Guilin Exploration Seminar blog is finally live!

...and updated! As Seattle's autumnal weather sets in, please enjoy this collection of the experiences of the UW students who participated in a month-long exploration seminar in Guilin, Guangxi Province, China.

To see photos from the trip, you may visit the seminar's FLICKR page.

Empress Dowager Cixi’s Summer Palace, Beijing

After breakfast Wednesday morning, the students put all of their luggage and belongings in the bottom of the bus and headed to the Summer Palace, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The Palace grounds are immense and it would take weeks to see everything there is to see of the grounds, let alone the multitude of exhibits and artifacts that have been preserved within the halls of the Palace. The tour was focused on allowing the students to see as much of the scenery as possible and so as soon as the group entered the gates, they hit the ground running. It being the middle of September, the weather was becoming mild and it being morning, it was a cool, lovely day for walking through the grounds.

The students made their way along Kunming Lake and through the sheltered walks, catching glimpses of all of the detailed artisan work that makes the Palace and its grounds so incredible. The group walked through the gate that stands at the base of Longevity hill and ascended the vast stairway that leads to the top of the Tower of Buddhist Incense, which is built on the top of the Temple of Buddhist Virtue. This structure is the tallest in the Palace’s park and at the top, one can glimpse the magnificent expanse that belonged to the Empress Dowager each morning as she reveled in her grandeur.

The students walked up and behind the Tower of Buddhist Incense and made their way back down Longevity Hill by way of a nature path, now filling with a multitude of foreign tourists, Chinese tourists and elderly locals using the park as an outdoor exercise track. The last stop before returning to the hotel for lunch was the Empress’ Marble Boat, which is a two-story sculpture of such craftsmanship that it is usually the first thing visitors approach when entering the Palace grounds. Sculpted to appear docked and floating, the white stone boat is truly magnificent and grand.

The students walked briskly back to the bus and returned to the hotel for a quick lunch before departing for the airport. The students managed to purchase a cake for Yu Laoshi and signed a group card with a group photo and presented these to Yu Laoshi at the final lunch. Final goodbyes were said and reminders were given of items due during fall quarter. Yu Laoshi escorted the students to the airport and once everyone had checked in, everyone said one last goodbye and entered through security to wait for the long flight home.

Across the board, students have spoken of the various skills they learned from this trip. Some felt they had learned to be more independent, to engage in another culture, while others are happy to have seen so many aspects of Chinese culture through the eyes of professors in many different fields. Others still were thankful for the added language learning, which only prepared them for another year of language courses. All were thankful for the friendships and bonds made during the seminar’s three and a half weeks. The students of this seminar will never forget Guilin, China or Professor Liping Yu.

Depart Guilin, Arrive Beijing

On Monday, students met in the lobby, said their final goodbyes and headed to the airport. At the airport, after several students had to pay for extra baggage (Guilin certainly offered this group great shopping options), the group rested until the flight to Beijing. Upon arrival in Beijing, the students were taken to the Pearl Market, a building of seven stories of shops. Around nine at night, the students were picked up and brought to Beijing Institute of Technology’s hotel. Even fancier than GXNU’s “International Student Hotel”, the students were amazed to see their fancy rooms. Exhausted from a day of traveling and shopping, the students went to sleep.

The following morning, students met after breakfast and toured the Forbidden City. After their quick tour, lunch was had at a Sichuanese restaurant. After lunch, the group rode to the entrance of the Beihai Lake District. From the entrance to the lake, it was a nice thirty minute stroll to Madame Sun Yatsen’s Palace, which looks out on a quieter part of the of the lake, well past the tourist bars and cafes. The Palace was to close shortly so the students took a whirlwind tour of the grounds and then walked through the Hutong, Beijing’s famous labyrinth of homes. On the other side of the walk, the students were greeted by the bus driver and just as a torrential downpour began, the driver whisked them away to a famous Beijing Duck restaurant. It was the final night in Beijing, the final night in China. Dinner was delicious and the students were a mix of excitement to be returning home and sadness to be leaving China.

Toasts were made with Sprite and tea, food was eaten, jokes told, and students reminded one another of their favorite moments from the trip. After dinner, all returned to the hotel, the rain continuing, and prepared for the journey home.

Mid-Autumn Festival: Moon cakes and farewell for UW students

The students gathered in the large auditorium of the 2nd floor of the dormitory. Everyone dressed up for the occasion. Originally, the students were told that a small farewell celebration had been planned for their last night at GXNU. But this last night coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival so Chen Laoshi combined the students’ farewell with the Festival.
The UW students prepared a skit and several songs to perform during the Festival. Other visiting students were also to perform during the night. When students arrived at the auditorium, over two hundred people had gathered for the event.

The UW students opened the Festival, singing the two traditional songs learned earlier in the trip. Afterwards, the dean of the International School handed out certificates for completion of the program. After this, the festivities really started. Moon cakes were passed around, as was fruit and tea. The audience enjoyed all the performances and was very loud, supportive and active in giving their support.

At the end of the night, many of the students stayed to say goodbye to friends and teachers, as well as to exchange email addresses and take photos.

Excursion to Longshen

Early Sunday morning, the group set off for Longshen, a three-hour drive from Guilin. The drive took the group through winding roads, sometimes unpaved and with little room for two vehicles, much less two large buses. As the bus got closer to Longshen, the scenery became hilly and then mountainous. In the distance, students caught glimpses of Guangxi’s amazing terraced hills and mountains. Students marveled at the ingenuity required to build such terraces.

Upon arrival at Longshen, there was still another drive needed to get to the beginning of the hike to the top. This drive was much more windy and several students became dizzy from the twisting and turning of the small bus. At the top, the wind blew, but the day was gorgeous – clear skies and sun and breezes. The group started walking up to the top to see the view of the terraces.

At first the path was wide, paved even. On either side were souvenir stands, manned by relaxed men and women. They smiled and if you said, “No thanks” to their offers of goods, they nodded and left you alone. The path became narrower and split in two. To one side was a village of Yao ethnic minority peoples. To the other side was the narrow path up to the top. The ascent became a literal climb and students broke off into groups to make the journey up. At the top a hut selling cold tea and snacks offered shade to sweaty hikers. The students took several group photos and rested for several minutes before returning to a hut in the middle of the hike for lunch.

Students claimed the lunch served in Longshen was one of the best of the trip. Especially favored were the fresh corn and meat-stuffed hot peppers. After lunch, students were given free time and then toward the end of the afternoon met up at the bus for the twisting and turning trip back down the mountain.

On the return trip to GXNU, the bus overheated and the students stopped off at a gas station to use the restrooms, purchase water and fruit. While the driver tried fixing the air conditioner and added coolant, students tried exotic fruits and stretched their legs.

Upon arrival in Guilin, the students had dinner at a restaurant from earlier in the trip and then they celebrated the birthday of a fellow student with a Chinese cake. After dinner the group returned to campus and had an hour to shower and prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

English Day Festivities at GXNU’s newest campus

Early Saturday morning, armed with notes and flash cards for final exam preparation, the students rode the bus to GXNU’s newest campus, well on the outskirts of Guilin. The campus is so new that there is nothing surrounding it but grasslands and trees. Upon arrival at the Foreign Languages building, UW students were able to see Freshman in uniform participating in the mandatory two-week session of military drills and exercises.

Before joining other Chinese students to celebrate English Day, the UW group was given a virtual tour of Guilin’s newest campus. A large conference room housed a huge bird’s eye view of the new campus and an administrative official explained that the campus was being built in four stages, the first stage being complete and the second stage beginning. Many state-of-the-art features are to be included in the new campus. However, when students were able to talk with Chinese students about their new campus, the major complaint was that it was located in “the middle of nowhere” and didn’t offer off-campus excitement and activities. Perhaps when all building stages are complete, these students, if still on campus, will feel differently.

English Day consisted of two moderators who introduced the UW students and several Chinese students studying English as their majors. There were performances of song and dance and poetry, the UW students sang several English children’s songs and then the students played several games together. Afterwards, students paired off with Chinese students and toured the campus together, or got soft drinks and talked. Just before lunch, the students parted and the UW students returned to GXNU to eat lunch and prepare for the final exam. After the final exam, students were given a free night to finish up shopping, eat out, or catch some of Guilin’s night life.

Excursion to Lingqu Canal

The drive to Lingqu Canal was a long one. The canal sits well outside of Guilin, though it is considered a tourist attraction connected to the city. The canal system is over two thousand years old and has withstood nature all of these years.

Immediately following Dr. Li’s lecture, the students piled into the smaller of the two buses, which had been transporting them for the duration of the trip and set off. Shortly before arriving at the canal, the group stopped for lunch in a small town that has sprung up nearby the canal. Surprisingly, the town subsides on tourism alone, and so it is quite modest. The restaurant seemed to be dormant as the students marched up the stair to sit and wait for lunch. Starving, the students said little and were happy when the food started to arrive.

After lunch, spirits high, the students rode the short distance from the restaurant to the canal. A tour guide led the group up into a building with a large model of the canal and surrounding area. The model had a water feature to illustrate how the canal separated one river into two tributaries, one that continued to feed the Pearl river, and the other which eventually led to the Yangzi, thus connecting these two rivers.

For the rest of the afternoon, the students followed the tour guide and took in the grounds surrounding the canal. The solitude of the place was calming and several students wished to linger further when the tour was finished. But the sun was setting and it was time to return to Guilin.

Cultural Lecture: China’s Environment

Dr. Robert Li gave the eighth and final cultural lecture on Friday, September 12th. He focused his lecture on environmental protection in China and hydraulic works in Guilin, since the students experienced many of Guilin’s unique water features during their visit. Dr. Li is a professor in the school of environment and resources at GXNU. He approaches the topic as a scientist and researcher.

The most important topics for an environmental scientist are the same topics concerning economists, industrialists and the government as well: industrialization, urbanization, population growth, and transportation development have all changed the landscape of China vastly since Reform and Opening in 1978.

In 2002, China developed a standardized system of determining water quality among rivers, streams and lakes. There are five classes: 1. Head waters, 2. Drinking water source areas, spawning areas (Class 1), 3. Class 2 drinking water and aquaculture use, 4. General Industrial water, non-contact recreational use and 5. Agricultural use. Above level 5 has no functional use. In this system, level 1 is the cleanest water and +5 is the most polluted water.

In China there are seven major river systems: the Yangzi, Yellow, Pearl, Huaihe, Haihe, Liaohe and Songhuajiang rivers. The majority of the Yangzi River is level 2 and 3. There are tributaries, however, especially alongside urban areas, where the level is mostly 3, sometimes reaching 4. The Yellow River is mostly level 3 and 4, with some areas reaching level 5. The Pearl River is the cleanest of these three, with a primary grade of 2. The source of contamination in these rivers is industry, especially from mining. Although there are laws requiring wastewater to be treated, the laws are still difficult to enforce.

In terms of lakes, the largest of China’s lakes are mostly in the level 5 grading. The Major pollutant for lakes is domestic wastewater, which is very difficult to regulate. China also set up a standardized system for measuring the Eutrophication index, which is the indication of nutrients found in lake water (Nitrogen and Phosphorous), more than half of China’s lakes are heavily loaded. Also affected by Eutrophication is seawater. China’s major seas, in order of most affected to least are: East China Sea, Bohai Sea, Yellow and South China Seas.

Air pollution classifications came in 1996. Level 1 defines nature preserves, level 2 defines residential, commercial and rural areas and level 3, the worst grading for pollution defines specialized industrial regions. The major chemicals causing air pollution are sulfur dioxide, TSP (total suspended particles), nitrogen dioxide and dust.

China developed a list of 113 critical cities, and will focus on environmental protection of these cities. So far, 60% of the cities on the list are at a level 3 grading for air pollution. Guilin has a level 2 grading. 40% of the key cities suffer from acid rain with a pH of 5.6 and 10% of the cities experience acid rain with a pH of 4.5. Coal power in Guangxi province causes acid rain. The toxic rain causes damage to buildings of various materials, aquaculture and agriculture.
In terms of species diversity, China has 2,619 vertebrates and more than 30,000 plant species, four to five thousand of which are endangered. 4% of China’s land is wetland area, 16% is dedicated to nature preserves, and 18.2% is forest area. 37% of China’s land is subject to soil erosion because of the high amount of development occurring throughout the country. The first step to protection, according to Dr. Li is to designate the most critical areas as “protected”, which means getting several institutions, the government and industry all on the same page. Only then can enforcement and prohibition work to protect the land. Dr. Li also emphasized the need for improvement of the infrastructure dedicated to environmental protection.

The environmental governing authorities in China are hierarchical. At the top is the National People’s Congress, which is similar to America’s parliamentary system. Within this congress there are two environmental committees, one being the state council, which is the highest executive body. This council gets together and discusses suggestions from outside. They do not make up laws on their own.

Next in the hierarchy is the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). The MEP is responsible for overall environmental management. The present minister is Zhou Shengxian. The MEP is carefully scrutinized because of the high profile of China’s environmental challenges.

The law system in China is also hierarchical, with eight levels. First there is the Constitution. Then there are basic laws, among environmental basic laws there are the Law of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act. Next there are separate, specialized laws as with fisheries, animal protection or water and soil conservation laws. Next come the administrative laws, which are ratified by the state council (an example being the Ordinance of Environmental Protection for construction projects). Next in the hierarchy are departmental regulations, which are promulgated by the MEP. Among these five levels, when there is a conflict, the former prevails, ending with the Constitution if conflict continues.

Next are regional environmental laws and governmental regulations. Then come the environmental standards such as technical criteria for executing laws (there are over 500 standards, all available online). Lastly are the international conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity in Rio, Brazil, 1992. When the Chinese government is in conflict with these last, the conventions prevail because they represent a collective intent greater than China.

Dr. Li concluded his lecture with a brief explanation of the ancient hydraulic system that changed the course of two river systems allowing for irrigation of the majority of the Pearl River Delta. This system was built in the Qin dynasty in 214 BCE and the canal, known as the Lingqu Canal, connects the Yangzi River to the Pearl River. The students would go to see the Lingqu Canal later in the day.