Edinburgh Days 3 and 4

As Day 2 in Edinburgh was spent at my “Memory and Memorialisation in the PRC” conference, I will skip to Days 3 and 4 of my trip, which featured Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh Castle, and the Royal Mile.

On Day 3, after a full day of networking at my conference, I was ready to hit the town and play tourist again. The morning started off wonderfully. My friend Vicky had taken the train up from Oxford to crash with me in the Gil Dun Guest House, and we traipsed down to the dining room for a complimentary Scottish breakfast, complete with a generous portion of haggis.

One of the tastiest breakfasts in my recent memory.

Haggis is a must-try if you go to Scotland, as it is the national dish. For those eaters who are less adventurous, I will say that it is a type of sausage. Stop reading here. For the more adventurous, I will disclose a full description. Haggis is a type of savory pudding (it is the black sausage disk above) that contains a sheep’s “pluck,” or the sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs. It is traditionally encased in the sheep’s stomach. Another fun trivia fact is that haggis has been banned in the US since the early 1970s due to the sheep’s lung.

View of King Arthur’s Seat

So anyway, it was a delicious breakfast. After fueling up for the day, Vicky and I set off to Arthur’s Seat, within convenient walking distance of the guest house. Arthur’s Seat is actually an extinct volcano that sits at the very center of Edinburgh, and forms the majority of Holyrood Park. It is a bit of a hike to reach the top, but provides a stunning vista of the entire city from all angles – the Royal Mile, the Edinburgh Castle, and the sea. The location is the subject of quite a bit of mystery, and it is often mentioned as a possible location for King Arthur’s legendary castle Camelot.

View of the harbor from the summit

After the breathtaking views from the summit, Vicky and I walked down the path through Holyrood Park to the far end of the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile winds through the center of the Old Town of Edinburgh, with the Palace of Holyrood at one end and the Castle of Edinburgh at the other. The Palace of Holyrood is the official residence of the British monarch and royals, although they rarely stay here. Vicky and I were satisfied with viewing the outside of the palace grounds, as entrance cost a tidy sum. The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland, and thus is included on the Palace of Holyrood’s architecture (the current royal coat of arms for the United Kingdom includes the unicorn for Scotland and the lion for England).

A bit of the beautiful architectural detail on Holyrood Castle, featuring the Scottish unicorn. Notice that the shield has an English lion on it. 

Near the Palace of Holyrood is the Scottish Parliament. Vicky and I perused the exterior, then stopped for lunch at a tasty local fast food joint, Pork, that had excellent barbecue pork sandwiches, perfect for a chilly October day. Then, the Royal Mile pretty much became tourist central, with plenty of cheery vendors. Actually, many of the vendors were exchange students from countries such as Russia and Spain working part-time in the shops. After stocking up on gifts for friends and family, Vicky and I continued up the street towards Edinburgh Castle, only to find that…it would close in half an hour! Rather than panic-buy tickets, we decided to leisurely spend some time snapping photos (Vicky’s main goal) and save the castle for another day (my main goal).

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After our photo splurge, we slowly made our way back down the Royal Mile and stopped for coffee. We gradually meandered to a church, where there was a fantastic organ concert we were able to attend. From there, we went to a Scottish pub for dinner with a new friend Vicky had made from the Netherlands.

After several full days, I overslept, so my Day 4 started rather late. After stopping in at Starbucks (it’s a tradition of mine – I visit a Starbucks everywhere I travel when possible to a) view the similarities and differences and b) buy a collector’s mug), I moseyed over to Edinburgh Castle, where I spent the rest of the afternoon. The oldest part of the castle is St. Margaret’s Chapel, built in the 12th century. I also explored the Scottish National War Memorial and the Scottish War Museum located inside, and discovered that a lot of Scottish military organization was inspired by…the Swedish. Apparently, many Scots fought for the Swedes during the Thirty Years’ War. Regarding Scottish royal history…well, I remember embarrassingly little except for Mary Queen of Scots and her son, James – he was James VI of Scotland, and also became King James I of England in 1603 after his cousin Elizabeth died. England and Scotland were still governed separately at this point. James I’s son, King Charles I, was the last monarch to stay in the castle (although he mostly resided in England), and he was faced with civil war in Scotland, etc., etc.

Scottish unicorn and flag with English lion and flag inside the castle

Edinburgh Castle also boasts some absolutely spectacular views of the city, which I was able to witness at dusk. After winding my way back through the Royal Mile, which was also quite spectacular at dusk, I stopped for my last meal of the trip: fish n’chips.

Edinburgh 2018, Day One

Now that I’m quarantined and can’t really travel anywhere, I figured it would be the perfect time for me to reminisce about all my past adventures that I have faithfully cataloged in photo form. First stop: Edinburgh, Scotland in October 2018.

One piece of advice for getting as much bang for your buck as possible in graduate school? Find conferences in really cool places so that you can receive at least partial funding for traveling there. My initial reason for traveling to Edinburgh was, I kid you not, to participate in a conference titled “Memory and Memorialisation in the PRC” – which happens to be exactly what I study.

View from the plane after landing

After applying and being accepted to the conference (yay!), I booked my flights and flew across the pond one crisp October day. Upon arriving at the Edinburgh Airport early in the morning, my initial impressions were: 1) all of the signs in the airport were bilingual – in English and Chinese; 2) Scottish English sounded very different than British English and I had to strain my ears to understand my taxi driver; and 3) there were no Union Jacks in sight.

I had booked a room at the Gil Dun Guest House (near Arthur’s Seat), which I would highly recommend – terrific service, great location, and complimentary breakfasts. Once I had gotten settled in my room, I took a well-deserved nap before venturing out into the city.

Not a bad welcome to the city!

Although I was tempted to sleep more, I fortunately had two friends in town to keep me accountable and ensure I was ready to hit the town. Rebecca (and subsequently her husband, Tom) was a fanatic of everything Harry Potter and had mapped out a route for us accordingly. I had not known this beforehand, but apparently Edinburgh is the birthplace of Harry Potter. (There are even Harry Potter tours in town!) Our first stop, therefore, was the Elephant House, a cute cafe where Rowling had written much of the material for the first several Harry Potter books. Out of the cafe window, you can see Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, allegedly the inspiration for Godric’s Hollow. After drinking coffee and eating cake at the Elephant House, we stopped to see the nearby Greyfriar’s Bobby – the statue of a famous Edinburgh terrier. In the 19th century, Bobby apparently dutifully guarded the grave of his owner for 14 years, and his story became quite well-known due to his undying (no pun intended) loyalty. For tourists, rubbing Bobby’s nose is good luck (but please don’t do this now!).

The statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby

Next, Rebecca took us to Diagon Alley – umm, I mean, Victoria Street. The winding street with colorfully painted store facades made it easy to see how J.K. Rowling received her inspiration. The three of us stopped in a few appropriately themed shops, including one where we could try on robes, flick wands, and fantasize about having received our Hogwarts letters (alas, mine has still not arrived).

Victoria Street, a.k.a. Diagon Alley

Our next stop was the National Museum of Scotland. The architecture of the place is absolutely stunning, particularly the entryway. Unfortunately, I did not get to see Dolly the sheep, but I would highly recommend the exhibit on Scottish national history.

The gorgeous lobby of the National Museum of Scotland

Last stop for me for the day was the University of Edinburgh, where my conference was taking place.It is the fifth oldest university in the English-speaking world and was founded in 1582, serving an important intellectual center during the European Enlightenment. Economist Adam Smith and philosopher David Hume both hail from Edinburgh (and have their own commemorative statues on the Royal Mile, which I’ll discuss in a later post). Another little-known fact about the University of Edinburgh I learned that was relevant to my studies is that it was the alma mater of the first Chinese student to graduate from a European University – Dr. Wong Fung, who graduated from its medical school in 1857. After his graduation, he disseminated the knowledge he had learned to doctors in Hong Kong, which saw a marked increase in Western medical knowledge afterwards. 

Part of the University of Edinburgh campus

The Sino-Soviet Split

Due to some hiccups in my personal life, it’s been awhile, but I hope to be blogging more soon on my travels this fall, as well as what I have been teaching in my classes!

One impending trip that I am particularly excited about is to Russia at the end of December; in light of this, I’m writing today about an important topic I lectured on in my modern China course the other week. The Sino-Soviet Split of 1960 was shocking to Western observers (who naively assumed that the Communist countries behind the “iron curtain” were a monolithic bloc) and had huge repercussions on the power dynamics of the Cold War. Now, Mao Zedong and Nikita Khruschev would compete for influence in “third world” countries in particular.

How did this seemingly sudden split come about? The creation of the Chinese Communist Party was, after all, largely a result of the intervention of the Soviet Comintern, which had closely guided Party policy until the Long March. Furthermore, the USSR had been instrumental in helping the PRC develop its “Five Year Plans” (for economic development) and sending thousands of Soviet experts to assist in their implementation.

Sino-Soviet friendship poster from before the split

Another pre-split friendship poster (that might raise some serious eyebrows if it were published today…)

While at a conference this past weekend, I broke some of the major reasons down to my colleagues in rapid, “elevator pitch” style, and will list them as follows:

1. Mao and Khrushchev’s clashing personalities and outlooks. Politics is, after all, always personal, and Mao and Khruschev simply despised each other. Mao had adored Stalin and emulated many of his policies. So when Khrushchev came to power and undertook his “de-Stalinization campaign” that started with a not-so “Secret Speech” in 1956, Mao was not impressed. Particularly problematic was Khrushchev’s denunciation of Stalin’s “cult of personality” (as Mao was trying to create one of his own). Khrushchev was a rather undignified politician at times (see his infamous 1960 shoe-banging incident at the UN) and, in Mao’s view, overenthusiastic (reportedly hugging Mao when he visited China for the first time, going all-out in tourist mode and complaining that “Stalin never let me travel anywhere!”) At the end of the day, both Mao and Khrushchev believed that they were the true inheritors of the Communist revolutionary tradition from Stalin and acted accordingly. My favorite example of Mao and Khrushchev’s awkward interactions is what I call the “swimming pool incident.” In 1958, when Khrushchev visited Beijing, Mao invited him to go swimming in his pool – knowing full well that Khrushchev, a Ukrainian peasant by birth, could not swim. Mao, in contrast, was a reasonably experienced swimmer, and used it to his political advantage (as he also did in 1966 with his famous Yangtze River swim). Khrushchev had to wear water wings and was humiliated.

   

   Don’t let the friendly facade fool you – they hated each other!

2. The Great Leap Forward – while there were thousands of Soviet experts in China trying to assist with the Five Year Plan, Mao had decided to rapidly speed up the process of collectivization (abolition of private property and grouping of people into large, militarized communes) in what led to the largest man-made famine in world history. After the rapid collectivization policies, which purposefully ignored Soviet expert recommendations, were put in place, Khrushchev decided to recall all Soviet advisors from China in 1958, which in turn infuriated Mao.
3. Khrushchev’s cancellation of the transfer of nuclear technology to China in light of Mao’s alarmingly cavalier attitude toward nuclear war.
4. The Second Taiwan Straits Crisis – As tensions in the Taiwan Straits between the ROC and PRC heightened, Mao directed the shelling of the island of Quemoy off of Taiwan in August of 1958. This undoubtedly influenced Khrushchev’s decision to cancel the transfer of nuclear technology to China, as Khrushchev was disturbed by Mao’s hard-line approach to Taiwan and annoyed that Mao had not told him of his plan ahead of time.
5. The Sino-Indian War – There had been (and, to this day, continues to be) a dispute between India and China over territory close to a Himalayan border. In 1962, a brief war was fought between the two sides. Other tensions, including India’s granting of asylum to the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan refugees after the 1959 Tibetan uprising, also played a role. Mao had expected Khrushchev to side with the PRC on the border dispute, but Khruschev instead remained neutral. (The USSR was investing in India at this time as well.)
6. Khrushchev policy of pursuing “peaceful coexistence” with the United States and other Western powers was anathema to Mao, who was against such conciliatory policies (well, at least until  he had a change of heart and reestablished diplomatic relations with the United States through the 1972 Shanghai Communique, which was ironically motivated in large part by the desire to counter the Soviet Union).

A 1964 American cartoon about the Sino-Soviet split

After these two Communist powerhouses broke up, diplomatic relations were not formally reestablished 1989, shortly preceding the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now, Putin and Xi Jinping seem to be getting along great, but it is important to note that historically, although Russia and China are a formidable force when they cooperate for mutual political and security gains, power politics and diverging national interests can just as easily corrode this relationship.

 

 

Delhi, Day 2: Humayun’s Tomb and More Adventures

On my second day in Delhi, I visited my favorite site to date: Humayun’s Tomb. I arrived at around 9:30 AM, early enough to beat the worst of the heat, and was greeted with the jaw-droppingly stunning predecessor of the Taj Mahal. Humayun’s Tomb was built by the wife and son of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, from 1569-1570 AD. It is the first garden-tomb on the south Asian subcontinent, and also the first to use red sandstone on such a large scale. In addition, Humayun’s Tomb shows the growing influence of Persian architecture in the Mughal Dynasty and marked the start of this influence in royal mausoleums. I am a novice in architectural studies (unlike my friend I’ve been sight-seeing with, who is an architecture PhD and a total boss at analyzing this stuff), but from what I understand, the domes and arches used in tombs such as Humayun’s Tomb and the Taj Mahal have Persian influence. The Mughals, like the Persian Safavids, also practiced Islam (although the Mughals practiced Sunni Islam, and the Safavids, Shia Islam). (The Mughals and Safavids, along with the Ottomans, are considered to be the three greatest Middle Eastern/Central Asian Empires around 1500-1600 AD, also dubbed by some scholars as the “gunpowder empires” due to their successful use of newly developed firearms, although this concept has been criticized as too simplistic.)

The breathtaking Humayun’s Tomb

Humayun’s Tomb actually contains hundreds of royal tombs in the grand mausoluem. The tomb of Humayun himself, of course, is by itself in a central room, raised above the rest on a small platform. (By the way, if you ever visit, be forewarned that you are NOT allowed to step up onto the platform!) This is a ceremonial tomb, though – his real tomb is far below in an underground chamber, apparently accessible through a side chamber but closed to most of the visiting public. The position of Humayun’s tomb is deliberate – his body is aligned on a North-South axis, while his head has been turned to face Mecca. I visited Humayun’s Tomb with my family 12 years ago (and can’t believe I didn’t remember how stunning it was!), but there have been additional excavations and restorations since then. The most notable is the mausoleum of Isa Khan Kiyazi, an Afghan noble in the court of the Suri Dynasty (dynasty that fought against the Mughals) that was constructed several decades before Humayun’s tomb.

Isa Khan’s tomb

Humayun’s tomb complex was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 1993. After visiting, I could appreciate the origins of the word “paradise” better – apparently the English world is derived from the Farsi term for “walled garden.” After Humayun’s tomb, I visited Purana Qila, one of the oldest forts in Delhi that is believed to have been built by Sher Shah Suri (of the Suri Dynasty) and by Humayun. Unfortunately there was not much information inside on the actual history of the fort, but Humayun did die here. In the center of the complex was a building in which Humayun could relax and repose. Within walking distance was a mosque Humayun used personally (architecturally the most beautiful part of the complex, in my opinion). He was getting old, and when he heard the call to prayer one day, in his rush he fell down the stairs, and died from injuries 3 days later. The majority of people hanging out in the complex were not very interested in this history, though – they were mostly couples canoodling on the grass!

Close-up details at the Purana Qila mosque

One frustrating but understandable aspect of the tourist sites is how expensive they are for foreigners; tickets for foreigners are usually well over 10 times pricier than the same ticket for locals. Most “tickets” are reusable tokens – this is the same for one-time use metro tickets. When I had to relieve myself, I also discovered that public toilets here are quite comparable to those in China. They have what I affectionately dub “squatty potties” here as well – porcelain bowls set in the ground rather than raised, so that you squat over them rather than sit on them. If you travel to India, I’d also advise you to bring your own tissue, as not all places provide them.

After Purana Qila, I decided to visit Connaught Place (CP), a sprawling area of stores and businesses considered the commercial heart of Delhi. The original horseshoe-shaped structure with white buildings was built by the British, who believed that the horseshoe shape would be “lucky” for both shopkeepers and shoppers. At the time it was built, in the late 19th century, it was the largest market of its kind in India. I naturally stopped at a Starbucks there. A man associated with a group of autorickshaws convinced me to pay 50 rupees (less than 1 USD) for an autoricksaw to take me to Starbucks, then a nearby marketplace (my friend and I were speculating and determined that the drivers must have bargains with shopkeepers to bring tourists to them in exchange for a cut of the profit or something), then to an amazing South Indian vegetarian restaurant chain called Saravana Bhavan recommended to me by a friend. Of course, the “market” turned out to be an upscale store with multiple sections that was obviously geared towards foreigners, but I only bought 1 shirt for around 900 rupees (a little less than $15 USD) – a little expensive, but very cute, and I was very proud at my persistence in refusing to buy more stuff!

My delicious lunch at Saravana Bhavan 

Introduction to Delhi

I have been in Delhi, India for almost 4 days now. Forewarning – I will make multiple comparisons to China in this post, as that is my point of comparison when it comes to large Asian countries. Having lived in China for multiple years, I thought I would be completely prepared for Delhi, particularly since I was here with my family 12 years ago. However, that has not been entirely true. Twelve years ago, I stayed in a 5-star hotel and my family had a private driver. This time around, I’m in a 3-star hotel and taking auto-rickshaws, Ubers, and the metro around, which has made it a very different experience. I really appreciate my experience 12 years ago, but traveling here as a graduate student on a limited budget and experiencing more common modes of transportation has been rewarding as well.

My new mode of travel: auto-rickshaw!

So let’s talk about how I wasn’t prepared for Delhi. First of all, THE HEAT!!! My conference here happens to be at the hottest time of year, right before the monsoon season starts. Daily temperatures range from a low in the low 80s to a high of 90-something to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but the real killer is the humidity. Every time I step outside I seem to immediately start dripping sweat. Secondly, how many people asked me for pictures – it seemed to be even more intense at tourist sites here than in China. Thirdly, how aggressive vendors and auto-rickshaw drivers are – I felt this was particularly the case for me as a foreign woman traveling by myself. Fourthly, on a positive note, I have been taken aback by how STUNNING the architecture and historical sites here are (see my next post). The women in particular are also very stunning in their brightly-colored saris and scarves. I remember when I was here briefly with my family 12 years ago, my then-10-year-old sister commented to our mom, “Mommy, the women here all look like princesses!”

I arrived at my hotel late Saturday evening, and decided after a late start the following morning to go to the National Museum and see the India Gate. Instead of taking a taxi, I decided to brave the metro. It is fairly well-organized and easy to navigate. What I like the best about it is that there is an entirely separate car for women! And this is taken very seriously – when I was on the metro the following day and two young men accidentally got into the car, a young lady soundly told them off for being in the “wrong car.” Almost immediately after stepping out of my hotel and walking to the metro, I was accosted by a middle-aged man who wanted to “be friends” and exchange numbers. I refused, saying that I “didn’t exchange numbers with strangers” (largely true, especially concerning strange men of any race in any country). Speaking of the metro – let me advise that the terms “metro” and “subway” mean quite different things in India – whereas the metro is the underground train system, a “subway” refers to an underground pedestrian path going under the road.

Sign for the women’s only metro car

When I exited the metro, a young man named Ajay started chatting with me, but he only wanted to practice his English (not take photos with me or exchange contact information), so I let him tag along with me to the National Museum. Ajay is from Southern India, and his native language is Telugu, which is one of 6 languages that the central government has designated as a “classical language of India.” He told me that he is studying English for an exam he needs to take to enter the Indian military. The National Museum was really interesting – mostly ancient art, from as far back as the 9th century AD! What stuck out to me most was an intricately inlaid ivory shrine from the 18th-19th century (I tried not to think about all the poor elephants); an entire section of a TEMPLE that had been transported to the museum; and a 12th century Chola Dynasty dancing figure of Nataraja, the Lord of Dance (the 5 poses represent the 5 essential acts of the Lord Shiva – creation, preservation, destruction, veiling, and grace); and the jewelry exhibit. Nataraja is dancing on top of the demon of ignorance, the dwarf Muyalaka. Also, the jewelry exhibit was fantastic. Talk about BLING – I was particularly impressed by the size of some of the nose rings and a necklace that covered literally the entire neck. In addition, there was a Buddhist relic given as a gift from the Thai government to the Indian government, and there was a group of 3 Chinese Buddhists chanting and prostrating in front of it.

Nataraja, the Lord of Dance

Some serious bling. The piece in the bottom center is a necklace. 

As a historian of modern East Asia, I was most interested in a temporary exhibit on the Indian Navy, which featured the historical development of Indian naval power from the Zamorin period in southern India to the British East India Company (under which India was colonized) to the Indian Navy after independence in 1947. I took this opportunity to ask my friend, Ajay, what Indians thought of the British now. “Well,” he said, “we think that India would be much more developed now if it hadn’t been for the British.” From the little that I’ve studied modern Indian history, I see his point. Especially after the  Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century, the British focused on promoting Indian agriculture and production of raw materials, which would then be transported back to the UK for further processing. Simultaneously, the British discouraged the opening of factories in India in order to have less competition with British industrial development.

After resting in the museum (I was jet-lagged and exhausted!), I braved the heat once again. Almost immediately after stepping out of the museum, I was accosted by a group of Indian men who all wanted pictures with me. If my husband had been with me, I’m pretty sure they would not have been so aggressive. They asked me for a picture, but then one by one proceeded to put their arm around either my waist or shoulders without my permission. As a woman traveling by myself I was galled. My next stop was the India Gate, where unfortunately more of the same happened. I don’t mind taking pictures with people if they ask politely, but if they don’t ask my permission it is very rude. If families and women with cute little children ask for pictures though, I will happily let them and ask for one myself! The men are normally most aggressive (I found that this was the case in China as well), and I felt particularly vulnerable as a woman traveling by myself.

Posing with a very nice Indian couple at the India Gate.

The India Gate itself is architecturally imposing and worth visiting for sure. It was built by the British as a war memorial to the 82,000 Indian soldiers who fought in the First World War and in the Anglo-Afghan War for Great Britain. My first thought on seeing it was that it looked like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which is also a war memorial (to those who died in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars). In addition to the towering Memorial Archway, there is a smaller structure underneath containing the Flame of the Immortal Soldier (India’s version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). It was added in 1972 after the Bangladesh Liberation war, which is known in India as the Indo-Pak War (before 1972, Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan).

Close-up of the India Gate

Last random observation – the public park exercise machines here are almost EXACTLY the same as those in China – I definitely would not have expected that!

Tiananmen 1989: Truths and Fictions

I just finished teaching a summer course on Modern Chinese History. It was a rewarding course, and I hope that students were able to challenge some of their previous biases and assumptions about China. One of the final events we learned about in the course, whose anniversary just passed on June 4th, was the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989, which was widely covered by the foreign media. This was largely due to the fact that a large foreign media presence was already in Beijing to cover the historic meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and Deng Xiaoping and the normalization of relations between the USSR and the PRC. Foreign journalists quickly between more focused on the burgeoning student movement in Tiananmen Square, however, and stayed on after Gorbachev returned to the USSR.

Now, the Tiananmen Square Massacre, like many historical events, is one that the West interprets in a way that confirms its preexisting biases. Thus, the United States in particular sees the Tiananmen Square Massacre as a united student movement for Western-style liberal democracy that was violently crushed by an uncaring Communist government who wants to hold onto as much power and authority as possible. For many years, this fit with the US-promoted “modernization theory” – that if a society “modernizes” (urbanization, industrialization, education, etc.) and adopts a market economy, then political democracy must inevitably follow at some point.

Fortunately, since the end of the Cold War, there has emerged a much more vigorous debate on the many problems with modernization theory. Yet our views of many historical events, especially in non-Western countries, continue to be heavily clouded by this viewpoint. And there is no better example of a recent historical event incorrectly interpreted by the West than Tiananmen. Below is a music video that, while well-intentioned, exemplifies well many of the false assumptions that the Western media made about what actually happened on June 4, 1989. (It is very hard for me not to roll my eyes when listening to the lyrics.)

What’s wrong with this video:

Assumption #1: This was a united all-student movement.

Truth #1: Although it was student-led at the beginning, particularly after the students began their hunger strike in late May, many workers, teachers, policemen, doctors, etc. also joined the movement. Certain groups, such as the Beijing Workers Autonomous Union even joined the students in the square. In addition, protesters had many different agendas, and students in particular disagreed over how best to respond to government efforts to ease the tension. The moderate faction of students was willing to seek a compromise with the CCP leadership, whereas the other radical faction refused to budge – part of the reason for the tragic ending to the story.

Assumption #2: The students were all campaigning for Western-style liberal democracy.

Truth #2: Above all, students were protesting corruption in the government. Both they and the industrial workers in the protests were indignant at the “fat cats” in government that were accumulating wealth by underhand means. They called for more transparency and accountability in government. Other demands were for the reevaluation of Hu Yaobang, the pro-student president of the PRC who was forced to retire in 1986, and the rehabilitation of political victims from earlier campaigns in the 1980s. While there were students protesting for “democracy,” hardly anyone was calling for the overthrow of the government or even institutional change; rather, “democracy” in this sense meant greater government accountability and more freedom of speech and the press. The “prodemocracy” label was mostly conferred by the Western media and by students who, in talking to the media representatives, overstated the “democracy” element because they knew it would gain more coverage and sympathy abroad.

Assumption #3: The “Tiananmen Square” Massacre

Truth #3: There were very few, if any, deaths in Tiananmen Square, and few students died, either. The majority of the casualties were of citizens in Beijing. When the PLA had first entered Beijing on May 20th under the direction of party hard-liners, an estimated 1 to 2 million Beijing citizens stood on the streets to stop the soldiers and convince them not to act against the demonstrators in the square. PLA troops were pulled back temporarily, but when they entered Beijing again on June 4th, citizens blocked the streets to the square again, and many died. By the time the PLA reached Tiananmen Square, it had already been evacuated.

Assumption #4: The big, bad CCP acted as a united, authoritarian monolith to brutally crush dissent.

Truth #4: From the beginning of the student-led protests, there was a good deal of waffling in the CCP leadership as to what, exactly, should be done. The whole decade of the 1980s had been characterized by political dissent, starting with the Democracy Wall of 1978 and continuing with massive student demonstrations in 1986. There were two major factions in the CCP at this time – the older, Maoist conservatives, led by Li Peng, who favored more Party control over both the economy and politics, and younger (40s and 50s) pragmatists such as Hu Yaobang (forced to retire in 1986) and Zhao Ziyang (placed under house arrest on May 24, 1989) who were not only in favor of opening up the economy, but also were more conciliatory towards student demands. Deng Xiaoping was more of a pragmatist in terms of opening up the economy, but became more conservative on political reform over time.

Assumption #5: This was a local movement in Beijing.

Truth #5: The movement started in Beijing but quickly grew to encompass major cities across the country. On the anniversary of the May Fourth, 1919 Movement, it is estimated that over 1.5 million students from 500 colleges nationwide joined in the protests. This number had doubled to roughly 3 million by the end of May.

Assumption #6: “Now it’s up to you and me to help them fight for democracy.”

Truth #6: No it’s not. As someone once told me, “good intentions are dangerous things.”

Of course what happened on June 4, 1989 was tragic. It is tragic, too, that all memories of this event have been whitewashed from the Chinese media and history textbooks. People remember, of course, but they cannot write about it or post about it publicly.

HOWEVER, it is all too easy for us as Westerners – and I include myself in this category – to look at events like Tiananmen 1989 as if looking in a mirror, seeing only what we want to based on our own cultural, social, and political experiences. The ideals of liberal democracy are wonderful, don’t get me wrong. But we must not boil all history down to an inexorable crawl towards it.

 

Because of the Lord’s Great Love, We Are Not Consumed

I must admit, this is not the Easter I was planning. This past week has been very hectic, with me trying to prioritize dissertation work; prepping for both the World History class I’m teaching at the local community college and my grading and teaching 3 discussion sections of the Nazi Germany course at the University of Virginia; attempting to work out regularly, cook, and eat well; and squeezing in a few coffee dates with friends, as well as catching up with my husband when our free time happens to overlap. Add to this working my part-time job, which is pretty much being a glorified DD (I drive around people to wineries on weekends), and come yesterday evening I was exhausted. This probably contributed to the onset of a really bad headache last night, resulting in me crashing and missing church this morning.

All this has led me to wonder, where has Christ been in my life this week? My mom introduced a wonderful analogy to me in high school that I should ideally live by, but often fall far short of. Imagine you have a large, empty jar, which you need to fill with large rocks, small rocks, sand, and water. The large rocks represent what is most important in your life; smaller rocks important but less of a priority, etc. If you place the large rocks in the jar first, followed by the small rocks, sand, and water, everything will fit in the jar. However, if you start with the water, sand, or even the small rocks first, not everything will fit.

This analogy stressed that in life, you need to prioritize what really matters; after that, everything else will fall into place. As Jesus says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). If I think about what matters most in my life, it is my relationship with the Lord, my relationship with my family and close friends, and community. This is followed by my health, and only then comes my dissertation and career.

How often do my actions reflect my true priorities, though? I often skip my “quiet time,” by which I mean time set apart for reading my Bible and praying, justifying this with being “too busy” with work. Although I try to prioritize family and friends, sometimes weeks will go by without me reaching out to one of my best friends, and time with my husband too often falls by the wayside. I obsess over getting my work done, cleaning the house, and other little details; I put sand and water in my “jar of priorities,” and it is little wonder that the big and small rocks do not fit afterwards.

After waking up late this morning, I decided to take some time to listen to my church’s sermon from Palm Sunday last weekend (which I also sadly missed) and spend a bit of time in reflection. What does it mean for my life, my priorities, that Christ is risen? That everything necessary for the redemption of the world and for my restored friendship with God has been finished? That I no longer need to fear death and that I have a Savior who can share my grief in every way?  That at the end of my life, as I await my reunion with Christ, I will not count the awards I have won, but rather ask myself whether I have “fought the good fight” and finished the race?

As Paul says, “indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). What a different perspective this puts on my daily activities. Nothing I do is inherently wrong, but when I place my dissertation, my teaching, and even my health ahead of my relationship with Christ, I am getting it wrong. My life is hidden in Christ – in Christ I find the purpose for my existence and my reason for everything else I do.

Am I sad I missed Easter service this morning? Yes. But I need not feel guilty – the Lord is patient, kind, and always waiting for us to accept his invitation of communion. The goal is not for me to be a “good Christian” – indeed, the whole point of my relationship with Christ is that I in my own flesh am sinful and depraved, and it is only through accepting Christ’s sacrifice for my sins and with the help of the Holy Spirit that I can ever become more Christ-like. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Today, in fact, every day, is the perfect time to reexamine my life and my priorities. How do my actions reflect what is truly important to me, and what adjustments can I make? I need to trust in the Lord more on a daily basis to provide. This is not something without precedent – the Lord has always provided for me before, and there is a long, rich legacy of him continuing to provide for his people throughout history. He has already provided for my ultimate need – that of a restored relationship with him for eternity. As Abraham said to Isaac, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8).

In my everyday striving, with so many demands on my time, I need to remember what really matters. Even in the depths of despair, with the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, Jeremiah is still able to say, “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23). Praise be to God!

 

Try, Try Again

After traveling and researching abroad for 5 weeks this summer and 3 and a half months this fall, I am finally back Stateside and no longer have the lifestyle of a vagabond. Although I am content with being back at home and establishing fixed daily routines again, however, it has had its challenges, particularly in the fitness department. For during my sojourn in China, I ate countless dishes of delicious cuisine from all over the country. Although I walked quite a bit, it was not enough, and I ended up both gaining weight and becoming a bit out of shape.

One of many delicious meals – here I am eating a lamb kebab and noodles that are halal, made by one of China’s ethnic minority groups that is predominantly Muslim. Worth the weight gain? Possibly.

“Surely,” I said to myself, “I can pick up right where I left off.” Before this summer, I was able to run 3-4 miles with relative ease, even when I was not working out intensely. However, after several weeks back in the US and running at least 4 times a week, I am still struggling with doing sub-10 minute miles on a 3 mile run. When I think back to my high school cross-country days, when I could do 3 miles in under 20 minutes, I  am tempted to grow even more despondent.

Well, perhaps I will never be as fast as I was in high school – my training will not likely ever be so intense again, and I am not 16 anymore. But at the end of the day, that is alright – I need not compare my current state to my teenage self. All I can be is my best for today. Instead of berating myself after a workout where I was “too slow” or “too out of shape,” I can be proud of myself for taking the time to take care of my body. Same goes for nutrition. One step at a time towards a fitter, healthier self.

Fitness levels to return to – me 3 years ago, racing an 8K.

For I absolutely still have fitness and health goals. Yes, to generally get more “in shape,” but I find that concrete goals are more helpful in orienting myself.  I am hoping to do a triathlon this summer (I was also a competitive swimmer in high school) and also hope to work my way back up to a half-marathon. As I slowly work my way back to optimal physical fitness, I remember my goals. I am still exploring workout options (free ones – I’m on a budget!) and ways to eat healthier. And if I fail? If I miss that workout, or eat too much chocolate one day? That’s okay – I am not a machine and am allowed lapses. All I can do is get up the next morning and try, try again.

Lastly, there is no need to compare myself to all of the women who pose in meticulously filtered and edited fitness photos on Instagram and other social media. There is a new ideal body type for women that work out – “strong is the new sexy” – although in photos accompanying this caption, “strong” looks suspiciously like “skinny with muscles.” For women with this body type who are committed to bettering their bodies and minds, that is awesome. But there is no need for me to compare myself to them (or them to me) – every body type is beautiful.

Do any of you share these struggles on overly comparing your fitness progress to that of others or to your past self? I would love to hear your thoughts!

My Chinese Family 我的中国家庭

In the past ten years, I have traveled to quite a few different places in China and gained many valuable experiences, seeing a variety of new places and tasting a plethora of different cuisines. Yet the most valuable experience for me has been meeting one of my best friends, Katharine (冯静), and gaining a Chinese family. Her grandmother calls me “我的美国孙女,” or “my Chinese granddaughter,” and I am treated like family when I go to visit.

Family photo from around 10 years ago.

Every time I come to China, I make sure to go with Katharine to her hometown in Zhengzhou (郑州，capital of Henan province in central China) to visit her grandparents (Yeye 爷爷 and Nainai 奶奶, paternal side), mother, and father. Katharine’s extended family all lives in Zhengzhou, so I have met her father’s two sisters and their husbands, her cousins, and her cousins’ children, as well as relatives on her mother’s side of the family. Most of Katharine’s dad’s family will come over to visit when I am in town, and there is usually a karaoke outing involved at some point in time as well! The most I got to see Katharine’s family was when I had the privilege of visiting during Chinese New Year – it was a week of non-stop family visits, eating, and red packets (红包)  – even though I was 22 at the time, I still received red packets with money from all Katharine’s relatives! Yeye and Nainai love to watch the CCTV New Years gala, so on New Year’s Eve we watched the extravagant festivities while making dumplings.

My husband and I with Yeye, Nainai, Katharine, and Katharine’s mother and aunt.

There are certain aspects of Chinese life I have learned about from staying with Katharine and her family that I would have not learned otherwise. For instance, I always need to wear slippers in the house, and socks in the winter – otherwise Nainai will scold me. Before bed at night in the wintertime, it is common to wash and soak one’s feet in hot water, and one showers less often then. There is never cold water – it is always boiled. You fold up your blanket (usually a duvet) and put it at the end of the bed in the morning rather than spreading it out over the bed. You must always wear enough clothes indoors – when my husband visited with me last week, Nainai continued to fuss over him because he was only wearing a T-shirt. Most importantly, as a guest in a Chinese home, you cannot do anything to help clean up – if I tried to clear dishes or wash anything, I would immediately be met with a round of protests. You will not be able to pay for anything either – even among family members, people fight over the bill.

Regarding eating habits, breakfast is often leftovers from dinner the previous night. Unlike in the United States, it is usual to share a variety of dishes that are put in the center of the table – one only has a small individual plate, and continuously picks up food with chopsticks from different dishes. Drinking shots of Chinese liquor (白酒, baijiu) is common – when you toast, though, it is a sight of respect to lower your cup below that of your toasting partners. Yeye particularly likes to take shots with guests. Coffee, although becoming more popular among millenials, is not found in most homes (unfortunately).  Also, Nainai will never be convinced that you are full. One of my first impressions of visiting Katharine’s family was Nainai continuously putting food on my plate, saying “你吃得太少了，多吃一点儿吧!” (you haven’t eaten enough – eat more!). Nainai also always sends me away with more food then I can properly carry!

Yeye and Nainai when they got married – Katharine’s grandmother was 18, and grandfather was 20.

Zhengzhou is not a very touristy city, but is quite large – it has over 7 million people, and is growing both demographically and economically. Historically, it was the capital of China’s ancient Shang Dynasty, and is not far from Kaifeng, which was the capital of the prosperous Song Dynasty. As Katharine’s dad explained to me, Zhengzhou historically has been and continues to be a very important railroad center for China – railroads going North and South, East and West all traverse the city (in that sense, it is rather like the Chinese equivalent of Chicago). In homes in Zhengzhou, the local dialect, called Henanhua (河南话，which literally means “Henan speech”) is spoken, although children all learn standard Mandarin (普通话，putonghua) in school. Luckily for me, although the tones are a bit different and the slang is unique, Henanhua is one of the closer dialects to standard Mandarin, so I can pick out most of it. Katharine’s parents and grandma can speak standard Mandarin, but Nainai prefers to speak to me in Henanhua!

 

My husband and I with Nainai.

One of my favorite places in Zhengzhou is the park near Katharine’s home, Renmin Gongyuan (人民公园，or People’s Park – there is a park of this name in most Chinese cities). Originally built in 1951, it boasts an array of amusement park rides and facilities, including a water park and ferris wheel, as well as many garden areas, walking paths, and exercise grounds (with unique Chinese exercise machines). Many people gather at the park to socialize and exercise, so during the day it is usually quite crowded. You will see many groups dancing to different music styles from blaring stereos, as well as pairs or small groups practicing badminton or jianzi (剪子，kind of like Chinese hackey-sack). I played quite a bit of badminton in the park, and was introduced to jianzi – although my soccer experience came in handy, it took a bit of time to get used to.

Part of the staged cavalry battle at Qing Ming Shang He Yuan.

This week, I was able to bring my husband to Zhengzhou for the first time and introduce him to the whole family. Although Dillon doesn’t speak much Chinese, that did not prevent him from having a lot of fun with the family and trying many delicious local dishes. We traveled for about an hour and a half to visit Kaifeng’s Qing Ming Shang He Yuan (清明上河园), a historical amusement park. As detailed above, Kaifeng was one of China’s ancient capitals – it was the capital of about 7 different dynasties, including the Song. There is a Song Dynasty scroll painting that is considered the longest painting in China – the painting details the daily activities of different sectors of people, and it is the best clue historians have into life at the time. The amusement park is modeled around interpretations of the scroll and includes costumed actors in Song-style garb, tasty treats, and a variety of different performances, including reenactments of a cavalry battle and a naval battle.

The park entrance by night.

As always, I was sad to leave Zhengzhou, as I know it may be a year or so before I can see my Chinese family again. But at least there is Skype, WeChat, and other modes of instant communication now. Plus, we will need to come back for Katharine’s wedding sooner or later!

 

Gardens Upon Gardens: My Trip to Suzhou

“上有天堂，下有苏杭,” or “Heaven is above and Suzhou and Hangzhou are below.” This well-known Chinese phrase has long been used to describe the famed beauty of Suzhou and Hangzhou. During the national holiday, my friend and I decided to see the famed beauty of Suzhou ourselves (since we heard it was a bit less touristy than Hangzhou).

Perhaps Suzhou was less touristy than Hangzhou, but it was still packed with tourists during the holiday week (not the best time to go, if you can avoid it). Our hostel, Suzhou Mingtown Youth Hostel, was right on Pingjiang Road, a historic street running right alongside a canal. Although the street was quite touristy, it was lively and offered a great selection of street food, restaurants, and cute shops, as well as the occasional whiff of stinky tofu (臭豆腐 – smells awful but many people quite like the taste). There were multiple gondolas on the canal that were available for tourists as well.

Not too far up the road from Pingjiang Street were two of Suzhou’s most famous gardens, the Lion Forest Garden (狮子林) and the Humble Administrator’s Garden (拙政园). Our first stop was the Lion Forest Garden, which we were excited about because of the beautifully grotesque rocks that give the garden its name and supposedly made quite a few labyrinthine paths throughout the grounds. This was indeed the case, but unfortunately the crowds contributed to quite a few bottlenecks throughout the winding mazes. The entrance fee was 40 RMB. This garden was built during the Yuan Dynasty (1342) by a Zen Buddhist monk – the only such garden to survive. The Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors of the Qing Dynasty also visited the garden, and the Qianlong Emperor had a replica of it built in his Summer Palace in Changchun.

One of many such labyrinthine passages in the Lion Forest Garden.

After taking a break for lunch to try and catch our breath, we braved the crowds again to visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the largest and most famous garden in Suzhou. As with the Lion Forest Garden, the Humble Administrator’s Garden was crowded with tourists in town for the national holiday, and had a steep entrance fee – 90 RMB. The grounds of the garden were quite lovely, but I wish we had been there during the summer, when the lotus flowers were blooming on the ponds. The Humble Administrator’s Garden was created as we now know it during the Ming Dynasty by scholar Wang Xiancheng, and took 16 years to complete (1526). Wang’s close friend, artist Wen Zhengming, worked on the garden and named it after a verse in Jin Dynasty scholar Pan Yue’s An Idle Life. Apparently, the author of the Chinese literary classic Dream of Red Chambers (红楼梦), Cao Yueqin, is said to have lived in the garden in his teenage years, and many Chinese scholars believe that the garden scenery described in this book is based on the Humble Administrator’s Garden.

A lone lotus flower lingers in the water.

As the line for the Suzhou Museum was an hour long, we decided to go back to the hostel for a nap before dinner. Best decision ever. After sleeping off our garden exhaustion, we ventured out onto Pingjiang Lu for dinner to a nearby restaurant serving Suzhou specialties. Our choices weren’t exactly healthy, but very delicious – baked dates filled with glutinous rice, candied lotus roots, and dong po rou (东坡肉), a mouth-watering stir-fried pork dish that melts in your mouth, named after the Song poet Song Dong Po, who loved this dish. My friend and I agreed that this was one of the highlights of our trip – meat so tasty that we almost wanted to serenade it!

From bottom-left going clockwise: dong po rou, glutinous rice-filled dates, and candied lotus roots.

On the second day, we finally braved the Suzhou Museum (苏州博物馆), which is right next to the Humble Administrator’s Garden. The current museum building was designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei and opened to the public in 2006. It has a sleek, modern feel to it, with sharp edges and mostly in shades of black and white. The artifacts on display are as old as the Three Kingdoms period (around 180-280 A.D.) and also include many items from the Ming and Qing periods. These include pottery, ceramics, jade, and calligraphy. Upon exiting the museum, you can wander the former grounds of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Zhong Prince (this was a mid-19th century kingdom that precipitated a civil war in the Qing Dynasty for over 10 years).

Many of the artifacts from the Three Kingdoms period were excavated from the nearby Tiger Hill (虎丘), which we explored later that afternoon. Tiger Hill was my favorite place I visited in Suzhou because not only does the mountain have less crowds, more open spaces, and beautiful scenery, but the historical legends behind it are fascinating! The 80 RMB we paid to get in was completely worth it. Tiger Hill’s most famous marker is the seven-story Yunyan Pagoda (云岩寺塔), which stands proudly at the top of the hill. It leans like the Tower of Pisa, but its construction dates further back (its construction started around 900 A.D., during the Five Dynasties period). The hill contains many spots of historical significance and natural beauty. My favorite was the Sword Pond (剑池) near the top of the hill. There are said to be around 3,000 swords buried in this pond, but since the foundations of the Yunyan Pagoda rest here, this legend has never been properly investigated.

View of the Yunyan Pagoda from the base of Tiger Hill.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Suzhou belonged to the kingdom of Wu. Its name comes from one of two sources – one, the hill supposedly looks like a tiger (I didn’t see it); and two, three days after the Wu king Helu was buried here, a white tiger was allegedly spotted on the hill. No one knows exactly where King Helu is buried. His son is rumored to have ordered 1,000 of the men who worked on his father’s grave murdered to keep the burial place a secret. The alleged site of the massacre is on Thousand People’s Rock (千人石), a plaza near the top of the hill that is also near the Sword Pond. All across this plaza, there is colorfully stenciled calligraphy carved into the walls. This attests to the fact that Tiger Hill is not a recent destination for tourists, pilgrims, and other visitors – it has been so for hundreds of years, and even the likes of emperors have left their own carvings on the stones!

A few of the many calligraphic carvings on Tiger Hill.