the way they do. We cannot place labels on people and count them as immoral or undeserving of respect simply because of past decisions or actions.

Beyond this the idea of owed respect requires more definition. It is not to say that we should turn bands of burglars loose, regarding their misdeeds as a consequence of their past. We still need rules and standards to keep society functioning. Rather, respect simply means an attempt to understand. We owe our fellows the respect of not judging or stereotyping or making rash decisions. We must give to others of our time so that we may know their backgrounds and motivations, searching beyond consequences and results. If an employee stole from a company because his family was struggling, the employee would need to be reprimanded for the good of the company. But also, his problems with his family also deserve to be addressed. We cannot solve problems without addressing them at the source. To do this, we must have the ability to recognize that the problem stats elsewhere than the fact that the employee is a thief. A manager would owe the employee enough respect to sit down and try to understand his situation and find the best solution.

Leaders are thus challenged with the task of complete awareness of their followers so that they can facilitate this form of respect and care for people and cultivate it through every aspect of their organizations. It is true that it may not be successful with all people – we all fall short in some respects – but it would be more of a failure if we did not recognize our duty and try to fulfill it.