Weekend Tours! - Blogabond

The Shishi Temple in the Haicang District

Greetings everyone. I had yet another wonderful weekend filled with fantastic Chinese hospitality. I saw some very cool and interesting places and ate some...shall we say, exotic foods. Sand worms in a gelatinous mass are tastier than you would imagine. On Saturday I accompanied a teacher at Xiamen Public School #6 to the Haicang District of Xiamen. The Haicang District is one of six districts making up the Xiamen City proper. Until Saturday, I had yet to leave the island part of Xiamen (the island comprises two of the six districts). The Haicang District is the located on the mainland directly west of the island and is much different from the island part of the city. There are many manufacturing plants that have moved to the region and the population of the district has exploded following these jobs. We visited a little town called Xinyang which is surrounded my these big manufacturing plants (e.g. Kodak) and spartan new buildings to

New Apartments for the Flood of New Workers in Haicang

house the many workers. The area is quite a contrast. At times you feel you are driving through a modern business park but right off of the new streets you enter a maze of older streets dotted by traditional homes built over 150 years ago...if not earlier (my tour guides were a little unsure). Though I left the island of Xiamen with a family of three, by the time we arrived at our first stop, a very old and traditional house built, apparently, by an officer in the imperial navy a century and a half ago, our party had doubled--a number that then included the "mayor" of Xinyang and an elderly gentleman who served as the expert on the tour. The first house we toured was an incredible piece of history, with ornate carvings, huge wood doors, a beautiful courtyard, etc. But bizarrely, at least in my opinion, the decedents of the original family were still living in the home which had, despite its historical significance, become quite run down. When I piped up that any building with such historical significance would be restored and protected in the US, my guides simply mentioned that such structures are so common in China, that no one thinks to restore and protect all of them. And plus, 150 years old in a country with a history comprised of thousands of years, is nothing. Still, being the amateur history buff that I am, it was quite fascinating. I look forward to regaling you interested parties with further details later.

Venerated Ancestors in the Shishi Temple

We also spent some time touring local temples. The first we went to was actually only completed a few years ago, but was modeled after traditional temples in the area. Its size, beauty, and grandeur was incredible, especially given that it was located off a simple dirt road, next to run-down houses and newly built factory worker houses. I am still trying to wrap my brain around China's traditional religion, but the temple was a mixture (though only probably a mixture in my own brain) of ancient Chinese religions and stories venerating ancestors of local families, common religious figures, and Buddhism. Many of you may have a better understanding on this syncretism, but it was quite confusing to me. The intricacy of the temples design and the elegance of the artwork is quite stunning, and I really did not have time to take it all in; obviously the pictures do not do it justice. We then visited a smattering of smaller temples that seemed so unusually placed amidst crumbling buildings and back alleys--a very strange sight.

An Old Slogan from the Cultural Revolution

The Haicang province is quite different from the island's modern urbane feel. It felt a little more like I expected of China with manufacturing plants (though not really industrial plants) surrounded blocks of new, but only functional, living accommodations for the workers. I apologize for not being able to better articulate my impressions, but as we drove around the winding alleyways, past bare concrete structures, and around amazing large corporate factories all filled with people with an existence so different from mine, I was filled with an overwhelming sense at the scale and complexity of humanity...I know that may not make sense, but there are just so many people living lives that I can't begin to understand...it is quite humbling to my sometimes arrogant take on how the world works.

A Beautiful Vista from the High Point of the Expo Garden

Today (Sunday) I was accompanied by three teachers from #6 on a much different tour of the almost brand new Xiamen Horticulture Expo Garden--a sprawling "garden" dotting four different small islands to the North east of the island of Xiamen. This garden has different areas, each dedicated to represent traditional "gardens" and structures from different parts of China. My hosts were very thorough in explaining the geographical regions represented and explaining some of the stylistic differences represented by each. We climbed the highest structure in the entire park/garden and had a marvelous view of the surrounding areas...very beautiful.

A Drum Tower at the Xiamen Expo Garden

On a gastronomical note, my adventurous diet is continuing. On Saturday, I had something that was translated for me as sandworms. These look exactly as you probably imagine (but maybe a little stringier) and were served in this small tub of jelly...lip smackin'! This evening I was served tiny sea snails that we pulled out of their shells with toothpicks. Sometimes I wonder what I am doing putting such things in my body, but my compatriots approach such dishes like they are french fries, so I figure, there must be nothing wrong with a little sandworm and snails.

I start my teaching of the teacher's children tomorrow, which should be interesting given the incredible range of English skills in the class, but I figure that simply listening to me, a native English speaker, speak a language they are trying to learn can't hurt...even if they have no idea what I am saying. I will let you know how it goes.

Part of the Xiamen Expo Garden

I am now approaching the halfway point of my time here in Xiamen, and I can officially say that I am past the culture shock. The dizzying disorientation of new sites, smells, sounds, and tastes (yep...almost all of the senses) is gone. So, perhaps now I can get down to some serious Mandarin learning and cultural observations. More soon.

written by

mflamoe on July 12, 2009 from Xiamen, China

from the travel blog: Xiamen

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great new entry...wow, fascinating stuff dear sir....the kids loved the pictures of the temples, eli spotted the golden bulldog right away. it is hard to beleive the culture shock is already subsiding. i wonder how that will make the next days feel different.

written by sabrina Flamoe on July 12, 2009

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