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June 2002
Inside this edition:
XIAN: Ancient, Glorious Capital
Xian, the city that once vied with Rome and later, Constantinople, for the title of the greatest city in the world, continues to thrive with its ancient, glorious history. One of the six, ancient capitals of China, it is more popularly known in Europe through Marco Polo, as the start of the Silk Road. The biggest attraction in Xian, today, remains the 2000-year old Terracotta Warriors. Still, countless other attractions lie scattered around the city and its outskirts. And the Islamic element in Xian that breathes through its mosques and marketplaces, tantalizingly lends a unique flavor to the city.
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Click on the images to get an enlarged version!!
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On the train to Xian, Cesar, Will, Vanessa and Mike enjoy a Cantonese drinking game…m sap, yi sap?
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Chrisnah from Indonesia and Bethany from the United States prefer to pass time on the train, buried in books. Well…whatever floats the boat…or in this case…whatever pulls the train?
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Army of the Terracotta Warriors (Bingmayong)
In 1974, a farmer, while digging a well, stumbled into what probably is the biggest archaeological discovery of the 20th century: an underground vault that yielded 6,000 life-size terracotta soldiers and their horses in battle formation. Two years later, two smaller vaults were discovered. The second vault contained about 1,000 figures, the third, 68 warriors and a war chariot. Archaeologists believe that these discoveries could be part of a bigger find yet to be uncovered.
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Anthony from Malaysia seeking refuge behind the ancient Terracotta warriors.
| Mighty Terracotta Mike putty in the hands of Alice, Christine and Jaclyn.
| Jaclyn Baiata starring in "Terracotta Babe.'
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Huaqing Pools (Huaqing Chi)
Having been a palace and resort for emperors and kings in ancient times, this popular scenic
spot in Xian, situated at the bottom of Lishan Hills, has a history of more than 3,000 years. More popularly known as the winter hideaway of
Emperor Xuanzong who spent many winter days here in the company of his favorite concubine,
Yang Guifei (Lady Yang), Huaqing Pools is also the site of the historic capture of Kuomingtang head, Jiang Jieshi (Chang Kai-shek) in 1936.
The hot springs maintain a year-round temperature of 44 degrees Celsius. Rich in mineral resources, the hot springs are said to have
curative powers for ailments ranging from muscle pains to paralysis.
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| Will, Philip, Anthony, Vanessa and Audrey at Huaqing Pools.
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Lady Yang perhaps???
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Philip, Alice, Christine and Caroline and Mary in rapt attention to Jason, the tour guide as he tells the story of the lady in the pool.
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Chang Kai Shek's study at Huaqing Pools.
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Big Goose Pagoda. (Da yan ta)
Originally built in 652 AD with an Indian motif, this five-storey pagoda has since been rebuilt and extended several times. This impressive structure of wood and brick, standing at 64 meters today, was built during the Tang Dynasty to honor the work of Xuan Zang (Monk Tripitaka), the famous Chinese Buddhist monk immortalized in the 16th century novel, "Journey to the West," otherwise known as "Monkey." Xuan Zang's translations of the Buddhist scriptures brought back from his travels to India and compiled into 1,335 Chinese volumes were stored here.
The pagoda stands on a site formerly called Wu Lou Si. The temple, originally built in 589 A.D. in the Sui Dynasty, was renamed Temple of Da Ci'en (Thanksgiving) in 648 A.D. when Emperor Gao Zong (third emperor of the Tang Dynasty) then still a crown prince refurbished the temple in memory of his deceased mother. The temple which contained 13 courtyards and 1,879 rooms was a magnificent shrine during the Tang Dynasty but it fell into decay upon the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. The structures found today were built in the Ming Dynasty.
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| John and Cesar lighting candles at the temple at Big Goose Pagoda.
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Sunday morning, late night, Will? |
Shaanxi History Museum (Shanxi lishi bowuguan)
Built like a magnificent Tang palace, the museum which opened in 1992, houses more than 110,000 pieces of historical and cultural relics dating from Chinese prehistoric and early dynastic periods to the Sui, Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties. Approximately 3,000 objects on display at the museum are priceless artifacts unearthed from the Shaanxi province.
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| Mary, Will and Philip at the Shaanxi History Museum.
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| The Double Six Magic Square at the Shaanxi History Museum. Buried in the foundation of a house to dispel evil spirits, it contains six numbers in length and breadth, the numbers in vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines add up to 111, respectively.
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Forest of Stone Tablets
The largest library of engraved slabs (steles) in China, it is home to more than 5,000 years of Chinese calligraphy. Site of the former Temple of Confucius, it was originally built during the Northern Song Dynasty (1090 A.D.) when a large Confucian collection of steles (slabs) cut in A.D. 837 - the oldest existing texts of the Confucian classics - was moved here for safekeeping.
The contents of this museum can be divided into four categories: literature and philosophy, historical records, calligraphy and pictorial stones. Over 3,000 stone tablets from the Han through the Qing dynasties are displayed here in seven display rooms, six epitaph corridors and one tablet pavilion. The heaviest collection of books in the world, the earliest of these, consisting of more than 2,000 large engraved stone tablets make a striking exhibit.
The Tablet Pavilion which was specially built for the book, "Classic on Filial Piety," is the largest among the tablets. It was engraved after the handwriting of Emperor Xuan Zong in 745 AD and was compiled by Zeng Sen, a disciple of Confucius. One of the tablets which records how Roman Christianity was introduced to China, documents significant evidence of religious and cultural exchanges in history.
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Audrey and Vanessa by the Tablet Pavilion, the biggest stone tablet at the Forest of the Stone Tablets.
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Cesar from Italy with his idol, Confucius. |
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Sumptuous Muslim lunch at Xian. |
Forest of the Stone Tablets |
Harold & Bethany trying to read the inscriptions on the stone tablets.
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Bell Tower
The original tower built in 1384 during the Ming Dynasty was used for telling time. Standing at the heart of the city, the iron bell which hung in the tower was struck 70 times a day. It was rebuilt at the present location in 1739 during the Qing Dynasty. The tower, square-shaped in construction, 36 meters in height and built on an 8 meter-high base, is a wooden structure joined without a single iron nail.
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CL4W student, Pandya of Singapore at the Bell Tower. |
A fabulous performance of bells at the Bell Tower. |
City Walls
Present-day walls were built on the foundations of the old walls of the Tang Forbidden City during the reign of Hong Wu, first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. They form a rectangle with a circumference of 14 kilometers. On each side of the wall are defensive towers. The wall is 12 meters high with a width at the top of 12 to 14 meters and at the base of 15 to 18 meters. It prides itself as the city wall that has remained the most intact throughout China's long history.
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| WLE hunks beating the heat, Chinese style: John, Mike, Cesar, Will, Anthony, tour guide Jason, Philip and Harold. |
Henan Highlights
As the train pulled into Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province, WLE students brimmed with excitement as to what lay ahead in the next two days. A one-hour bus ride took them to Kaifeng, a charming city that once served as the prosperous, imperial capital of China during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1126 AD).
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At Kaifeng, first stop was at the Iron Pagoda. Built in the 11th century and made of regular bricks, it is covered in specially colored tiles that look like iron. Some WLE students braved the climb to the top of this amazing structure.
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Click on the images to get an enlarged version!! |
| Sophia, Lisa, Jon, Marcus and Andy bravely leading the way to the climb up the Iron Pagoda. |
Next stop was at the Dragon Pavilion (Xiangguo Temple). Founded in 555 AD, this pavilion has been rebuilt several times over the following 1,000 years. It was totally destroyed in 1644 when the Yellow River floodgates were opened in an attempt to thwart the Manchu invasion. Hence, the current buildings date only from 1766.
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WLE students listening intently to their tour guide at the Dragon Pavilion.
| A delicate balancing act for Audrey, Vanessa and Lee Ann. An easy pose for Anthony, Eric and Philip at the Dragon Pavilion.
| Edward Min and Crystal Kung - dancing at the Dragon Pavilion?
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Ming Shang He Yuan, once a large marketplace for goods during the Qing and Ming dynasties, the students sat enthralled at the cultural and acrobatic performances
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Cultural and acrobatic performances at the Qing Ming Shang He Yuan.
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On the second day, the group traveled 80 kilometers west of Zhengzhou to visit the world-renowned Shaolin Temple (Shaolin Si). According to legend, Shaolin, founded in the 5th century AD by an Indian monk, Bodhidharma, who preached Chan (Zen) Buddhism, was the birthplace of China's most famous martial arts tradition. Between periods of meditation, the monks imitated the natural motions of animals. Through time, these exercises developed into the popular form of unarmed combat known today as "wushu" (gong fu). Each year, thousands of martial arts students from all over the world, some as young as 9 years old, enroll at Shaolin's martial arts schools.
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Martial Arts students Jon Farr and Marcus Woo at the Shaolin Temple, in legendary Shaolin form. |
While the WLE Martial Arts students trained for the afternoon at the Shaolin Temple, the rest of the group drove on to Luoyang. Founded in 1200 BC, Luoyang was the capital of ten dynasties until the Northern Song Dynasty moved its capital to Kaifeng in the 10th century AD. The road between Zhengzhou and Luoyang provides a unique opportunity to see some of China's cave houses. This type of house where the hillside makes up one or more walls of the house is home to over 100 million Chinese around the country.
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One of the most visited sites at Luoyang are the Longmen Caves (Longmen Shiku). One of three sites in China (the other two being Dunhuang and Datong) that represent the best of Buddhist cave art, the Longmen Caves were built during 494 AD when the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang. Over the next 200 years, more than 100,000 images and statues of Buddha and his disciples were carved into the cliff walls on the banks of the Yi River. Many of these sculptures, however, have sustained heavy damage from natural erosion as well as foreign souvenir hunters who hacked off many of the statue heads. The Cultural Revolution also took its toll on these national treasures.
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While the Martial Arts students trained with the masters at the Shaolin Temple, the Language students visited a treasure cove - the Longmen Caves.
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And before the WLE students knew it, the weekend was over and they were back to Zhengzhou, catching the train back to Beijing. |
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Audrey, Anthony, Will, Andy and Vanessa enjoying a game of Outburst on the train back to Beijing. |
Philip, Beverly, Lee Ann, Eric and Marcus putting up a serious challenge for their Outburst opponents. |
Painting Pictures
When one studies ancient Chinese calligraphy, one discovers that it is practically a painting of pictures - pictures that convey ideas and tell stories. WLE students, David Chan from Britain and Lindsay Hare from the United States, try their hand at mastering the art of Chinese Calligraphy during their elective class.
Belting out the Best Songs
Ten and four-week Chinese Language students, Lee Ann, Vanessa, Audrey and Eric belt out some of the best-known Chinese songs in Beijing during their Chinese Singing elective class. Whether it was the Guo Ge (Chinese National Anthem), Tian Mi Mi (Sweet Honey) or Wen Bie (Farewell Kiss) that they mastered, everyone came home a song, braver and richer.
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Andrew Wong and Emily Wu: Language Exchange Partners
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Andrew is 23, British and lives in London. He just graduated with a degree in Biochemistry from Imperial College in London, England. He arrived in Beijing in May for a nine-week China Business & Chinese Language Studies program.
Emily is 26, Chinese and originally comes from Chang Sha, Hunan, China. She graduated from the Hunan Normal University with a degree in International Economics and Japanese Language & Culture. She came to Beijing for additional studies and was enrolled in an English program at the Language University, when she met Andrew at the World Link Language Exchange Program.
They meet twice a week from eight to ten in the morning inside the school campus at Sammie's where they sip coffee, go over the day's lessons and trade
barbs. Someone is bound to be at least five minutes late when you have to meet at eight in the morning.
Yet, they insist it's perfect to meet at this unholy hour. For Andrew, these sessions with Emily at eight, warm him up for the actual classroom grilling
that begins at ten. For Emily, these morning meetings with Andrew give her a reason to get up and start the day, bright and early.
They generously spend an hour speaking Chinese, the next hour, speaking English. Andrew feels that these one-on-one sessions with Emily go very well with his sessions in school. With Emily, he says he can go deeper with the lessons. What he fails to ask the teacher in class, he asks Emily instead. What the teacher misses, Emily fills in.
Emily teaches Andrew colloquial Chinese, which most Chinese Language textbooks do not really dwell on at great length. And she teaches him a host of not so pretty words too, words Andrew says he gets to practice every time Emily is late for their morning meetings at Sammie's.
They sometimes have lunch and spend time with Emily's friends and family. Andrew has helped Emily's brother with his school lessons and a friend of Emily's who plans to go to school in London. Emily has taught him a lot about the Chinese culture while Andrew has answered many of her queries about life in London.
Emily regards Andrew as a kind, funny and one who is extremely tolerant of her. Andrew claims that he makes learning fun for Emily. Coincidentally, Emily shares Andrew's mother's name and birthday.
One sees an easy camaraderie, a sense of comfort in each other's presence and a remarkable rapport that defies cultural differences. They banter with such genuine affection for each other that anyone looking at them would wistfully realize that what began as a language exchange partnership has truly grown into a fast friendship.
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There is a famous Chinese saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." It definitely can describe this past weekend trip. A group of twenty-two people went on this historical express tour. We went to see the Terra-cotta Warriors, Hua Tsing Pool, Shaanxi History Museum, Stone Tablets Museum, Bell Tower, and City Wall.
The Terra-cotta Warriors were magnificent, and Hua Tsing Pool was a very pretty ancient summer resort. We had a chance to meet the man who discovered the Terra-cotta Warriors - Mr. Yang Quan Yi, who is now in his seventies. Other than that, some of us went to see the famous Chinese Dance Show, which was absolutely one of the highlights of the trip.
To have a fantastic trip, we had to have an excellent tour guide, Ji Chun. He was not only very experienced, but also had a sense of humor. He taught us to sing a bit of Chinese opera. We had a lot of fun.
This Xi'an trip not only gave me a historical review, but also stimulated my thoughts on Qin Shi Huang (Qin Emperor). Even though numerous workmen died because of the commands of the ferocious Qin Shi Huang, he established two historical and influential monuments - the Great Wall and the Terra-cotta Warriors. If he had not had these greedy thoughts, China might not have had such accomplishments today.
Overall, I enjoyed this wonderful trip, and plan to go to Xi'an again.
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Learning Chinese
by Melanie T. Lim
CL8W: 2/01, CL12W: 4/01, CL12W:9/01
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The facility for learning a foreign language is a gift. But for those who have the patience to persist, they will find that they can prevail. Personally, I feel that speaking a little Chinese well is a lot better than speaking a lot of Chinese badly. Below, find some helpful hints in learning Chinese.
It is absolutely necessary at the outset to learn "PINYIN," the romanization of Chinese characters. This whole new phonetic system must be mastered so that "baba' can be read as "papa," with the "p" not aspirated. Pinyin officially opens the floodgates for learning the Chinese language.
SPEAKING
For the beginning learner, this is the first skill acquired. In the first few weeks, even days of study, you will find that your vocabulary can grow rapidly but you will be unable to convey your thoughts and ideas in complete sentences. Don't despair. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
The best way to learn to speak Chinese fluently remains the most obvious one: speak with the LOCALS (dang di ren) on a daily basis. School, after all, only offers the framework for your language studies. Society, at large, provides the real learning. Of course, for total immersion to take place, you must come to China to study Chinese.
LISTENING
The second skill that a beginning learner acquires is listening. This skill can be honed through a variety of ways. Listening to LANGUAGE TAPES helps you get the correct tones, from the first tone to the fourth tone. (yi sheng dao si sheng) and the right enunciation of sounds produced in pinyin. It is also an excellent way to practice listening to a conversation in Chinese. In fact, it's the next best thing to speaking with a local (dang di ren).
Watching FILMS and TV SHOWS in the Chinese language is also a helpful tool in learning Chinese. In the beginning, you might not fully understand what you are hearing but your comprehension will grow through time. Watching TV and films in the target language will also allow you to get a "feel of the target language" (yu gan).
READING
The third skill developed by a beginning learner is reading. Reading presents a huge challenge to most learners and there is no way to develop this skill except through daily practice. FLASH CARDS can prove useful. Write the Han zi (Chinese characters) on one side, the pinyin and English translation on the other side. Practice till perfect. Then, move on to longer text.
WRITING
The last skill acquired by most learners is writing Chinese characters (Han zi). It is essential for students of the Chinese language, even those whose only goal is to acquire conversational skills, to have a grasp of at least some basic Chinese characters. First, learn the different STROKES (bi hua). Then, more importantly, learn the ORDER OF THE STROKES (bi shun) so you can write Chinese characters (Han zi) the correct way.
Learning the Chinese language, one of the most complex in the world, is not as daunting as it seems. Chinese Language professors agree that a 60% retention at program end is satisfactory. You are not expected to be able to read and write from memory (ting xie) all the Chinese characters you have learned throughout your Chinese Language Program.
It is important to understand, though, that intrinsic to retaining the ability to communicate in a newly-acquired language is the regular use of the language. It is essential that you find the means to continue to use the Chinese language on a regular basis when you return to your home country.
Although each learner's goal is different, in this age of computers, recognition rather than mastery of Chinese characters should suffice. Competence in pinyin already allows you to communicate in Chinese through your mobile phone and computer. A firm grasp of commonly-used terms and expressions in Chinese should be sufficient to tide you through daily conversations with Chinese friends and associates.
That is, unless you plan to stay in China for the rest of your life.
Melanie T. Lim is a former WLE student who has now joined the WLE Beijing Office as one of its Program Advisors.
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